John G. Stackhouse writes in Martin Marty’s online journal Sightings a very thought-provoking and likely provocative essay, “Evangelicals on the Left? How Shocking! How Awful!” I found it to be an interesting read and descriptive of movement I see among many who remain theologically in line with Evangelicalism while backing political ideas and positions that may surprise many. I don’t appreciate Stackhouse dividing the political options between the right and left, but those binary categories are how we talk about politics and theology in this country, so perhaps they are an easy if not exact shorthand. I offer a short piece of the essay, which you can read by clicking “READ More” below. You can read the whole thing at the link above.

I have been wondering why people both within and without evangelicalism are so surprised — and sometimes even upset — about the emergence of a “non-right-wing” evangelicalism in America.

For example, the executive of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) recently endorsed a document produced by a group called Evangelicals for Human Rights that condemns the use of torture, and calls on the United States government in particular to forswear its use. This action, coming after last year’s declaration of concern about global climate change by evangelicals as prominent as Rick “Purpose Driven” Warren, has aroused shock and awe among many on the right who had previously enjoyed arrogating the term “evangelical” entirely to themselves.

Mark Tooley of “Front Page Magazine” says that “the 17-member drafting committee, called ‘Evangelicals for Human Rights,’ is comprised nearly exclusively of pseudo-pacifist academics and antiwar activists who sharply condemn the Bush administration.” (One notes with bemusement this characterization of, for example, drafter David Neff, editor of the notoriously non-left-leaning Christianity Today magazine. And one asks again the perennial question, What exactly is a “pseudo-pacifist”?)