A Future for American Evangelicalism: Commitment, Openness, and Conversation

This book proposes that participation in "God's Project of Reconciliation" is the "Center" that can hold evangelical Christians together in the midst of great diversity in belief and ecclesiastical practices. The author envisions a vibrant future for the Evangelical movement if professing evangelicals can model that rare combination of deep commitment to their own beliefs; openness to listening to the beliefs of others; and willingness to engage in respectful conversation with those who disagree with them in place of the combativeness that has characterized too much of Evangelicalism in the recent past. The book models this type of conversation on such controversial issues as the exclusivity of Christianity, the inerrancy of the bible, Evangelicalism and morality, Evangelicalism and politics, scientific models on humanity, cosmic and human origins, and the future of evangelical higher education."Harold Heie is an admirable leader in advocating that evangelicals should combine their firm commitments with Christian virtues such as generosity, respect, and humility toward those who differ from them. That has been the premise of his valuable 'Respectful Conversations' website from which many of the insights in this book are drawn. Anyone who wants to know the state of the conversation about American evangelicalism will find this volume to be an excellent resource." Harold Heie is a Senior Fellow at The Colossian Forum. He previously served as Founding Director of the Center for Christian Studies at Gordon College (now the Center for Faith and Inquiry) and as Vice President for Academic Affairs at Messiah College and Northwestern College in Iowa after teaching mathematics at Gordon College and the King's College. He holds a PhD in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Princeton University and served as a trustee for the Center for Public Justice and as a Senior Fellow at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). His publications include Learning to Listen, Ready to A Pilgrimage Toward Peacemaking (2007), Mutual Seeking Better Ways for Christians and Culture to Converse (2009), and Evangelicals on Public Policy Sustaining a Respectful Political Conversation (2014).