Evangelical Idolatry: How Pastors Like Me Have Failed the People of God (Jeff Mikels) - A Review.

EVANGELICAL IDOLATRY: How Pastors Like Me Have Failed the People of God. By Jeff Mikels. Foreword by Joel Lawrence. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2025. Viii + 248 pages.

White evangelicals in the United States have, according to most polls and accounts, embraced Trumpism/MAGA. Some church leaders have taken the lead in some of this, but evangelical church leaders, especially pastors, have found themselves in the crosshairs of the MAGA movement. To resist this movement can imperil one's ministry. Complicating the situation for white evangelicalism is the fact many pastors laid the culture war foundations for the MAGA movement to capture white evangelicalism.

Jeff Mikels' book Evangelical Idolatry addresses these realities from a conservative evangelical perspective, speaking of it in terms of idolatry. He has come to believe that something has taken hold of evangelicalism that not only endangers the larger culture but evangelicalism itself. Mikels brings his own experience of having served as a successful evangelical pastor/church planter, who not only planted a growing evangelical congregation but helped establish (and lead) the pastor’s alliance in Lafayette, Indiana. In the end, however, he lost his congregation, which has since closed, as he sought to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate MAGA's influence in his church. His responses to these realities led to conflict with church elders (whom he had personally appointed), all of whom, with one exception, left the church.  COVID wasn’t the only issue that undermined his ministry. His friendship with Black pastors in Lafayette and efforts to respond to the death of George Floyd, also created tension in his church as his eyes were opened to the concerns of the Black community. Thus,  what he saw happening in the white evangelical community regarding race further disheartened him and led to his feeling disconnected from the evangelical subculture to which he had belonged.

Mikels’s Evangelical Idolatry is part analysis of the current situation and part confessional, focusing on the role he played in empowering this idolatry. He writes that "American white evangelical Christianity has adopted allegiances to several evil idolatries that if not addressed will wound our souls and undermine our witness for the gospel of Christ in our modern world" (p. 13). We are seeing this play out as Donald Trump seeks to centralize power in the Presidency, aided by evangelical leaders.

Mikels begins his book with a chapter titled "Our Hezekiah Moment," a reference hearkening back to Hezekiah's attempt to tear down the idols he encountered in the kingdom of Judah. In this chapter, Mikels lays the foundation for what follows in the remainder of the book. He names four paths he will take going forward. First, he will attempt to go back to the roots of evangelicalism, asking readers to consider how they relate to God and the world in light of these roots. Secondly, he writes that after engaging in doctrinal and biblical study, he will engage in an act of confession concerning his own role in fostering idolatry. After that, he will once again engage Scripture to explore the responsibility Christians have for the world today, including looking at the biblical vision of Christian morals and values. The fourth path involves naming the idols and suggesting ways of dismantling them.

With this foundation laid in Chapter 1, Mikels turns to Scripture in Chapter 2, where he seeks to define the nature of the Gospel. He insists that this needs to be "A Jesus-Centered Gospel." Having explored what he finds present in the Gospels and the letters of Paul, he offers his definition of the Gospel "that isn't satisfied with the extreme of doctrinal accuracy or social progressivism but that embraces the same integration of faith and life that Jesus did." This is a "Gospel that has doctrinal truth, spiritual transformation, and proper social engagement all at its core" (p. 41). Chapter 3, titled "Gospel Integration," offers a further definition of his vision of the Gospel of Jesus. Following the lead of Acts 15, he seeks to distinguish between issues that he believes are central to the Gospel and those that are not. Thus, he invites the reader to consider which values are central to the Gospel. In asking this question he also raises the question of determining which values are internal to the body of Christ and those that extend beyond the Christian community. He develops some of these questions in later chapters.

Chapter 4 offers Mikels’s "A Confession," in which he reflects on the messages and activities he undertook as a pastor that may have contributed to those he ministered to being captured by the idols he identifies. He points to two areas of failure when it comes to contributing to idolatry. First, he speaks of the flawed convictions he shared with his people along with his silence on matters of importance. As such, he notes that he identified as an evangelical who is middle-class, white, and conservative. It is the last piece that led to further failure, and that is his mixing of conservative theology with conservative political leanings. Thus, among the sins he identifies is his own hypocrisy. That is, he tended to focus on behaviors and beliefs that benefited him but ignored the societal implications.

It is in Chapter 5, which he titles “Flammable Materials,” that he begins to identify some of the idols he had embraced. These include Young Earth Creationism, a form of pseudo-science that has captured much of evangelicalism, with significant implications including climate change. While he had once embraced it, he discovered its flaws as science and in terms of biblical interpretation, in that YEC is not required by readings of Genesis 1 and 2. He also acknowledges that Young Earth Creationism holds within itself significant racist elements (including the belief that the curse on Ham applies to people of African descent, which led to support for chattel slavery). With that first idol identified, he moves to racism itself, noting his own white bias that infected his teaching. He also identifies the problem of religious privilege. While he believes that Jesus alone is the way of salvation, he also recognizes that it is inappropriate to privilege Christianity in a pluralistic context. Here he identifies the problem of Christian nationalism that is intertwined with religious privilege. He also addresses abortion. While he is opposed to abortion, he recognizes that this is a complicated issue that again has racist connotations. He wants his readers to see things clearly so that they might build a theology of practical Christian living. Having lifted up several areas of concern in Chapter 5, he builds on that foundation to invite the reader to consider "The Dilemma of the Church" (Chapter 6). That is, he asks how the church, guided by Scripture, should respond to these idols. This includes understanding the now/not yet dimensions of God’s realm. This involves considering how power is used by Christians. He writes that “Christians today in the United States hold as much potential influence as any other individual or organization, and because the United States is still the most influential society on a global scale, the power of American Christianity is truly staggering. How we steward that power will change the world” (p. 109). Thus, Christians face the question of whether to shrink back from that power or embrace it. That question inevitably divides Christians.

