Former Baptist Leader Sees A Crisis Of Faith In America — But Also A Way Forward

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🗓️ 4 August 2023

⏱️ 14 minutes

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Summary

For years, Russell Moore was one of the top officials in the Southern Baptist Convention. But after he criticized Donald Trump, Moore found himself ostracized from many other Evangelical leaders who embraced Trump and Trumpism.

Moore eventually resigned from his post, and found himself on the outside of a denomination that had, up until that point, defined his life.

Today, Moore argues that Christianity is in crisis in America, and he explores a way forward for the faith he loves in his book, "Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call For Evangelical America."

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Transcript

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0:00.0	In times of crisis, people of faith may turn to prayer or to their church, but what if
0:11.2	religious faith itself is in crisis and in need of a boost?
0:15.0	What if Jesus Christ needs a marketing campaign?
0:18.6	A rebel took to the streets.
0:21.4	He recruited others to join him.
0:24.1	They rolled the hood and challenged authority.
0:28.4	Community leaders feared them.
0:30.4	Religious leaders abhorred them.
0:33.1	We have to get them off the streets, they said, but they weren't part of a gang spreading
0:37.3	hate and terror.
0:39.4	They were spreading love.
0:40.9	That's an ad for the multi-million dollar he gets us campaign, he being Jesus.
0:46.0	The campaign was created by a Christian foundation based in Kansas and back financially by David
0:50.4	Greene, the CEO of Crafts Chain Hobby Lobby, and a heavy funder of evangelical Christian
0:55.4	causes.
0:56.4	In the aim of those ads, it was to reconnect Americans with Christianity.
1:01.0	Because in recent years, it seems millions of people in this country have lost that connection.
1:05.5	Jason DeRose reports on religion for NPR.
1:08.4	Just 16% of Americans say religion is the most important thing in their lives, according
1:13.9	to the PRRI study.
1:15.6	The PRRI is the Public Religion Research Institute, which back in May, pulled more than 6,600
1:22.0	adults from all 50 states.
	...

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