The Post Evangelical

by Dave Tomlinson

You believe in the God of the Bible---but you cringe when church leaders oversimplify, trivialize, and absolutize the faith. You're not alone. You're likely among an increasing number of Christians growing restless within the bounds of the evangelical orthodoxy they were raised in or trained in---especially its culturally-influenced precepts and mores---and thirsting for something deeper. Something that makes sense. Author Dave Tomlinson encountered these same issues in Great Britain as he approached the writing of The Post-Evangelical. He quickly discovered that many in the church are hungering for a safe place to express their questions, doubts, and insights without being branded 'liberals' or---worse yet---'heretics.' Far from skewering its subject, The Post-Evangelical actually endorses steps toward rather that away from the roots of evangelicalism---while stridently challenging its man-made rules and regulations that have, for all intents and purposes, become 'gospel.' A best-seller and paradigm-buster in the U.K. for several years, we now present the expanded and updated North American edition of The Post-Evangelical. It * A forward by Dallas Willard and an updated introduction. * Sidebar commentary from Mark Galli, Timothy Keel, Doug Pagitt, Mike Yaconelli, and Holly Rankin Zaher. * A completely new chapter on the history of evangelicalism in the U.S. If you've wandered from the evangelical fold---publicly or privately---you're not necessarily a backslider. Spend some time with The Post-Evangelical and be encouraged.

Genres: Theology, Christianity, Religion, Christian, Cultural, Nonfiction, Faith

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read two books by Brian McLaren and a number of others by authors associated with the Emergent movement. For a time I was regularly reading a few Emergent blogs. I think it is particularly appealing to those of us who come from church backgrounds where everyone seemed to be fighting mad at all times.

I felt I got a better look at the trajectory of the movement from "The Post-Evangelical", and I would have to say that this book sobered me up a bit. McLaren's books were at least as attractive as they were concerning to me. Tomlinson, writing to a much more progressive British readership, isn't as effectively and meticulously disarming.

None of us can stand outside of church history. We're products of it. Few of us want to concede how impacted our interpretations of the Bible are by our times, our influences, and our own preferences. Many of us have wasted a lot of time trying to fit complex issues into polemic or political or denominational boxes, while neglecting "the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness."

But many of the doctrines we hold to as conservative Evangelicals (to use a passé term) are demonstrably primal. They were spoken by our Lord, documented by the apostles, and observed in the earliest churches. Where Emergent leaders come into conflict with those doctrines, and they sometimes do, they're in danger and potentially dangerous. I say this not because I dismiss their ideas, but because I take them very seriously.

The primary weakness of this book is that Tomlinson continually defines Post-Evangelicalism in terms of its contrast with, and implied superiority to, something else. As a result, it never stops defining traditional Evangelicalism from its own hyper-sensitive, critical (and frankly condescending, sometimes graceless) point of view. There seems to be almost no awareness that a great many Evangelicals are completely acquainted with the issues he has noted, yet are able to contend with them without becoming disillusioned or feeling like they need to reshape the church in their own image. To be completely honest, I have no desire to join a Charismatic or Fundamentalist Baptist congregation. But I don't think that they all need to be enlightened by my preferences!

I live in the postmodern era. I grew up in it. I understand the tension between rational and poetic thinking. I navigate it every single day. I find I need both modes, in equal measure. The Post-Evangelical half of the equation, as defined here, is inadequate to address the whole of life. Continually pitting the postmodern/poetic against the modern/scientific is an approach that will quickly come up short for any reader, regardless of his or her perspective. Life contains math. Life contains love. We require both the scientific and the poetic every day.

I'm grateful to the Emergent movement for the gut check, but I'm still convinced that our new postmodern world needs John MacArthur just as much as it needs Brian McLaren.

[Zachary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating experiment, and an interesting time capsule for what Christian thinking was like in the early 2000s. Tomlinson's identification of dissatisfaction in the evangelical church was, I think, a new-ish trend at the time but by now has become fairly stolidly entrenched. What fascinates me is that his diagnosis of the problem is remarkably indebted to a culture of postmodern concerns, which would be radically different in contemporary society. But I think what makes this book most unique is not just Tomlinson's diagnosis of a problem and his attempts at explicating a new theological ethos; what is unique and valuable about this book is the dissonant voices that come along with commentators throughout who clarify, argue with, and sometimes entirely disagree with Tomlinson's argument. This enlivens what would otherwise be a potentially dogmatic theological statement into something that invites contestation, deliberation, and conjecture--exactly what a post-evangelical would like and support. In that, the book ends up being a very useful, interesting, and engaging artifact, even now, nearly two decades after its initial diagnosis.

