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> The end, either heaven or hell (or purgatory), is everything to Christianity in the US Yes, unfortunately this is the case in the dominant US expression of

> The end, either heaven or hell (or purgatory), is everything to Christianity in the US Yes, unfortunately this is the case in the dominant US expression of Christianity, Evangelicalism. But I think it's changing in some quarters. I've heard several sermons lately about how "eternal life" starts right here on earth. Check out The Bible Project's video on the meaning of Eternal Life [1] I think The Bible Project is kind of on the vanguard of this movement within Evangelicalism (I think they're still theologically Evangelical, but maybe they'd shy away from using the term now since it's become loaded with political baggage), I wouldn't necessarily call it "progressive" but it's looking deeply into biblical interpretation and subtly calling out the predominate Evangelical interpretations. Also, Check out NT Wright's "Surprised by Hope". He's coming from an Anglican perspective with an eschatology that predates the Evangelical "Left Behind" narrative. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCOycIMyJZM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCOycIMyJZM

dhosek 4y ago
In evangelical Christianity, there is also the Red Letter Christians movement https://www.redletterchristians.org https://www.redletterchristians.org which is very much a minority movement, but that I would hope is growing.¹ ⸻ 1. I say this, though as an outsider, being a Catholic. We Catholics have our own battles between those who would make Catholicism all about sex and those who think that maybe it should be concerned with a bit more than that.
- lliamander 4y ago
  This looks more like political agitprop and a rehash of the social gospel movement of the early 20th century than a serious biblical exegesis.
  - theonething 4y ago
    > serious biblical exegesis We (Christians) need this desperately in this day and age.
- UncleOxidant 4y ago
  It's hard to say whether these movements (Like Redletter Christians) still consider themselves Evangelical - at least in the current sense of the word. There's a huge movement of (mostly younger) people leaving Evangelicalism right now because the term 'Evangelical' has been co-opted to mean something political rather than a theological category (as it was in the past). At the same time there are people who wouldn't have considered themselves religious in the past who are now identifying as 'Evangelical' more for political reasons. These latter folks may never attend a church but they like the political alignment. Historically, Evangelicalism was a reaction to Fundamentalism in the early part of the 20th century. I'm old enough to remember that there were Evangelicals who were politically liberal - my parents voted for McGovern in '72 and were very much anti-Nixon, antiwar, pro-environment and pro-civilrights, they considered themselves Evangelical in those times and they weren't alone - these are the folks that helped Jimmy Carter win in '76. Now Fundamentalism and rightwing politics have taken over Evangelicalism. Leading to the exodus away from Evangelicalism in many quarters (though many of them would still consider themselves 'Evangelical' in the earlier theological sense, they feel that the term has been co-opted so that it's not so much that they've moved it's that the wider Evangelical church has moved away from it's original moorings).

dhosek 4y ago

In evangelical Christianity, there is also the Red Letter Christians movement https://www.redletterchristians.org https://www.redletterchristians.org which is very much a minority movement, but that I would hope is growing.¹ ⸻ 1. I say this, though as an outsider, being a Catholic. We Catholics have our own battles between those who would make Catholicism all about sex and those who think that maybe it should be concerned with a bit more than that.

lliamander 4y ago
This looks more like political agitprop and a rehash of the social gospel movement of the early 20th century than a serious biblical exegesis.
- theonething 4y ago
  > serious biblical exegesis We (Christians) need this desperately in this day and age.
UncleOxidant 4y ago
It's hard to say whether these movements (Like Redletter Christians) still consider themselves Evangelical - at least in the current sense of the word. There's a huge movement of (mostly younger) people leaving Evangelicalism right now because the term 'Evangelical' has been co-opted to mean something political rather than a theological category (as it was in the past). At the same time there are people who wouldn't have considered themselves religious in the past who are now identifying as 'Evangelical' more for political reasons. These latter folks may never attend a church but they like the political alignment. Historically, Evangelicalism was a reaction to Fundamentalism in the early part of the 20th century. I'm old enough to remember that there were Evangelicals who were politically liberal - my parents voted for McGovern in '72 and were very much anti-Nixon, antiwar, pro-environment and pro-civilrights, they considered themselves Evangelical in those times and they weren't alone - these are the folks that helped Jimmy Carter win in '76. Now Fundamentalism and rightwing politics have taken over Evangelicalism. Leading to the exodus away from Evangelicalism in many quarters (though many of them would still consider themselves 'Evangelical' in the earlier theological sense, they feel that the term has been co-opted so that it's not so much that they've moved it's that the wider Evangelical church has moved away from it's original moorings).