The Anointed: Evangelical Truth in a Secular Age

by Randall J. Stephens, Karl W. Giberson

American evangelicalism often appears as a politically monolithic, textbook red-state fundamentalism that elected George W. Bush, opposes gay marriage, abortion, and evolution, and promotes apathy about global warming. Prominent public figures hold forth on these topics, speaking with great authority for millions of followers. Authors Stephens and Giberson, with roots in the evangelical tradition, argue that this popular impression understates the diversity within evangelicalism―an often insular world where serious disagreements are invisible to secular and religiously liberal media consumers. Yet, in the face of this diversity, why do so many people follow leaders with dubious credentials when they have other options? Why do tens of millions of Americans prefer to get their science from Ken Ham, founder of the creationist Answers in Genesis, who has no scientific expertise, rather than from his fellow evangelical Francis Collins, current Director of the National Institutes of Health?

Exploring intellectual authority within evangelicalism, the authors reveal how America’s populist ideals, anti-intellectualism, and religious free market, along with the concept of anointing―being chosen by God to speak for him like the biblical prophets―established a conservative evangelical leadership isolated from the world of secular arts and sciences.

Today, charismatic and media-savvy creationists, historians, psychologists, and biblical exegetes continue to receive more funding and airtime than their more qualified counterparts. Though a growing minority of evangelicals engage with contemporary scholarship, the community’s authority structure still encourages the “anointed” to assume positions of leadership.

Genres: Religion, Sociology, Politics, Nonfiction, Political Science

384 pages, Hardcover

First published October 24, 2011

Reviews

[Mac · Rating 2 out of 5]

Randall J. Stephens and Karl W. Gibberson, authors of THE ANOINTED: EVANGELICAL TRUTH IN A SECULAR AGE, seek to explain why less credentialed and nuanced leaders exercise more influence within conservative American Christianity than their more sophisticated brethren. The four chapters at the heart of the book compare “anointed” evangelical “experts” on evolution, American history, family and sexuality, and eschatology with less popular but more credentialed writers. It’s a clever way to frame the issues, though the authors employ this tactic more successfully in some chapters than in others. The fifth chapter seeks to describe the Evangelical sub-culture that has risen up within and underneath the dominant U.S. culture in the 21st century in an effort to describe the space in which "anointed" leaders exercise their authority. In the final chapter, Stephens and Giberson offer their explanation as why it is that “The Anointed” achieve power and influence beyond what they deserve - they point to historically strong anti-intellectualist populism in America, the consumeristic nature of modern religion, the deep need people have to form communities in which their beliefs are accepted and reinforced rather than challenged, and the use of "in-group" and "out-group" language by charismatic leaders as a way of strengthening loyalty in the face of opposition.

Though published by Harvard’s Belknap Press, the book is aimed at a popular audience and the tone never aspires to academic objectivity. Rather, Stephens and Gibberson generally come off as self-assured and, at times, as smug, snarky, and holier-than-thou. All of which means that the book is easier to read and more entertaining than most histories of Fundamentalism, at least for those who share the authors’ opinions. Questions of tone and charity notwithstanding, the central argument of the book is difficult to deny even if it is at times exaggerated or even presented weakly by its authors.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though it is quite clear that the authors are very knowledgeable on the subject matter (as they are also coming from the evangelical community), the book lacked a unifying theme - the individual chapters seemed to be cobbled together to form a book. Identifying leading players in different fields - such as young earth creationism, rejection of modern psychology, historical revisionism - all of course rooted in a deep tradition of anti-intellectualism, the authors seem to hesitate before giving the reader their full analysis of the role, for better or worse, played by this group in society. The leaders of the willfully ignorant are contrasted by examples of evangelicals who have reconciled faith and science (including the current head of the NIH) - but this subject is not developed in full. I think part of the problem lies in the fact that the authors could not decide who was the audience: fellow scientifically oriented evangelicals or the general, more secular, population. Was ok, could have been and I expected more.

[Thomas Stevenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know that I live in a secular world. So I don't have much of an idea of what's going on in the minds of evangelicals. But I wanted to know because their thoughts seem to underlie much of the political discourse, especially the visceral dislike of Obama. The Anointed is written by reflective evangelicals examining their brethren. The book is very informative, particularly in explaining splits within the evangelical world, the free wheeling expositions of some evangelical scholars, and anti-intellectualism. The answers are here, particularly in the final chapter.

[Rafael Villalobos · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author was completely fair in describing the Evangelical movement from within. As a former Evangelical I was able to confirm his descriptions and did not perceive any straw man arguments. The Evangelical movement is crumbling under the weight of unfulfilled expectations and this is a good account of just that.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not without some flaws, still a very insightful look at how the evangelical world's leaders interact with the wider world of knowledge and experts and how millions of American evangelicals follow them somewhat blindly. Descriptive and explanatory. Recommended.

[Carolyn Lind · Rating 4 out of 5]

Owen Gingerich says, "Stephens & Giberson have produced a stunning and well-documented indictment of the evangelical right wing. Here is a 'must read' for anyone wanting an insight into one of the most powerful religious political movements in modern American culture." I'll go with that.

[Antony · Rating 5 out of 5]

A first class account of the rise of the modern American Evangelical movement from two scholars that locate themselves within its ranks (although admittedly within that slice of the movement critical of some of its best known names - James Dobson, Oral Roberts, Ken Ham etc).

[Mark Cheathem · Rating 4 out of 5]

See my full review here: http://jacksonianamerica.com/2012/08/...

[Robert Ambrose]

great book. good insider-outsider look at the parallel evangelical sub-culture that has developed in America.

[Zachary · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone raised within the fold of evangelicalism, most of the history and cultural description that happens in this book was kind of old hat to me. Truthfully, none of it was surprising or shocking or even seemed unusual, which is maybe unusual in and of itself. But I especially appreciated the final, concluding chapter that shows how the anti-intellectual and cultural trends within evangelicalism are possible in the unique confluence of elements that comprise the American identity. American evangelicalism is a strange brew and network of forces, and Stephens and Giberson capture its peculiarities well, all while explaining them using the same kind of cutting edge research that too many within the fold would deny or question. I still think there are questions of authority, influence, and power that could have been drawn out in more interesting ways throughout the book, but I was nonetheless compelled by the way this volume handles its topic and represents it well.

[Slow Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little lacking in focus. Was hoping for a deep ethnography, or at least some verve.

"Grassroots organizations like Answers in Genesis are powerful shapers of popular opinion in America’s vast evangelical subculture. Unburdened by the need to do expensive and time-consuming
scientific research, undistracted by the task of dealing with ongoing scientific work done by others, they are free to package and promote their message as they see fit. Since they already know the answers, they can speak with confidence, unfettered by nuances that might make them seem tentative and unsure"

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up periodically & put it down even more. But really wanted to read Randy’s book. It was eye opening & thought provoking. The main point I gathered from it is that most of the popular self-appointed evangelical experts are very charismatic & gain their followers through this means. Unfortunately, they can lead people to do & think ungodly things & often promote anti-intellectualism in the process.

[BostonHistoryBuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

An indictment of the evangelical right wing and the anti-intellectualism that many of their influential leaders subscribe to. Written by a former history teacher of mine, this book also offers an insight into the parallel universe many of their followers inhabit.