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Losing a Majority Mindset

December 23rd, 2016 | 1 min read

By Jake Meador

I’m not entirely happy with this approach from Russell Moore, but I think the quote sums up much of the good and bad in what I take to be his major project:

The loss of a majority mind-set is hastened by cultural and political trends, and we should welcome this loss. It started with good intentions, to get out of enclaves and connect with the broader public, but it came with too high of a price. The emphasis on “values” over gospel exported throughout the nation some of the worst aspects of southern Christendom. Christianity became a totem to secure a happy marriage, a successful career, well-behaved children—all that, and eternal life too. Such a Christianity doesn’t have a Galilean accent, but rather the studied clip of a telemarketer. It sought to normalize Christianity by finding a goal that the church and the culture could agree on, even if Jesus were resting comfortably in his borrowed grave. The vision was a Christian America, or a Judeo-Christian America, or a “traditional family values” America.

Jake Meador

Jake Meador is the editor-in-chief of Mere Orthodoxy. He is a 2010 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he studied English and History. He lives in Lincoln, NE with his wife Joie, their daughter Davy Joy, and sons Wendell, Austin, and Ambrose. Jake's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Commonweal, Christianity Today, Fare Forward, the University Bookman, Books & Culture, First Things, National Review, Front Porch Republic, and The Run of Play and he has written or contributed to several books, including "In Search of the Common Good," "What Are Christians For?" (both with InterVarsity Press), "A Protestant Christendom?" (with Davenant Press), and "Telling the Stories Right" (with the Front Porch Republic Press).

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