The Big Ideas - Diplomat with The New York Times

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แƒ™แƒ แƒ˜แƒกแƒขแƒ˜แƒœ แƒ™แƒแƒ‘แƒ”แƒก แƒ“แƒฃ แƒ›แƒ”แƒชแƒ˜: แƒ แƒ˜แƒกแƒ˜ แƒ’แƒ•แƒฏแƒ”แƒ แƒ แƒ˜แƒกแƒขแƒแƒ แƒ˜แƒ˜แƒก แƒจแƒ”แƒกแƒแƒฎแƒ”แƒ‘? แƒแƒ›แƒ”แƒ แƒ˜แƒ™แƒ”แƒšแƒ˜ แƒ”แƒ•แƒแƒœแƒ’แƒ”แƒšแƒ˜แƒกแƒขแƒ”แƒ‘แƒ˜ แƒฅแƒ›แƒœแƒ˜แƒ“แƒœแƒ”แƒœ แƒ—แƒแƒ•แƒ˜แƒแƒœแƒ— แƒ˜แƒกแƒขแƒแƒ แƒ˜แƒฃแƒš แƒœแƒแƒ แƒแƒขแƒ˜แƒ•แƒ”แƒ‘แƒก แƒแƒ—แƒฌแƒšแƒ”แƒฃแƒšแƒ”แƒ‘แƒ˜แƒก แƒ›แƒแƒœแƒซแƒ˜แƒšแƒ–แƒ”. แƒญแƒ”แƒจแƒ›แƒแƒ แƒ˜แƒขแƒ›แƒ แƒแƒ›แƒ‘แƒ”แƒ‘แƒ›แƒ แƒ™แƒ˜ แƒจแƒ”แƒกแƒแƒซแƒšแƒแƒ แƒ›แƒแƒ—แƒ˜ แƒ แƒฆแƒ•แƒ”แƒ•แƒ แƒ’แƒแƒ›แƒแƒ˜แƒฌแƒ•แƒ˜แƒแƒก

Kristin Kobes Du Mez: What We Believe About History American evangelicals have crafted their own historical narratives for many decades. The truth can be deeply disruptive

KRISTIN KOBES DU MEZ is a writer and a professor of history at Calvin University.

แƒ 

แƒฌแƒ›แƒ”แƒœแƒแƒก แƒแƒฅแƒ•แƒก แƒ˜แƒกแƒขแƒแƒ แƒ˜แƒ. แƒฉแƒ”แƒ›แƒ—แƒ•แƒ˜แƒก, แƒ แƒแƒ’แƒแƒ แƒช แƒ แƒ”แƒšแƒ˜แƒ’แƒ˜แƒ˜แƒก แƒ˜แƒกแƒขแƒแƒ แƒ˜แƒ™แƒแƒกแƒ˜แƒกแƒ—แƒ•แƒ˜แƒก, แƒ”แƒก แƒ‘แƒฃแƒœแƒ”แƒ‘แƒ แƒ˜แƒ•แƒ˜แƒ, แƒ›แƒแƒ’แƒ แƒแƒ› แƒแƒ  แƒจแƒ”แƒ˜แƒซแƒšแƒ”แƒ‘แƒ แƒ“แƒแƒ•แƒ˜แƒฌแƒงแƒ”แƒ‘แƒ แƒ—แƒฃ แƒ แƒแƒ›แƒ“แƒ”แƒœแƒแƒ“ แƒฃแƒชแƒฎแƒแƒ แƒ”แƒก แƒชแƒœแƒ”แƒ‘แƒ แƒ›แƒ แƒแƒ•แƒแƒšแƒ˜ แƒ”แƒ•แƒแƒœแƒ’แƒ”แƒšแƒ˜แƒกแƒขแƒ˜แƒกแƒ—แƒ•แƒ˜แƒก แƒจแƒ”แƒ”แƒ แƒ—แƒ”แƒ‘แƒฃแƒš แƒจแƒขแƒแƒขแƒ”แƒ‘แƒจแƒ˜.

