06 May, 2019

The Radically Inclusive Christianity of Rachel Held Evans

https://www.newyorker.com/news/postscript/the-radically-inclusive-christianity-of-rachel-held-evans
Rachel Held Evans, or R.H.E., as she was known, was one of the most formidable figures in contemporary Christianity. Raised in an evangelical household, she spent much of her adult life challenging the harmful role that conservative American culture plays in Christianity. In her four popular books, her talks, and her frequent presence on Twitter, she called for an intersectional approach to Christianity that embraced people of color, L.G.B.T.Q. people, and women in all roles in the church. This wasn’t a question of politics for Held Evans, who’d begun attending an Episcopal church in order to leave the culture wars behind; it was a matter of religious doctrine. She fiercely insisted that God’s love included everyone, and she attempted to offer those who’d been shunned by the church a way to return.