Quiet revolution

Christian Century, May 15, 2007

QUIET REVOLUTION: Accustomed to portraying evangelicalism as a homogeneous, conservative political, the media may be missing the emergence of a new movement that researcher George Barna calls "the Revolution." Represented by persons like Bob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in western Michigan, which meets in a converted shopping mall, this movement has rediscovered Jesus and the kingdom of God.

It has staked out biblically based positions against consumerism, poverty, violence and imperialism while remaining opposed to abortion and gay marriage. The movement also tends to be open to women in leadership. Another figure in the movement is Shane Claiborne, the 30-year-old author of Irresistible Revolution, who is currently in Iraq to "stand in the way of war" (In These Times, March).