Evangelism Explosion (EE) Remains Faithful to the Legacy of D James Kennedy

https://julieroys.com/evangelism-explosion-sponsors-conservative-political-summit-washington-dc/

While looking up something in reference to D James Kennedy, I came across this article from September 2023.

Evangelism Explosion (EE) was all the rage at one time and this article compelled me to take a few minutes and reconsider it once again. The end assessment is the same that I had almost thirty years ago.

Essentially the gospel is 'pitched' via a marketing or sales approach and then through mildly coercive means the 'evangelist' attempts to 'close the deal'.

It's basically the same Decisionism that has plagued and dominated American Evangelicalism for more than a century - just repackaged a bit to seem more sound. It's more doctrinally sound than say the Four Spiritual Laws and yet is really just a more robust version of the so-called Romans Road - which is a minimalist presentation of the gospel at best.

And in keeping with all these approaches, conversion is assumed in terms of a Damascus Road experience. This is all too common even though the New Testament does not present Paul's experience as normative - nor does it view salvation in terms as a once-for-all subjective experience that then embraces a kind of presumptive attitude and relegates sanctification and other soteriological aspects as secondary - good but not of the essence of salvation.

This is why many Calvinists have rejected EE and yet they do so quietly as D James Kennedy (1930-2007) is venerated for his politicking and the scope of his influence. His popularity ranged as far afield as the Charismatic movement and his name is usually connected to the introduction of Dominionist Theology into their circles.

For many, the Christian life involves a lot more than a decision moment and while most contemporary Calvinists would embrace 'Once Saved Always Saved' as opposed to the more historical and sound Perseverance of the Saints – they are cautious regarding this kind of decisionist-based assurance, and rightly so.

We should always be sceptical of any kind of slick programme or method and D James Kennedy always seemed (at least to me) as a salesman-type - the kind you walk away from.

Has no one learned from the errors of Billy Graham and the tremendous damage that he did? Were millions saved? How about the tens of millions deceived? Again, if people were saved at a Graham crusade, it was in spite of Graham's methodology.

But with D James Kennedy, the real passion and emphasis was always in the realm of politics and the urging of Christians to take dominion. I never heard him seriously preach the Bible. His sermons were absurd. At best Scriptures was used as a springboard to launch into some aspect of politics or culture war.

EE creates the kind of shallow Christianity that can immediately get pulled into this kind of politicking and activism, and it's clear that his organisation (despite its claims of tweaking its approach) has fully continued his corrupt and unscriptural legacy. Their sponsorship of this disgusting conference dominated by liars and political operatives is a case in point. The kind of confusion sown by Kennedy and EE is typified in this statement issued by the 'ministry':

"And we believe that the most patriotic thing a person can do is lead a neighbor to Jesus."

It's as if for these people the gospel is merely a means to a political end. They are not promoting the gospel but idolatry. For them the gospel cannot exist apart from the nationalist idol it serves. It reminds me of an argument made by Christian Freemasons - being a mason will make you a better Christian. In the case of the D James Kennedy faction - Christianity just makes you a better American. In both cases loyalties are divided and confused. This is Kennedy's true legacy.

See also:

https://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2017/02/american-dominionism-and-europes_1.html