Evangelical Theologian Endorses Mormon Romney. What Would Jesus Do?

In a column published on Townhall.com (http://www.townhall.com/columnists/WayneGrudem/2007/10/18/why_evangelicals _should_support_ mitt_romney), evangelical theologian Dr. Wayne Grudem outlined the reasons why he, an evangelical Christian, was endorsing Mitt Romney, a Mormon, for the presidency, and why other evangelicals should also support Romney. It may not be the end of the world, but Boston radio talk show host, Gregg Jackson, also writing in Townhall.com, asked, regarding Grudem’s endorsement, “Is This The End of Evangelicalism in America ?” (http://www.townhall .com/columnists/GreggJackson/2007/11/02/is_this_the_ end_of_evangelic alism_in_ america) Writes Jackson :

A disturbing sign of the state of American evangelicalism has appeared in the seventh year of the 21st century in a Townhall.com article dated October 18, 2007, entitled, "Why Evangelicals Should Support Mitt Romney" by Wayne Grudem. One of America 's most popular evangelical theologians, Grudem is trying to persuade evangelicals to vote a Mormon for president. Wayne Grudem's "Systematic Theology" is the gold standard of evangelical doctrine and a sacred fixture in evangelical seminaries, pastor libraries and Bible studies.

In it, he defines Mormonism as "clearly a false church." He shows why Mormonism has never been included in the Christian Church: It contradicts major Christian doctrine regarding the person of God, Christ and His work and salvation plan. A cornerstone of the Mormon Church, Grudem writes, is the classic heresy of Saint Paul 's day – angel worship. In his book, Grudem insists that an orthodox Christian must practice the theology he reads. So why would he step forward to become part of the Mitt Romney propaganda blitz trying to mislead evangelicals into doing what would shock most evangelicals in American history: elect a Mormon for president?

It goes from strange to bizarre, considering Romney opened his campaign posing as the uber-evangelical Ronald Reagan while suggesting Reagan's evangelical base are bigots. Romney's evangelists, conservative talk show hosts Sean Hannity and Hugh Hewitt, among others, were much more outspoken. They angrily and repeatedly characterized evangelicals' lack of support for Romney as ugly bigotry.

Why would a major evangelical leader jump aboard a political campaign that views evangelicals as bigots?

I have a better question – two, actually: Why would anyone care whom Dr. Grudem supports for President? And why would Grudem think anyone else would care whom he supports?

Does the endorsement of a Mormon candidate by a respected evangelical theologian signal the end of evangelicalism? Probably not. One could make the case that evangelicalism has been in decline for decades (being an evangelical Christian for 35 years, I’ve seen the battle over Biblical inerrancy – and which side won that battle, by the way? – the rise of the church growth movement and program-based churches, the corresponding faddish obsession with “seeker friendliness,” the ditching of solid biblical teaching for less offensive feel-good/self- help psychology, the introduction of blaring “contemporary” worship music which tends to be fairly non-worshipful, and the general jettisoning of Jesus Christ as the center and focus of our faith and lives…but this isn’t about the atrophied nature of contemporary evangelicalism – that’s a topic for another day and another blog site). Dr. Grudem’s endorsement of a Mormon isn't evangelical Christianity’s death knell. This endorsement is too trivial and inconsequential to be the final stake in the heart of evangelicalism.

If an orthodox, theologically conservative Christian wants to support Romney, or any other candidate, fine, but one shouldn't feel compelled try to justify it from the position of their faith and theology, and it makes me wonder why Dr. Grudem thinks he needs to make that attempt. I support Rudy Giuliani mainly because he is the leader America needs at this point in our history. My support is obviously not because Rudy is a "conservative Christian," because he isn't; I don't pretend or imply that he is. At a time of war, and of creeping pessimism in the nation, I don’t think one needs to share my particular brand of faith in order to be an effective leader. In short, I don't feel compelled to make up a theological rationale for my support of Rudy Giuliani. He's ideologically conservative on the issues that really matter in this election, and that's rationale enough.

Dr. Grudem may be a marvelous theologian (in truth, I've never read him). But what does that have to do with political wisdom? Grudem may wax evangelically eloquent on matters of soteriology, eschatology, ecclesiology, and epistemology, but what’s his theology of politics and government? Does he believe that hearts and minds can be won over, that people’s lives can be turned around, that America can be made more “righteous,” with the election to the Presidency of someone who holds to a particular external code of morality? This assumption violates the entire concept of redemption and sanctification as taught in Scripture and held by evangelicals. It’s bad theology.

I might hold Dr. Grudem in some esteem if he is telling me how to experience the life of Jesus Christ lived out in my life. But what qualifies him to preach on the imperatives of whom evangelicals should support in the 2008 election? And why, precisely, does he think we should care who he supports?