Struggling With Evangelicalism: Why I Want to Leave and What It Takes to Stay

Publisher Description

:When evangelicals make a mess, who cleans it up? Many today are discarding the evangelical label, even if they still hold to the historic tenets of evangelicalism. But evangelicalism is a space, not just a brand, and living in that space is complicated. As a lifelong evangelical who happens to be a biracial Asian/white millennial, Dan Stringer has felt both included and alienated by the evangelical community and has wrestled with whether to stay or go. He sits as an uneasy evangelical insider with ties to many of evangelicalism's historic organizations and institutions. Neither "everything's fine" nor "burn it all down," Stringer argues that we need four postures to grapple realistically and redemptively with evangelicalism. Without awareness, we don't know our identity. Without appreciation, we risk succumbing to cynicism. Without repentance, we capitulate to idolatry. And without renewal, future generations will find this space even less inhabitable. This even-handed guide offers a thoughtful appreciation of evangelicalism's history, identity, and strengths, and also lament at its blind spots, toxic brokenness, and complicity with injustice. From this complicated space, we can move forward with informed vision rather than resignation, and with hope for our future together.