Having laid out the challenges in the previous chapters, Mikels returns in Chapter 7 to foundations and addresses the nature of "Christian Morality." Here he wants to invite readers to recognize that at the heart of the Gospel is transformation, such that some of the elements of the "not-yet' kingdom of God might be advanced. In part, he wants to distinguish between values that should be promoted outside the church and those that are intended only for the Christian community. He believes that too often Christians get the two mixed up, such that they want to impose on those outside the Christian community values that are meant for Christians. Central to his vision of Christian morality is the commandments to love God and neighbor, as defined in the Sermon on the Mount. These values include care for creation and concern for justice. Chapter 8 is titled "Christian Morality, Translated." Here he recognizes that times have changed since the first century, therefore, elements of Christian morality need to be translated/adapted for the current world. That is especially true since we live in a secular, pluralistic world. Mikels is concerned here about Christians passing judgment on the world, and requiring those outside the church to embrace values required only of Christians, especially when it comes to sexual morality. Thus, for example, while he is opposed to homosexuality, he does not believe it is appropriate for the church to oppose same-sex marriage. Of course, as one who is open and affirming, as a Christian, I support same-sex marriage. Still, it is helpful for Mikels to acknowledge that his understanding of sexual morality, rooted in his interpretation of the Bible, should not be imposed on those outside the church.

While Mikels recognizes that there are limits on how the church/Christians engage the larger world, he also offers guidance on what he believes to be proper "Christian Activism" (Chapter 9). He believes that much of what evangelicals have emphasized of late is wrong-headed. The values he suggests the church should embrace include "Activism for Human dignity" (providing a voice for the weak and marginalized), activism for truth and beauty, and environmental stewardship. Again, he warns readers to be aware of proper boundaries. But as you take note of these three forms of activism, you will see how they conflict with much of the Trump/MAGA agenda. In Chapter 10, he addresses "Christian Activism, Applied." Here he offers specific examples on such matters as same-sex marriage and even abortion, as well as social welfare programs, again seeking to distinguish between what might be required of Christians and what is not, as well as discerning how to be engaged in the world in ways that pursue the common good.

In Chapter 11, Mikels returns to the "Idols and Temples." He defines what he believes are idols and what are the temples that contain them. He names a number of these idols, including individual responsibility, spiritual first, anointed intellect/Christian supremacy, and color-blindness among other concerns. Each of these idols currently infects evangelicalism, causing it to embrace cultural idols that run counter to the Gospel of Jesus. This discussion leads to the final chapter, which he titles "Mission and Strategy." Mikels speaks here of the importance of Christian unity, something he pursued during his ministry in Lafayette, Indiana. At the same time, he recognizes that there are many challenges that get in the way of unity. Therefore, if evangelicals are to experience unity, they must discern where there is room for disagreement. How that is answered has implications for the implementation of both mission and strategy. He recognizes that different Christians and churches will embrace different strategies to engage in the mission which is centered on the Great Commandment and Great Commission.

I read Evangelical Idolatry from a post-evangelical/Mainline Protestant perspective. As I read Mikels book I found much that resonated with me. At the same time, I found myself in disagreement on certain matters. That is because Jeff Mikels and I come at the question from different vantage points. He is much more conservative than I am when it comes to both theology and social issues. Thus, I agreed with his assessment of Young Earth Creationism, climate change, and racism. I differed with him on homosexuality/same-sex marriage. Interestingly, on the question of abortion (something he opposes), I discovered that he wants to leave room for disagreement and differences in approach, which I applaud.  There is one issue that Mikels seemed to avoid, and that is gender equality. Is he a complementarian or an egalitarian? He doesn’t say. However, when he spoke of elders in his church, they all appeared to have been male. So, I’m left wondering where he stands on the role of women in church and society. It seems that this is not an area of primary concern, but it does have important social implications. Mikels’s audience in Evangelical Idolatry is composed of conservative evangelicals who share similar theological views, but who have allowed themselves to be tempted by Trumpism and other similar idols. At points, it seemed as if Mikels equated Christianity with evangelicalism (though perhaps including Black evangelicals in that equation), but largely ignored more Mainline/progressive Christians, who do not form his audience. Nevertheless, I do feel as if he names several idols that need to be exposed so evangelicals can, like Hezekiah, remove them so they can be freed from the effects of the infection of MAGA-infested evangelicalism. 

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