Russell Moore announces departure from ERLC helm

This makes perfect sense. When one reads Dr. Moore’s public theology, one sees Carl FH Henry’s (Christianity Today’s first editor) fingerprints throughout all of his writings. Props to Christianity Today for staying true to their roots.

Leaving an SBC job and working for Christianity Today - Not surprised.

I remember when Russell Moore burst onto the evangelical scene with his wonderful story about adoption. It all seemed almost too good to be true….

Soon, I began to notice many of the young, restless, fundamentalists hitching their philosophical wagons to Moore’s quickly rising star.

Fast forward about 15 years.

I am not any kind of Russell Moore expert, but it appears to me, from afar, that he has served as a sort of a Trojan horse figure to help lead the SBC back toward an era of new liberalism.

His move to CT seems to be a great fit for him, but a bad sign for what’s left of conservative evangelicalism.

May God strengthen His church in these last days.

I am not any kind of Russell Moore expert, but it appears to me, from afar, that he has served as a sort of a Trojan horse figure to help lead the SBC back toward an era of new liberalism.

I’ve heard this a lot but have never seen anything in particular to tell me what people mean by this.

Can you elaborate? Besides being Anti-Trump… which, in my view, makes him more conservative than the populists who have roasted him for it.

But politics aside, where has he advocated liberal theology?

Hi Aaron,

Like I said, I am not a Moore expert (and have no desire to become one).

Perhaps the Trojan horse aspect is that his theology, which does not seem to be his focus at all, IS purportedly conservative, so he has cover for his political views—which ought to be worth about as much as yours or mine. (Or does a Ph.D. in systematic theology qualify someone to speak on public policy?)

But when you are quoted by national sources, as a national authority, beginning in your 30’s or early 40’s, there might be a little danger there of becoming intoxicated by the opportunity to yield such influence.

From The New Yorker:

“Moore … holds sway over a large (if self-selected) group of pastors who are inspired by his twin commitments to theological orthodoxy and cultural change.”

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/11/07/the-new-evangelical-moral…

From The Wall Street Journal:

“Mr. Moore, a 42-year-old political independent and theologian who heads the convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, says it is time to tone down the rhetoric and pull back from the political fray, given what he calls a ‘visceral recoil’ among younger evangelicals to the culture wars.”

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324755104579072722223166570

You can find these kind of statements all over … not from the Calvary Contender (remember that?! :-) ), but from mainstream, secular and liberal publications. The latter quote goes all the way back to 2013.

If such sources were saying these things about me, I would not take them as compliments.

Incidentally, think how much further our country has gone into the moral sewer just since 2013! But Moore’s posture seems consistent, and he seems to be unfazed.

If the Eqality Act passes, I would love to see someone like Moore speak before a group of conservative pastors and Christian college administrators…. It would be very interesting to hear what kind of pearls of wisdom would drop from his lips in that setting.

My opinion … for what it’s worth. :-)

Interesting thread on the topic at SBC Voices. You have to do a lot of clicking to get to the comments, but they’re interesting to at least peruse:

Russell Moore Leaving ERLC for New Role at Christianity Today

To the “trojan horse” idea, it doesn’t follow that if a leader believes there’s a more ethical approach to accomplishing conservative Christian political goals he’s “less conservative,” mush less a disguised enemy of conservatism (which is what trojan horse means).

Time was when ethics and character mattered to the right wing. They still matter in genuine conservatism. I just think it’s sad that so many on the right have become so caught up in the current wave of populist pragmatism. But ultimately it’s not pragmatic either, because when the right no longer has a credible claim to the moral high ground, it loses any legitimate identity. So…. it has gutted itself and doesn’t know yet that it’s dead.

The issues with Russell Moore started long before Trump. He has long held views that were out of the mainstream with the SBC. There were discussions and complaints about Moore when he went to the ERLC in 2013.

The charge of “Christian nationalism” seems a cheap and empty charge. it’s like “white supremacy.” It has no real meaning in most cases. It is a label thrown out that one knows will not have to be actually defended in any real way.

Moore’s “Christian nationalism” showed up long ago in his view of Christians and culture. To be provocative, we could compare it to Trump and Biden. Both are cut from the same cloth. One just appears a little nicer on the outside. There was always a fundamental disconnect with Moore and I think his position on Trump exacerbated it publicly, but that wasn’t the cause of it, IMO.

The issues with Russell Moore started long before Trump. He has long held views that were out of the mainstream with the SBC. There were discussions and complaints about Moore when he went to the ERLC in 2013.

What specific long-held views of Moore’s were out of the mainstream with the SBC? Where is the documentation back in 2012-2013 that backs up your assertion because I personally can’t find any discussions and complaints by SBC leaders until he was already the head of the ERLC (most of which came when he spoke up against Trump in 2015-2017.

The charge of “Christian nationalism” seems a cheap and empty charge. it’s like “white supremacy.” It has no real meaning in most cases. It is a label thrown out that one knows will not have to be actually defended in any real way.

