“Well, the ‘Social Gospel’ is part of my tradition,” explained the United Church of Christ (UCC) pastor a bit defensively, before adding, “I seek to follow the example of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.”
This muddled word salad was gamely imparted in response to concerns raised about the frequency of woke politics woven into her sermons.
How so muddled? Well, while it’s true that the “tradition” embodied within the UCC does indeed claim the “Social Gospel,” a movement begun roughly 100 years ago, it is a bit of a stretch to assume either Bonhoeffer or King would recognize, much less support, what passes for it today.
Bonhoeffer, for his part, famously rejected the Social Gospel out of hand. In toto. And King’s dream that his grandchildren might be “judged by the content of their character” seems altogether quaint considering the UCC’s current obsession with radical identity politics (DEI) which requires the precise opposite – that we judge people by their skin color (and other immutable characteristics) and not their character.
As a case in point, I recently received an email from the UCC informing me that I am now required to attend a “Racial Justice” continuing education class or risk losing my standing in the denomination (spoiler alert: under no circumstances will I be attending).
In researching the matter, I learned that the attending pastors the credulous sheep will be required to sit through a plenary session where they will be indoctrinated further into the latest politically correct, Neo-Marxist ideologies, ‘straight outta Harvard,’ etc. Then, afterwards – wait for it – they will be segregated into two separate caucuses: one for whites and the other for “people of color.” Martin Luther King, Jr.? OK Boomer! That’s so 20th century. One wonders if they’ll also provide separate water fountains.
As you can see, then, the above-mentioned pastor’s muddled nonsense is, unfortunately, all too representative of the UCC today.
Formed in 1957, the UCC initially boasted of 2.2 million members. Today it is a shell of its former self, reporting a mere 700,000 members (and dropping steadily). Every few years, the denomination is forced to downsize its offices due to a diminishing membership and, thus, a diminishing money supply. Many churches are dying and/or closing.
So what has the leadership of the UCC done to address this problem? Absolutely nothing. At least nothing good. Instead, they continue to double down on their failed project of catering to secular elites, a group which, ironically, couldn’t care less about the church.
Part of the problem is that pastors as a whole (and I’m generalizing) tend to be overly “empathetic.” “Sharing and caring” is a commonly heard refrain. But in this they often fail to recognize the darker aspects of human nature. In their well-meaning attempts to be both empathetic and kindhearted, they easily fall prey to the ever-present reality of sin and evil in our world.
As initially conceived, the Social Gospel was a mostly well-meaning effort to enlist the help of the secular world in bringing Christian charity out from within the confines of the church and into the broader society. This involved recruiting all the “experts” among the newly formed social sciences as well as engaging in the political sphere in heretofore unprecedented fashion.
Unfortunately, this redirected focus on and involvement with the institutions and sensibilities of the secular world eventually turned the church away from its primary function, that of making disciples and building communities of faith, and into becoming just one more political interest group competing within an increasingly secularized public square.
The things of Spirit, in other words, took a back seat to advancing the “correct” political policies and social causes. If we could somehow legislate and perfect a foolproof managerial, technocratic system of laws and social structures, heaven on earth could be achieved.
But, alas, the vagaries of the human heart are not quite so easily tamed. Simply put, the very best human system cannot ever guarantee the willing devotion of an unrepentant, unregenerate heart. It’s simply impossible to educate or legislate sin out of the world, the best of intentions notwithstanding.
Yet despite this rather obvious fact, the Social Gospel churches have continued to invest their energy in “saving the world” rather than in their traditional role of saving souls. In so doing, they have not only deferred to the secular world’s judgments but, over time, have lost touch with the spiritual discernment necessary to critique effectively and faithfully the secular world’s values and norms. In many respects, they have become virtually indistinguishable from the world.
One victim of this “progressive” approach is the loss of interest in theological matters. Social and political causes completely dominate clergy meetings. Theology has become something of an archaic obsession of the unenlightened, a discipline that’s relevancy has been replaced, thankfully, by the latest ideological fashions. Scripture and theology are things one pays lip service to. For belief is but a purely subjective matter. To each his or her own.
Years ago, while serving on a Committee on Ministry in Connecticut (the entity that assesses candidates for ordination), I noticed that nobody seemed particularly interested in what the candidates believed. What really mattered was their “spiritual journey,” i.e., their subjective feelings and compelling life stories.
Then again, as I’ve often said, if I’m facing brain surgery, I’m glad to know the surgeon has experienced a personal calling to that profession. Yet what I’m most interested in is his or her requisite skill set. Does he or she know how to perform brain surgery? For pastors, theology serves the same function. It is the unique skill set necessary for the practice of faithful ministry.
That said, it is still true that most pastors genuinely desire to do good. But because the good they seek is pursued all too often in the political and social realm (and not the theological), one would assume they’d at least possess a sober and unsentimental assessment of how the world actually works. (Being wise as serpents as well as gentle as doves.)
But, alas, I have found this is rarely the case. Generally speaking, pastors tend to accept uncritically whatever our various elite institutions tell them – academia, the media, politicians, even corporate interests. And because these secular institutions have become, in some sense, their sole frame of reference, pastors are easily duped by their largely secular and, dare I say it, unchristian aims.
Yet, to be sure, not all are quite so charmingly naïve. Some, particularly in denominational offices, such as those UCC officials pushing the “Racial Justice” (DEI) ideology, are altogether cleareyed about their (mostly) hidden ideological agenda, i.e., cultural Marxism. They are true believers, fellow travelers.
Complicating the matter is that many pastors – sometimes unconsciously, sometimes not – wish to personally identify with cultural elites, with the “intelligent and educated people,” the movers and shakers. After all, who wants to be part of the great unwashed? We’re smart, darn it!
Maybe it’s because, in our day, the prestige of being a pastor has fallen so low – thus the temptation to feel part of society’s leading opinion makers, part of what Coleridge once called the “clerisy,” to be looked up to and respected. How else to get the attention we have been robbed of and yet so richly deserve?
So, over the years, the mighty have indeed fallen, certainly since the days of my pastor grandfather (shown above), when being a member of the clergy mattered.
Then again, perhaps the church and its clergy have brought this sad state of affairs on themselves, having left behind the things that make the church the church in deference to the ever-fickle opinions of a fallen and secular world.