This article is Part 6 of a seven-part series adapted from a lecture delivered at Harvard Law School on May 1, 2025, at the Program on Biblical Law and Christian Legal Studies. Reproduced with permission from Dr. Ruth Okediji, faculty director.
In Part 5, I followed China’s internal arc. Here, I turn outward to the modern West, especially the United States—its seasons of confidence and its self-questioning—and consider how these turns shape global perceptions of “Christianity.”
High Noon and the Long Afternoon
Postwar prosperity amplified Christian voices in American civic life. Coalitions formed; 1976 was hailed by some as the “Year of the Evangelical.” Institutions grew; public engagement surged. For observers abroad, this visibility reinforced the impression that “Christianity = the West”—a simplification, but a powerful one.
The Cost of Visibility
Visibility brought temptations: proximity to power, culture-war reflexes, and the flattening of labels. By the 2010s and 2020s, I would argue that the term “evangelical” had become completely meaningless in public discourse—its theological content tangled with shifting social and political identities. Moral failures and institutional crises deepened disillusionment. Where character lagged, declarations rang hollow.
Deconstruction—and What Endured
As institutions wobbled, deconstruction entered the vocabulary. Sometimes it meant honest reckoning; sometimes it licensed a drift from the creeds. Yet another current quietly grew—compassionate practice. Christians expanded work among the poor, the displaced, the trafficked, and the sick—built hospitals, clinics, shelters, and schools—and showed up in disasters and in ordinary neighborhoods. This “long obedience” traveled farther and was received more widely than any argument about labels.
What This Means for China Watchers
For friends of China, the Western story complicates the export of certain identities. It warns against importing culture-war scripts as if they were the gospel. It invites deeper catechesis and public virtue without presuming control. And it cautions us that words migrate faster than practices: better to let good works define the terms than to assume terms will explain the works.
Two Mirrors
The West offers two mirrors. One shows the cost of tying Christian identity to political victory: when the coalition frays, the faith is mistaken for the coalition. The other shows the quiet credibility of mercy over decades—churches and organizations loving neighbors with steadiness. For China watchers, the second mirror is the better export: patience, character, service, and clear teaching, even when the label is contested.
A Modest Conclusion
If “evangelical” is contested and the public square fragmented, we are not left speechless. The response is not silence but seasoned speech: careful words, honest repentance, and durable service. The church does not need dominance to love neighbors—it needs faithfulness.
Next in the series (Part 7): Periphery and center—diaspora feedback loops, scenarios for the 2040s, and a posture of watchfulness.
