The Church of Us vs. Them

June 24, 2019
In this alarmist and instructive work, evangelical theologian Fitch (The End of Evangelicalism) laments that Christians are “caught up in the same antagonism and disgust” as the current vitriolic political climate. Fitch posits that the decline in church attendance and observance of religious practice has created Christians who fall back on ideology, which is then fuel for the “enemy-making machine” that turns any divergent belief into an “identity marker that can be used to set up one side against another.” Addressing primarily conservative white Christians rattled by a culture “challenging us with regard to sexuality and truth of other religions... issues of racism... and of justice and economics,” Fitch probes how Christian fundamentals, such as biblical inerrancy, can become obstacles to open dialogue. He also rails against the cheapening of conversion, such as James Dobson’s defense of Donald Trump’s supposed religiosity. Fitch spends much of the book decrying the current state of divisiveness within American Christianity, and only in the final sections provides his ambitious yet simple solutions: Christians should reunite belief with practice, serve the poor and vulnerable, stay involved in local politics, practice forgiveness, and refuse to engage with antagonists on unloving terms. Fitch proposes a clear, compassionate political agenda for Christians that will appeal particularly to church groups looking to create a more open, welcoming dialogue around social issues.