A recent opinion article in The Christian Science Monitor, titled, “The Coming Collapse of Evangelicalism,” by the late blogger and evangelical pastor Michael Spencer (also known as “The Internet Monk”), created quite a stir with its publication in May 2012. (It was originally written in 2009). His apocalyptic opening lines were: “Within two generations, evangelicalism will be a house deserted of half its occupants.” His prediction is that the evangelical movement in its varied forms is collapsing for a number of reasons, including the following:
- too close an identification with social and political conservatism and the so-called “culture wars”;
- failure to pass on to evangelical young people an orthodox form of faith that can take root and survive;
- Christian education not having produced a people who can withstand the rising tide of secularism;
- Christian ministries increasingly coming into conflict with a secular society that sees its “good works” as “bad”;
- an inability to pass on to their children a vital evangelical confidence in the Bible and the importance of the faith; and
- the sources of money will dry up.
Eastern Orthodox Churches will be shortterm beneficiaries