[Julie Nicholson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This may have been more relevant when it came out as church has changed a lot since then (for me certainly) but there were still some interesting issues raised.

[Norah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few times in your life you read a book which you feel is life-changing and takes you in a new direction, not only of thinking, but also of living. As I read it I recognised thoughts that I had been having for years, unaware that someone else was going along the same route! Coming from an evangelical 'Brethren' background, Dave Tomlinson made a faith commitment as a young teenager, later receiving 'the baptism of the Holy Spirit'. This led him into the 'Charismatic Movement' with which he spent 22 years in full-time leadership. He retains along with evangelicals a deep love and respect for the Holy Scriptures, and appreciates the robust emphasis on the Gospel expressed in simple form, and challenging on a personal level.
However, he questions many of their tendencies, for example, their prevailing sense of certainty and absoluteness with regard to Christian things, and their tendency to make an idol of the Bible. His path does not take him as far as to be a liberal, but calls himself 'post-evangelical', that is, to take as given many of the assumptions for evangelical faith, while at the same time moving beyond its perceived limitations. It is what takes place when people have shifted paradigms, and they no longer relate to the old evangelical paradigm, eg, (page 4) tired listening to the old evangelical networks, ie realising the diversity of possible interpretations of the Christian faith, wanting fewer predigested opinions and fewer categorical conclusions; room to express doubt. Page 9: Irritated by different aspects of evangelical culture - style of worship, music, language, attitude to the rest of the world or political assumptions; a longing for spirituality squeezed out by materialism and rationalism (page 10) also to understand their faith.
Page 31: Aware of the danger of absolutising our own particular notion of what is essential to Christian faith.
Page 32: worried about middle-class values forming the dominant cultural norm in most evangelical churches.
Page 35: the inacceptability of committed couples living together.
Page 39: Confusion of holiness with respectability.
Page 43: ways of being different from the rest of the world - though Jesus mixed with all.
Page 45 and 57: not being encouraged to ask questions, explore our faith, and the fear of possibly leading to unbelief
Page 48: the danger of becoming attached to the forms (as opposed to the essence) of their religion.
Page 51-54: Parent/child aspect of god/your relationship -should be adult/adult. Also shoulds and oughts!
Page 57: taboos which owe more to middle-class respectability than to real holiness.
Page 27: Christian Unity not happening
Page 60: 'The bogeyman will get you' - Liberal threat!
69: Absolutism and prevailing sense of certainty and vulnerability
90: Vacuousness of religious language - needs decoding!!
105: Innerrancy of the Bible

I wrote this all along time ago and have since moved on further!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first three quarters of this book didn't do it for me. They are written in "mentoring" style meant to encourage and guide the disaffected British evangelical. Now, being neither British nor evangelical I found it very difficult to relate. However, the last bit of the book just blew my mind! Tomilnson delves into many interesting theological issues from a postmodern perspective to understand the way culture and language impact the experience of faith, religion, and the perception of God. I am so glad I didn't stop reading because the last few chapters make the whole thing so worth while!

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read and I especially like the sidebar notes from various Evangelical leaders. Although I did tire of Mark Galli's criticisms. Why contribute to someone's book if all you have to say is negative?

The book definitely has given me something to think about with regard to my current view of faith and doctrinal issues.

[Kath · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this very helpful in that it articulated many of my own thoughts about the narrow culture of the evangelical church. It lost me a bit towards the end and I think a lot has moved on since this was published so it would probably be worth reading a revised edition if there is one. Nevertheless there was a lot to appreciate here.

[Anna Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read. It highlighted some of the key concerns and issues of many people who have experienced evangelical churches. It offered understanding and some hope. I found it immensely uplifting and I could relate to much of it.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful if you grew up in the 70s in the UK evangelical church. You'll probably identify with the descriptions and the questions if not all the answers and solutions. One of the first people to really challenge this 'wing' and allow others to do the same

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read that gave me a lot to think about. Though the book is a few years old now, it can be seen as still a current issue. Also I see where the thinking in it has influenced me through others, so it is good to go back to the source.

[Jason · Rating 1 out of 5]

not the book on theology for which i was looking; but maybe reflects some home that some strains of evanglicalism is opening up.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read this quite some time ago I almost uncorked a bottle of fizz, because at last I knew I wasn't alone. Clear, personal, encouraging and rooted in reality.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Partly a critique of the evangelical movement and partly a overview of how it is changing, this book touches on some interesting topics but doesn't go very in depth.

[P J Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Puts into words my personal experience

This book puts into words the disconnect I often find between my personal faith and my experiences with organized religion.