More definition

Just some recent thoughts...

From Wikipedia, on the Evangelical Left:

Evangelical left is a term used to describe those who are part of the Christian evangelical movement in the USA but who generally function on the left wing of that movement, either politically or theologically, or both.

While the evangelical left movement is related to the better known Christian left,those who are part of the latter movement are not always viewed as evangelical.

Typically, members of the evangelical left affirm the primary tenets of evangelical theology, such as the doctrines of Incarnation,atonement, and resurrection, and also see the Bible as a primary authority forthe Church.

Unlike many evangelicals, however, the evangelical left supports what are often considered "liberal" or "left wing" political policies. They are often, for example, opposed to capital punishment and supportive of gun control. In many cases, they are pacifist or pacifist-oriented. They also often support and utilize modern Biblical criticism, whereas some other evangelicals reject it.

I've been thinking about my faith a lot these days. Having attended 3 churches in the last 2 years, I've had some reason to really think about the spectrum of messages I've been presented with and to consider my allegiance to an organized Christian belief system. I think for various reasons, for the last 5 years since I've gone back to church, I've been quite reluctant to be a big fan of any one church or any one church program, conflicted in my identity as someone who attends evangelical churches and generally finding myself in conflict with some but not all the things evangelicalism- as in the overall evangelicalism of the United States - stands for.

I grew up in a fairly conservative Christian household and went to a very conservative Christian church growing up. Focus on the Family was extremely popular and the word of James Dobson was consdered gospel. Evangelical legalism defined my upbringing.

As I've grown up (hopefully!) and matured (hopefully!) I've journeyed away from the evangelicalism I knew as a child. I've never gone off the deep and truly rebelled in the sense of ever denying my faith... but I learned to subject my faith to the world, to re-evaluate it in the truth (what Jesus actually said vs. what right-wing Christian conservatives said), and to experience the conflict that arises when the old faith system was no longer enough to hold the weight of the world. Scrutiny determined that the old faith system that was heavily influenced by evangelical right wing tenets -- that often had very little to do with the emphases Jesus placed on loving your neighbor, feeding the hungry, caring for those less fortunate, vs. his brief, little, to no stance on abortion and homosexuality-- is not realistic and is a very pharisaical system.

So I've been researching denominations on the web, reviewing the sub-systems of evangelicalism, where I seem to fit. I felt the fit issue is more about me progressing on my journey by being able to bookmark this page in the story of my life and knowing a little more about what to digest next, who to be influenced by and how to apply my thoughts more efficiently. I know there are plenty more things to consider- wesleyanism vs. calvinism, etc.- but for now this feels more immediate.

I'm also very interested in Red Letter Christians and the Progressive Christian movements, but still a bit reluctant to pledge allegiance to organized groups. I still feel that God is owed my allegiance first, then my husband, then others. But I feel as if I'm in a process of definition and refinement.