If Andrew Marin is becoming the standard bearer for a more "compassionate" engagement with the "LGBT community" by the evangelical community, it is a sure sign that evangelicalism as a vibrant expression of the orthodox Christian faith is rapidly dying, if not already dead. When I first commented on his book Love is An Orientation: Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community (see here and here), I fully expected his argument to go nowhere. Unfortunately, as Matt Kennedy now points out, Marin's book is gaining traction among evangelicals. That is more a commentary on what I referred to a decade ago as "the softening evangelical center" than it is on the strength of Marin's argument. Evangelicalism, over the past several decades, has become more concerned with its public image than with faithfulness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is reflected in such documents as An Evangelical Manifesto and The Evangelical Climate Initiative. American pop culture and the hipster faddishness of the "emergent conversation" have taken their toll on a once great movement.
Recognizing the danger posed by the encroaching popularity of Marin's book, Robert Gagnon, author of the definitive textbook on the orthodox view of homosexuality, has prepared (and is planning to expand upon) a lengthy critique which is available here. Marin issued a short, petulant response which is typically dismissive and reflective of the disrespectful attitude often expressed by his generation toward the counsel and admonition of persons more senior.
Before we become overly concerned with shifting evangelical attitudes on this one particular issue, however, we would do well to consider the larger picture. As is often the case, one issue (all too often revolving around sexuality) is merely the tip of the iceberg. Evangelicalism is in danger of becoming irrelevant because of its all-around accommodation to the American pop culture. Further discussion will follow.
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