The New Religious Right

You all know what a cultural pessimist I am, so you must know what a big deal it was for me to come away from the day I spent in Nashville among the Southern Baptists (at the conference on the Gospel and politics, sponsored by the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission) so optimistic about the future of the church and orthodox Christianity in this country. It’s a Russell Moore thing, I guess. The newish head of the ERLC is a refreshing combination of realism and optimism, which is something you don’t often see in my circles. He is quite realistic about the condition of American culture in this de-Christianizing era — none of this old-line Religious Right, “take back our country” rhetoric from him — but optimistic in that he really believes that losing our illusions about the character of America is a good thing for Christianity. Though a social and religious conservative, Moore is happy that the days when his tribe could be considered the Republican Party at Prayer are over.