Yes, for you culturally literate souls out there, that title is a reference to a VERY funny scene from an extraordinarily dim-witted, yet remarkably funny, movie. The reference should be come clear in a moment.

On Monday, we mentioned the forthcoming “Evangelical Manifesto.” Well, it was published yesterday. Leading Godblogger Justin Taylor has the skinny, and an interview with one of the authors. Reuters covered its release as well. Reuters reflects what is bound to be the MSM narrative on the document:

A group of U.S. evangelical leaders called on Wednesday for a pullback from party politics so that followers would not become “useful idiots” exploited for partisan gain.

But the document is far, far more than that. This is primarily a religious document, designed to save Evangelicalism from the enormous pressures that are pressing on it from political and other circles. Taylor, in his summary of the implications of the definition of Evangelical that the document lays out puts the key political statement this way:

Evangelicalism must be defined theologically and not politically; confessionally and not culturally.

Put that way, I think most will agree. This is a document with much the same goals I had in starting this blog, Evangelicalism is at risk when politics overrides other concerns. Hugh Hewitt is unimpressed and says, “don’t expect much beyond today’s press release.” (Hence the movie reference in the title.) I think Hugh is missing the point of the document and reacting to a title that I agree is a bit over-reaching. Hugh’s point seems to be that Evangelicals are diverse, and that, frankly is one of the primary points of the document as well, at least political diversity, and a fair breadth of theological diversity as well. But Hugh is also right, I am not sure this will get us anywhere.

K-Lo was making some of the same points as the manifesto in The Corner yesterday.

Taylor’s summary also contains these interesting implications, interesting at least for my Mormon friends:

• Evangelical belief and devotion is expressed as much in our worship and in our deeds as in our creeds.
• Evangelicals are followers of Jesus in a way that is not limited to certain churches or contained by a definable movement.

I am forced to wonder if they thought that one through completely? That’s a hole big enough for Mormons to drive through, wonder what would happen if you all tried?

Lowell, interjecting: We won’t try, of course. We certainly won’t call ourselves “Evangelicals,” because the essence of our faith is that we are not orthodox Christians, but believe in restored Christianity. We might call ourselves “latter-day Christians,” which is a much more accurate description of our members than “Mormon,” which began as an epithet and refers only to a book of scripture that we hold dear.

Still, there is a lot to like in what John has quoted from this Manifesto. The language quoted just above suggests recognition of the Biblical teaching that “by their fruits ye shall know them.” Also, it is part and parcel of Mormon teaching and culture that we do more for the United States by bringing souls to Christ than by anything we might accomplish politically. From the Book of Mormon:

Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written.

We Mormons think of passages like that and scratch our heads when we hear others say we are not Christians.

Finally, I appreciate the way this Manifesto humanizes Evangelicals and makes clear that group’s diversity. I think the more politically active among the Evangelical movement have given the rest of you a bad name. It seems to me very healthy for influential and widely-respected Evangelicals to come forward and say, “No, we are not all about politics, we are about being followers of Jesus in a micro, not macro, sense.”

The Real Opponent…

Damon Linker is famous round these parts for his expressed anti-Mormon bigotry. Turns out he does not like religiously convicted right-wingers in general. Ramesh Ponnuru takes him to task.

McCain…

…is starting to make some of the correct noises to reach out to the religious base in the party - on foreign policy, judges and other things.

Finally…

Religion political food for thought from a Godblogging friend of mine regarding some leading Christians pastors:

They are counter-cultural in that they live in the power-centers and refuse to make power-grabs.

Think about it!
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