On New Year's Eve, The Guardian published a post from Sarah Posner on evolution of the evangelical movement over the decade. I agree with her central idea here that the brand of the movement has shifted from putative firebranding to pastor-cum-life coach. Rick Warren will undoubtedly be the face of US Evangelicals for the upcoming decade. And, to a certain extent, this softer, savvier facade masks the same political intent.
But I would hesitate to equate each strand of the movement. Posner cites the Manhattan Declaration, the recent conservative Christian manifesto resting on the old standbys of the culture wars, as proof of the latent theocratic tendencies. I'm not so sure that Warren and his purpose-driven crew (which just reported astronomical fundraising numbers today) is necessarily lockstep with the Declaration camp. If anything, Warren's political maneuverings are less blatant, but more influential. His ties in Africa, in particular, have diffuse policy consequences, and are not necessarily born immediately.
The modern Evangelical movement has always been broader than its public image. And this past decade it has splintered even further -- along with everything else. It was a decade of unmatched fracturing. The collapse of the singular "evangelical" -- or Christian -- identity was a far more significant development for US religion over the decade. If only we could stop reporting as if it were still there.
