Conservative Evangelicalism, Fundamentalism, and Social Justice

History is repeating itself. The events of the 20^th Century in the fundamentalist modernist controversy are cycling through again.

The resurgence of conservatives within the SBC sought to take back leadership of the Convention from theological liberals. That movement spawned what we now call the Conservative Evangelical movement coming out of broader evangelicalism. By the late 1980’s evangelicalism had become a huge pool of pragmatic and many times errant practice and theology. Like the early fundamentalists, the battles ensued inside denominational structures and new alignments were forged beyond denominational tags. The Gospel Coalition is a representative of that movement.

But just as with the early fundamentalists, cracks are occurring and divisions forming within the new coalition. With the “new evangelicals” as they called themselves in the 1940’s and 50’s, the break was over several key issues—inerrancy, interactions with non-evangelicals, hermeneutics, views on creation, the charismatic movement, views on eschatology. But the big driving force for Carl F.H. Henry, Harold Okenga, and others was the issue of the social gospel. They believed that fundamentalism had lost its relevance because it had repudiated the social gospel. They sought a middle ground.

Today, the division is developing regarding the definition of the gospel itself and whether social justice is intrinsic in the gospel. John MacArthur produced a statement on social justice on the issue that Al Mohler and Russell Moore are refusing to sign. The social gospel was the primary question in the late 1940’s and it is the question again today.

Differences today spring from differing hermeneutics.

While it looks like the primary issue is the relationship of social justice to the gospel, what many are failing to notice is that it is differing hermeneutics and theological systems that inform the varying views. How you view the Old Testament, the Church, and the Kingdom makes a difference. The hermeneutic that allows you to see the Church as the replacement for Israel, de-constructing the Abrahamic Covenant, allows you—if you desire—to allegorize the first six chapters of Genesis. It also conflates the national requirements of Israel with the Great Commission and makes social justice—a human government responsibility—a mission of the church. TGC seems to be close to a split on this and the core issue is a differing hermeneutic.

In a chapel service at SBTS, Al Mohler described it as a difference between “conversionists” and “transformationists.”  He characterized John MacArthur as a “conversionist” rather than one who sees the gospel as transforming the culture. This difference in thinking is the result of differing views of the relationship of the Church and Israel, and the nature of the Kingdom.

The purity of the gospel is at stake.

The moment you add anything to the gospel, you have begun corrupting it—no matter how good that thing seems to be. Fundamentalists have long claimed that there is NO social gospel. Including social justice in the gospel has a similar effect. It is a redefinition. The gospel is the simple message of the salvation that is found in Jesus Christ. The Great Commission includes no command to feed the hungry, care for the poor, etc.  Christians as individuals and in partnerships with others should being doing these things out of love for their neighbor. New Testament Christianity does demand social and civic responsibility.  But that is an outworking of the gospel, not the gospel itself.

It is in ecclesiology where the differences will manifest themselves.

There are ethics that should guide Christian living, but the Church, especially the local church, is not designed to be the engine for that social change. The social gospel demands that churches feed the poor, fight for race equality, and a myriad of other issues in addition to the Great Commission—and not just as a means of getting an opportunity to share the gospel or meeting the needs of its membership. In fact, TGC, in its founding documents (Theological Vision for Ministry, Article V, Section 5), considers these activities part of the Great Commission. Once you do this, you change the fundamental (and biblical) mission of the church.

As it is with the Southern Baptist Convention, it is unfortunate that the segregationist history in some parts of Baptist fundamentalism has tainted our ability to speak effectively on this subject. The FBFI finds its origins in the Northern Baptist Convention and then in the Conservative Baptist Association. Neither of those groups was accused historically (as far as I know) of being racist or segregationist. The NBC and SBC separated from one another over slavery issue in 1845. However, the FBFI as it developed in the 1960’s became a refuge for many fleeing the compromise within the SBC (and other groups) and represented institutions that historically supported segregationist practices common in their regions. While most of us are products of that imperfect heritage (and remain thankful for the generations who preceded us) we have also rejected imposed segregation as a practice not only inconsistent with scripture, but condemned by it (James 2:9).

Fundamental Baptists today would repudiate prejudice, racism, or imposed segregation.  Such practices (and thinking) are inconsistent with the ethic of New Testament Christianity, do not reflect of the image of God in man, and are not an acceptable model of God’s design for society and human government (Romans 13). For anyone to regard himself (or herself) as superior to another person because of race is sin. We would also consider social justice (as a true biblical idea, and not in the Marxist sense so popularly espoused today) as a consequence of the gospel to be manifested in the life of a believer as he or she functions as an individual and citizen, and not a Great Commission responsibility of the local church as an institution.

This is not a side issue and it is not going to go away any time soon, as far as we can see, but there will be a day when true justice will reign, and all races, languages and people groups will glorify Jesus Christ in unity around His throne.

And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Revelation 5:9-10