Writing

The “Good news” is central to evangelical theology and the movement known as evangelicalism, but the news has not always been good for minorities who inhabit evangelical communities and institutions in the United States. Vincent Bacote argues a reckoning with questions of race is necessary for evangelical theology to help cultivate an evangelical movement more hospitable to minorities, particularly African-Americans. Evangelicalism is here regarded not only a set of beliefs about the Bible, Christ’s work on the cross, conversion and witness but also as a set of dispositions and postures that create openness to the concerns of minorities. With a perpetually uneasy conscience, Christians within the evangelical movement can cultivate a disposition ready to learn from the questions and contributions of minorities in evangelical spaces, such as William Bentley and Carl Ellis. A better evangelical theology is proposed as doctrines that yield actions that are truly good news for all.

"What might it mean for public and political life to be understood as an important dimension of following Jesus? As a part of Zondervan's Ordinary Theology series, Vincent E. Bacote's The Political Disciple addresses this question by considering not only whether Christians have (or need) permission to engage the public square, but also what it means to reflect Christlikeness in our public practice, as well as what to make of the typically slow rate of social change and the tension between relative allegiance to a nation and/or a political party and ultimate allegiance to Christ. Pastors, laypeople, and college students will find this concise volume a handy primer on Christianity and public life."

"Identifying the characteristics of a true Christian worldview, Bacote demonstrates the need for a public theology that stresses engagement between the church and the world. The Spirit in Public Theology should be required reading for pastors, students, and all Christians who want to take their faith beyong the four walls of the Church." -Wipf and Stock Publishers