Not true at all within Christian evangelical circles. It has been specifically defined in the public square by many, including here by ERLC fellow, Paul Miller. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/february-web-only/what-is-christian-nationalism.html Miller even makes a clear distinction between patriotism and nationalism because so many uninformed conservative Christians assume that they are the same thing. There is a segment among the SBC that rejects the historical Baptist view of separation of Church and State and specifically sees America as a Christian Nation with special privileges. Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas has gone out his way for the past 5 years to promote his brand of Christian Nationalism. He is best known for being the biggest apologist for Trump on Fox news as well as melding Christianity and Trumpism together such as his church’s choir singing “Making America Great Again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k8Ubs5BMvw. But what is even more problematic is his Christian Nationalism beliefs where he asserts that “[T] he First Amendment does not even require that the government treat all faiths equally,” and that government can “show a preference for the Christian faith.” (Twilights Last Gleaming) He also suggests that Christian politicians should be favored at the ballot box. You also have former high level state government leaders who happen to be SBCers such as Mike Huckabee and former Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick who believe that America was founded to be a Christian Nation governed by Bible-based Laws. Both have publicly acknowledged psuedo-historian Christian Nationalist David Barton as influential in their thinking. Barton largest audiences are come from SBC and Pentecostals churches and organizations.

You also have Liberty University’s Christian Nationalism tentacles in the Virginia SBC. The failed Falkirk center has been repackaged as the Standing for Freedom Center with Fellows including Mike Huckabee and Christian Nationalist Eric Metaxes, known for attempting to rally his fellow Christian Nationalists through Jericho March to overturn the 2020 election results and stating to Charlie Kirk that “We need to fight to the death, to the last drop of blood, because it’s worth it.” Also, the influence of SBC Calvinist Christian nationalist Michael O’Fallon should not be understated (O’Fallon prefers to call it Sovereign “nationism.”) He is the main funder of many of the conferences that decry “Critical” Social Justice and/or Critical Race Theory’s influence in the SBC, including Founders. He also funds atheist Math scholar James Lindsay’s New Discourses, which is short on facts and big on misrepresentations of CRT (please don’t assume I condone CRT). In the SBC Christian Nationalists leaders such as Huckabee and O’Fallon are a significant part of the new alliance of churches within the SBC called the Conservative Baptist Network. I could go on and on. Lets not pretend that Christian Nationalism is some imaginary boogeyman within the SBC when it is a major force to be reckoned.

In contrast, Dr. Moore’s public theology is nothing resembling the Christian Nationalism that has emerged within the SBC. Again, read Carl Henry’s public theology and you will understand Russell Moore. The problem among many fundamentalists here on Sharper Iron is that they do a lot more reading about Russell Moore and his mentor Carl Henry than what they actually say in their articles and scholarly works.

Joeb, that’s quite a rant. You say you would never vote for Trump, but you also laud the intelligence of Bert. Unless memory fails me, I believe Bert said that he voted for Trump. (Am I wrong?) Perhaps you should honor Bert’s superior intelligence by voting for Trump? Wait, it’s too late for that.

Oh, well. Consistency, thou art a hobglobbin. (Or something like that.)

[Joeb]

Even though I differ with that on Bert you still have to recognize genius when it’s in front of you

Joeb is the alter Bert

• Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (not sure which is which ;) )
• Clark Kent and Superman (Bert is super)

@Paul

Moore had already led ERLC in voicing a good bit of criticism of the Equality Act.

E.g.

https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/equality-act-said-to…

Most of the criticism of Moore seems to be due to his conviction that the right needs adjustments in tone and emphasis in the culture war… including the belief that criticism should be accurate and fair. This idea is very much out of fashion on the right these days, which has mostly abandoned wisdom in favor of noise and fury.

Thanks Aaron,

I would say that it is one thing to criticize the Equality Act in a polite interview; it is another to use one’s considerable influence to treat it as the life-and-death issue that it is for our country. Perhaps Moore did the latter, and I just missed it.

In the larger view, I think that there is much going on here in terms of SBC politics about which those of us who are not part of the SBC probably have no clue.

Here is one interesting take from Jon Harris: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqdXBVlWSGc

Whether you agree with everything Harris says or not (and I don’t), watching this, you begin to realize two things: (1) SBC politics are a whole different game … one that I have no desire to be a part of; and (2) there must be a whole lot of conservatives in the SBC who have significant disagreements with Moore’s leadership.

Paul, Its interesting that you site Jon Harris. He’s a neo-confederate Baptist social media apologist that embraces the lost cause myth along with the righteousness of the Antebellum South when it came to slavery, the church, and the Bible https://twitter.com/AlsoACarpenter/status/1265355999449243649/photo/1 which motivates his personal crusade about saving confederate monuments in the South. He exemplifies “White” Christian Nationalism, although I don’t see his stripe of Christian Nationalism as prevalent within the SBC. I’ve also watched a few other of his videos on his false perception (based on misrepresentations and lies) that somehow secular social justice, CRT, and etc…have infiltrated the SBC and institutions. I find it really interesting that Harris views Al Mohler as an establishment “Progressive” in the SBC. And he commends JD Hall (the founder/editor of the click-bait slander blog, Pulpit and Pen) for exposing Russel Moore.

Of course there are a lot of conservatives in the SBC! I would argue Russel Moore is a conservative in the SBC. Those that created the resolution #9 are all conservatives in the SBC. In fact, resolution #9 is a conservative resolution in regards to CRT and Intersectionality. Almost everyone is a conservative in the SBC! The problem is that the ultra-conservative minority have moved the goal posts. Harris, the Founders Group, and the Conservative Baptist Network folks are are calling their movement another “Conservative Resurgence. However, their “Conservative Resurgence” in the SBC is not about retaining conservative theology or doctrine but rather about retaining a particular strain of conservative culture and politics.