The Younger Evangelicals:

Facing the Challenges of the New World

by Robert E Webber, Baker Books 2002

This is a key book that seeks to answer the question: What shape is leadership taking in the Evangelical church in a Postmodern world? Webber defines three main groups of leaders, who he calls 'Traditional Evangelicals', 'Pragmatic Evangelicals', and 'Younger Evangelicals':

The Traditional Evangelicals originate after World War II. The key leader of the Traditional Evangelicals would be Billy Graham
The Pragmatic Evangelicals originate in the 1970s, and their key leader would be Bill Hybels (and perhaps we could add, Rick Warren)
The Younger Evangelicals represent a new generation of Evangelical leadership that is coming along now, and a key leader would be Brian McLaren

(These divisions correspond roughly with the 'Modern', 'First Wave' and 'Second Wave' churches in Ross Rohde's article 'Practical Considerations for Postmodern-sensitive churches.')

Characteristics of the Younger Evangelical, as defined by Webber:

(See page 54)

Grew up in a postmodern world
Marked by a post-9/11 era
Have recovered the biblical understanding of human nature
Are aware of a new context for ministry
Differ with the pragmatist approach to ministry
Minister in a new paradigm of thought
Stand for the absolutes of the Christian faith in a new way
Recognize the road to the future runs through the past
Committed to the plight of the poor, especially in urban centers
Willing to live by the rules
Facility with technology
Highly visual
Communicate through stories
Grasp the power of imagination
Advocate the resurgence of the arts
Appreciate the power of performative symbol
Long for community
Committed to multicultural communities of faith
Committed to intergenerational ministry
Attracted to absolutes
Ready to submit
Search for shared wisdom
Demand authenticity
Realize the unity between thought and action

'The Younger Evangelicals' has an introduction, which is a useful historical overview, followed by two main sections: 'The Younger Evangelical Thinkers' and 'The Younger Evangelical Practitioners.' It ends with a brief conclusion.

Thinkers

The section on the Younger Evangelical Thinkers covers:

Communication: From Print to Cultural Transmission
History: From Ahistorical to Tradition
Theology: from Propositionalism to Narrative
Apologetics: From Rationalism to Embodiment
Ecclesiology: From Invisible to Visible

Practitioners

The section on the 'Younger Evangelical Practitioners' covers

Being Church: From Market to Mission
Pastors: From Power to Servanthood
Youth Ministers: From Parties to Prayer
Educators: From Information to Formation
Spiritual Formation: From Legalism to Freedom
Worship Leaders: From Program to Narrative
Artists: From Constraint to Expression

This is a helpful book, particularly worth reading if you are thinking about the direction of the church in the years ahead. One of the most useful features of the book is that each main chapter ends with a table summarizing the differences between the responses of Traditional Evangelicals, Pragmatic Evangelicals, and Younger Evangelicals.

Some parts of the book are more helpful than others, and recommending it does not mean agreeing with everything Webber says. There are two main weaknesses:

The book is almost exclusively USA-centric. Given that the center of gravity of Christianity has moved from North America and Europe to Asia, Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa, and given the missional emphasis which Webber describes in the Younger Evangelical leaders, this is a serious limitation
Webber does not define what he means by Evangelical. This word is used so loosely today that it has become almost useless, for practical purposes. As Humpty Dumpty says in 'Alice Through the Looking Glass', 'When I use a word, it means whatever I choose it to mean.' As a result, just about anyone who wants to can call himself or herself an Evangelical, and you still do not really know where they stand on a whole raft of questions. However, Webber rightly points out that Younger Evangelicals are less concerned about doctrinal precision and purity than their Traditional Evangelical parents were, so perhaps this lack of clarity is justified

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