GroshLink

Recent developments within evangelicalism continue to fascinate me, no more so than all the press given to the evangelical political crack-up.  I wouldn't be surprised if George Marsden's chronicling of the rise of the Moral Majority for CMU's history department several years ago awakened my curiosity.  Once again Kevin finds pieces of interest, Among Evangelicals, A Transformation: They're not 'cracking up,' as some contend, or hope; they are, however changing (Peter Wehner, National Review) gives a little bit more than Breakup of the Religious Right.  Here's the section I found particularly insightful: 

“should make us humble and mindful, not [of] the faults of others, but of our own. It should not make us more judgmental but rather less judgmental, as we see others living a life with the same frailty we acknowledge within ourselves.”

Today Huckabee’s tone is more redemptive than judgmental. He tells people of how as a pastor he provided a listening ear to 14-year-old girls who were pregnant and 17-year-old boys who believed they were gay and had yet to speak to their parents about it. Huckabee talks about the need to be a good steward of the earth. He says he will not close his eyes to poverty and hunger. He has expressed opposition to waterboarding. And, at a time when the GOP base is furious about illegal immigration, Huckabee has had sympathetic words for illegal immigrants. His stands have alienated many conservatives. They fault him for his record on trade, immigration, and taxes; they also worry about his posture on Iran, and about his role in the release of convicted rapist Wayne DuMond, who killed a woman after being let out of prison.

Yet Huckabee, an excellent debater and speaker, is clearly generating excitement among evangelicals. When Pat Robertson endorsed Rudy Giuliani, Huckabee told the Washington Post’s Michael Gerson: “There is a disconnect between past generational leaders in Christian conservatism and their own followers.” Huckabee is tapping into that discontent. Whether he can sustain his momentum is an open question, given the fundraising disadvantages he faces and the withering spotlight that turns to every top-tier presidential candidate. But Huckabee’s rise underscores the broader changes we are witnessing within evangelicalism.

Among the Democrats, Hillary Clinton generates far and away the deepest antipathy among evangelicals. Barack Obama is considerably more appealing to them: Though he is conventionally liberal on most issues—and that remains the acid test for most evangelical voters—Obama is fluent when speaking about the Bible. In terms of the evangelical vote, the best match-up for Republicans would pit Huckabee against Clinton, while the worst would pit Giuliani against Obama.

The GOP, if it hopes to retain the strong support of evangelicals over the long run, will have to remain steadfast on some matters and make adjustments on others. Most important, Republicans will need to remain staunch on the war against militant Islam and the culture-of-life issues, abortion above all. If there were a retreat on those fronts, evangelical support would dissipate, and maybe even collapse.

Even so, Republicans need to move beyond the “culture war” model that worked well in the past. The rhetoric of candidates needs to be principled but civil, inviting rather than aggressive, and radiate grace instead of invoking apocalyptic warnings. Also, it is no longer enough simply to voice support for a human-life amendment that has no realistic chance of passing. While it will still be important for Republican candidates to “check the boxes”—pro-life, promarriage, pro–tax cuts for families—it will no longer be sufficient.

Note:  for a mixed moving toward negagive review of Huckabee, check out Peggy Noonan's American Pastoral: Mike Huckabee preaches to the choir, but not everyone's singing along (12/26/07 Update: and also Peter Wehner's Huckabee’s Co-Pilot). Join me in praying for discernment regarding how we are part of the Kingdom of God here and now . . .