I am joined by Ron Dodson, Josh Abbotoy and Jeremy Carl to discuss the reasons why Evangelicals have not formed a nationally dominant or competitive elite and what can be done about it.
Interesting discussion; ultimately I think the group arrived at the correct question rather than the correct answer. Several of the contributers noted that there are many Evangelicals that are what Pareto would have called non-governing elites, and even some that might be correctly identified as part of the US's merchant oligarchy. However, these men do not form a coherant class, and are not deeply bonded politically to Evangelicals as a group as statesmen.
Ron Dodson: [loosely] "I feel a deep sense of duty to care for the interests and solus populi of evangelics [more broadly construed than my particular denomination]; how do we cultivate that"
Good question. Combined with the question of why existing Evangelicals within the American Elite do not form a coherant class I think there is an entry to an important discussion.
This is well stated, BH. I think this really nails the question: why don’t evangelical “elites” connect with their own people. I think it was Josh who noted noblise oblige, that leaders must care for the common man. That evangelicals are seen as downscale should not sever the connection that “these are my people and I need to shoulder the responsibility to lead them and fight for them in the public square.” And yet, as you say, that bond gets severed or doesn’t exist in the first place. Maybe it’s part of a “get out of the small town” mentality.
Great discussion- listened with my husband who couldn’t stop saying “separation of church and state is in their constitution.” It was nice to hear you finally bring up the conflict between total dedication to the constitution and to Christianity towards the end. Seems to be a conflict that American Christians have but canadian Christians don’t. Hard to imagine a Canadian Christian extolling the merits of the charter of rights and freedoms…
As a complete outsider to this world, this was very interesting
Glad you found it so, Johann.
Interesting discussion; ultimately I think the group arrived at the correct question rather than the correct answer. Several of the contributers noted that there are many Evangelicals that are what Pareto would have called non-governing elites, and even some that might be correctly identified as part of the US's merchant oligarchy. However, these men do not form a coherant class, and are not deeply bonded politically to Evangelicals as a group as statesmen.
Ron Dodson: [loosely] "I feel a deep sense of duty to care for the interests and solus populi of evangelics [more broadly construed than my particular denomination]; how do we cultivate that"
Good question. Combined with the question of why existing Evangelicals within the American Elite do not form a coherant class I think there is an entry to an important discussion.
This is well stated, BH. I think this really nails the question: why don’t evangelical “elites” connect with their own people. I think it was Josh who noted noblise oblige, that leaders must care for the common man. That evangelicals are seen as downscale should not sever the connection that “these are my people and I need to shoulder the responsibility to lead them and fight for them in the public square.” And yet, as you say, that bond gets severed or doesn’t exist in the first place. Maybe it’s part of a “get out of the small town” mentality.
Great discussion- listened with my husband who couldn’t stop saying “separation of church and state is in their constitution.” It was nice to hear you finally bring up the conflict between total dedication to the constitution and to Christianity towards the end. Seems to be a conflict that American Christians have but canadian Christians don’t. Hard to imagine a Canadian Christian extolling the merits of the charter of rights and freedoms…