The Quest for Spiritual Depth: Why Some Evangelicals Are Leaving
A growing number of evangelicals are abandoning their faith, but not because they’ve lost interest in spirituality. On the contrary, they’re hungry for a more profound and meaningful experience. The problem is, they don’t think they can find it within the evangelical tradition. Instead, they’re turning to other Christian denominations, such as Eastern Orthodoxy or Roman Catholicism, in search of spiritual depth and growth.
This phenomenon was recently highlighted in an article in the New York Post, which profiled converts to Eastern Orthodoxy. One such individual, Elijah Wee Sit, described his former evangelical faith as “watered down.” He recalled attending church on Sundays, singing songs, listening to a sermon, and then going home without feeling any real sense of spiritual engagement.
Wee Sit’s experience is not unique. Many evangelicals are dissatisfied with the lack of spiritual depth in their churches. They feel that the emphasis on numerical growth and geographic spread has come at the expense of discipleship and inward depth. As a result, they’re seeking a more authentic and meaningful experience elsewhere.
The Importance of Spiritual Growth
The Bible assumes that the Christian life will be a growing life. It describes believers as “newborn infants” who “long for the pure spiritual milk” of God’s word so that they may “grow up into salvation” (1 Pet. 2:2). However, the how question remains: How do we nurture and sustain spiritual growth?
Evangelical Christians have sometimes complicated this question by prioritizing growth of other kinds. The movement’s zeal for expansion and outward growth has led to innovative evangelism strategies, but it has also come at the expense of discipleship and inward depth.
Reclaiming the Protestant Reformation Tradition
While some expressions of evangelical Christianity may lack depth, this shallowness is not intrinsic to the logic of the evangelical tradition itself. The Protestant Reformation tradition, out of which evangelicalism arose, emphasizes the importance of spiritual growth and maturity.
In fact, the Reformation tradition offers a wealth of resources for spiritual formation and growth. By looking backward to this tradition, evangelicals can rediscover the riches of their own heritage and cultivate a more profound and meaningful experience.
Conclusion
The quest for spiritual depth is a legitimate one. While some evangelicals may be leaving their faith in search of something more, this doesn’t mean that the evangelical tradition is inherently flawed. Rather, it highlights the need for evangelicals to reclaim their own heritage and prioritize spiritual growth and maturity. By doing so, they can create a more authentic and meaningful experience that will satisfy their hunger for spiritual depth.
Leave a Reply