The Most Influential People in American Christianity

Here's a starter list of the Most Influential People in what we might call American Christianity, in the evangelical sense, for lack of a better term.  They're the ones whose thinking has had the most impact on the way we actually live.

Nobody agrees with lists -- please make your own -- but here's mine:

1)  Paul

2)  Martin Luther

3)  Bill Bright/Billy Graham (tie)

4)  John Calvin

5)  Jonathan Edwards

7)  Bill Hybels

8)  James Dobson

9)  Tim LaHaye and That Other Guy

10)  (tie)  Jesus of Nazareth/John Wesley

Comments

[Mike Bishop]

I think the reason Paul's teachings are so influential in America is because we have mostly misunderstood the words of Jesus. All his talk about the kingdom, weird parables, "eat my flesh and drink my blood" and all that. Paul would most likely be horrified at our insistence to derive our Christianity primarily from his writings and not the life and teachings of Jesus (much less the presence of Jesus himself and the work of the Holy Spirit).

Instead of looking to Paul to understand Jesus, maybe it should be the other way around. Perhaps we have misunderstood Paul as well.

[Wess]

I don't know, I think you're going out on a limb suggesting Calvin is more important than LaHaye. How many evangelicals do you know who've read Calvin?

Anyways, I like the list. But what about Gerry Falwell?

[Chad Welch]

Brant, your blog is one of the few I have to check all the time. I usually don't comment because quite frankly I don't feel worthy to comment. Not smart enough, not theological enough, the list goes on. Heck, I had to google to find out who DeGarmo and Key. But here I go anyway.

I think that when we try to replace knowledge with relationship we have taken serious missteps in Christianity.

I can read all about George Clooney. I can know where he was born, his favorite ice cream, where he vacationed. I can actually see what he has to say about things. But that is not the same thing as having a relationship. Those kind of things I can study and memorize. They are fairly neat, but relationships are messy.

When we turn the Bible into a textbook we have replaced relationships with knowledge.

Jesus certainly could have chosen disciples that knew the Jewish scriptures better than some fishermen and tax collectors. It seems to me to be a Christian what you need to do is answer "yes" when Jesus says, come follow me.

Jesus said, "Come to me all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

I don't think we need more knowledge to be followers of Christ, we just need to act.

That said, I don't think studying the Bible is bad or theology is bad, but when they interfere with action and with having an actual relationship with the living God, then I think they are a problem. When they result in Christians fighting with each other about how you can think of God, or require you to vote for a particular candidate and generally cause division and infighting, then it is a problem.

Jesus said that the most two important commandments were love God and love others. When I can do both of those without fail I will begin worrying about whether you can represent God as a black woman in a story, but until I have those down, it just seems like the rest doesn't really matter that much.

[Steve_11]

Francis Schaeffer would be on my list

[mofast]

As a Methodist, I just want to say how much I appreciate John Wesley being on the same line with Jesus of Nazareth. As usual Brant, you have wisdom and insight. I agree with the true message of your post 100%, John Wesley (my guy) and Jesus should be #1.

[Steve Sensenig]

Brant, thanks for already expressing your respectful disagreement with Chestertonian Rambler.

I just want to add my voice of shock ("...Wow") and amazement at the idea that we can't really know Jesus without Paul.

The Bible that we have has definitely been given way more importance and "deification" than it claims for itself, or (in my humble opinion) than God ever intended for it to.

I agree with the comment above that says that Jesus vs. Paul is a false dichotomy, but if I HAD to choose, I would definitely take Jesus over Paul. I grew up in the church, and I found as an adult that I did not ever really get taught about Jesus. I got taught a LOT about Paul's writings.

Frankly, I'm really enjoying getting to know Jesus now!! :)

[Cherie]

I'm coming in a little late on the whole words of Jesus/Paul thing, but here goes.

As far as I am aware, we have no evidence that Jesus ever wrote down a single word of his earthly teachings. We do know that he promised the apostles that the Holy Spirit would remind them.

So, when we follow the teachings of Jesus, we are actually following the reported teachings of Jesus. You have to trust the human writer to faithfully relay the content and interpretation of Jesus' teachings. Or, you have to trust the Holy Spirit's inspiration of the human authors to faithfully relay the content and interpretation.

If you are trusting human writers (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), I'd say that's a shaky foundation for faith. If you trust the Holy Spirit's inspiration, then why elevate the message of one inspired author(say, Matthew) over another inspired author(say, Paul)?

Brant, on another note, you've talked much about your experiences & contacts in ministry and church-radio (oops, Christian radio). It seems to me you're living in a pretty rarefied atmosphere. Folks who work in the ministry, serve in church leadership, listen to Christian radio, and read blogs such as this one are not "normal". They are well outside the mainstream of society, and also pretty far outside the mainstream of church-going society. All I'm saying is that the your run-of-the-mill pew-sitting Christian doesn't suffer from too-much-Paul/not-enough-Jesus. They suffer from too-much-nothingness.

[Dennis]

Constantine. Probably even more than Paul, although it's close.

[Da Bears Fan]

It's good to see my boy, BH, holding out at #7. Which, of course, makes him #1 when it comes to those who are alive! WOOT!!!

[albert]

You should have made a list of 12 (for the 12 apostles) then you could have included Samuel L. Jackson and George Barna. One of them could play Judas and later get replaced by a guy we never heard of simply named Tom or Dave or Buster.