แƒ”แƒ•แƒแƒœแƒ’แƒ”แƒšแƒ˜แƒกแƒขแƒ”แƒ‘แƒ˜ แƒแƒกแƒแƒชแƒ˜แƒ แƒ“แƒ”แƒ‘แƒ˜แƒแƒœ แƒ แƒแƒ’แƒแƒ แƒช โ€œแƒ‘แƒ˜แƒ‘แƒšแƒ˜แƒ˜แƒก แƒ›แƒแƒ แƒฌแƒ›แƒฃแƒœแƒ”โ€ แƒฅแƒ แƒ˜แƒกแƒขแƒ˜แƒแƒœแƒ”แƒ‘แƒ˜: แƒ”แƒ•แƒแƒœแƒ’แƒ”แƒšแƒ˜แƒกแƒขแƒ˜ แƒ›แƒฆแƒ•แƒ“แƒ”แƒšแƒ›แƒกแƒแƒฎแƒฃแƒ แƒ”แƒ‘แƒ˜ แƒฅแƒแƒ“แƒแƒ’แƒ”แƒ‘แƒ”แƒœ โ€œแƒ‘แƒ˜แƒ‘แƒšแƒ˜แƒฃแƒ  แƒฆแƒ˜แƒ แƒ”แƒ‘แƒฃแƒšแƒ”แƒ‘แƒ”แƒ‘แƒกโ€, แƒฎแƒแƒšแƒ แƒ”แƒ•แƒแƒœแƒ’แƒ”แƒšแƒ˜แƒกแƒขแƒฃแƒ แƒ˜ แƒšแƒ˜แƒ“แƒ”แƒ แƒ”แƒ‘แƒ˜ แƒฎแƒ”แƒšแƒก แƒฃแƒฌแƒงแƒแƒ‘แƒ”แƒœ โ€œแƒขแƒ แƒแƒ“แƒ˜แƒชแƒ˜แƒฃแƒšโ€ แƒฆแƒ˜แƒ แƒ”แƒ‘แƒฃแƒšแƒ”แƒ‘แƒ”แƒ‘แƒก แƒกแƒแƒ”แƒ แƒ แƒ—แƒฃ แƒกแƒแƒฏแƒแƒ แƒ แƒกแƒคแƒ”แƒ แƒแƒจแƒ˜. แƒแƒฌแƒแƒœ-แƒ“แƒแƒฌแƒแƒœแƒ˜แƒแƒœ แƒงแƒ•แƒ”แƒšแƒแƒคแƒ”แƒ แƒก, แƒกแƒแƒ’แƒแƒ“แƒแƒกแƒแƒฎแƒแƒ“แƒ แƒกแƒแƒ™แƒ˜แƒ—แƒฎแƒ”แƒ‘แƒ˜แƒ— แƒ“แƒแƒฌแƒงแƒ”แƒ‘แƒฃแƒšแƒ˜ แƒ˜แƒแƒ แƒแƒฆแƒ˜แƒก แƒ™แƒแƒœแƒขแƒ แƒแƒšแƒ˜แƒ— แƒ“แƒแƒกแƒ แƒฃแƒšแƒ”แƒ‘แƒฃแƒšแƒ˜. แƒงแƒ•แƒ”แƒšแƒ แƒ”แƒก แƒ›แƒ แƒฌแƒแƒ›แƒกแƒ˜ แƒ”แƒ แƒ—แƒแƒ“ แƒจแƒ”แƒ™แƒ แƒฃแƒšแƒ˜ แƒ“แƒ แƒ แƒ”แƒแƒšแƒ˜แƒ–แƒ”แƒ‘แƒฃแƒšแƒ˜แƒ แƒ แƒแƒ’แƒแƒ แƒช แƒ‘แƒ˜แƒ‘แƒšแƒ˜แƒฃแƒ แƒ˜ แƒ“แƒ แƒ›แƒแƒ แƒแƒ“แƒ˜แƒฃแƒšแƒ˜. แƒ›แƒฎแƒแƒšแƒแƒ“ แƒ”แƒ•แƒแƒœแƒ’แƒ”แƒšแƒ˜แƒกแƒขแƒ”แƒ‘แƒ˜ แƒแƒ  แƒแƒ แƒ˜แƒแƒœ, แƒ•แƒ˜แƒกแƒแƒช แƒ›แƒ˜แƒแƒฉแƒœแƒ˜แƒแƒ—, แƒ แƒแƒ› แƒ›แƒแƒ—แƒ˜ แƒ แƒฌแƒ›แƒ”แƒœแƒ แƒ›แƒแƒ แƒแƒ“แƒ˜แƒฃแƒšแƒ˜ แƒ“แƒ แƒจแƒ”แƒฃแƒชแƒ•แƒšแƒ”แƒšแƒ˜แƒ. แƒงแƒ•แƒ”แƒšแƒ แƒคแƒ”แƒœแƒ˜แƒก แƒ›แƒแƒ แƒฌแƒ›แƒฃแƒœแƒ”แƒ”-

B

eliefs have a history. As a historian of religion, I take this for granted. Iโ€™d forgotten how foreign this notion is to many evangelicals in the United States.

Evangelicals identify as โ€œBible-believingโ€ Christians: Evangelical pastors preach โ€œbiblical values,โ€ and evangelical leaders promote โ€œtraditionalโ€ values in the secular, public sphere, weighing in on issues ranging from tax policy to gun control. All of these beliefs are packaged and sold as biblical, timeless and eternal. Evangelicals are not alone in considering that their beliefs are eternal and unchanging. For believers of all stripes, the very notion of truth assumes an aura of timelessness, but historical knowledge has a way of complicating such certainty. By revealing not only continuity but also considerable change over time, history demonstrates that much of what passes for traditional is,

ยฉ 2022 The New York Times Company and Kristin Kobes Du Mez

(CREDIT: Deborah Hoag)

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