Reckoning with Power: Why the Church Fails When It’s on the Wrong Side of Power

“The problem of power lies at the core of evangelicalism’s failure to be the church, the social body of Christ’s power in the world,” according to this contentious indictment from pastor Fitch (The Church of Us vs. Them). As he sees it, two types of power exist: coercive worldly power “exerted by people ‘over’ other people”; and godly power, “which works relationally with and among persons.” Problems emerge when the evangelical church blurs the two, making way for Christian nationalism (a “recipe for destruction”) and corrupt church leadership that excuses or perpetrates abuse. To “lead in humility” instead, church leaders can take such steps as accepting women and minorities into the leadership hierarchy. Fitch also advises practicing parrhesia, a form of truth-telling out of “concern and love for persons.” Though Fitch makes some trenchant points, he undermines his case by vehemently critiquing thinkers with whom he disagrees rather than modeling a more humane example of what godly power looks like. The result is an incisive if somewhat churlish call to action. (Jan.)