It's hard to go to any news source these days without finding multiple stories about the Christian community influencing or being influenced by some presidential hopeful. Last Sunday, though, New York Times reporter David Kirkpatrick took it one step further in what has already been called "one of the most talked-about stories of the pre-election season." Kirkpatrick's analysis of evangelicals and their dance with the Republican Party, called "The Evangelical Crackup," assessed that "the movement shows signs of coming apart beneath its leaders" because younger pastors and leadership are more concerned with faith in action than divisive issues or party loyalties. To read the entire article, click here. [nytimes.com, 10/28/07]

QUOTE: "There was a time when evangelical churches were becoming largely and almost exclusively the Republican Party at prayer. To some extent—we have to see how much—the Republicans have blown it. That opportunity to lock up that constituency has vanished. The ball now really is in the Democrats’ court." —Marvin Olasky, editor of the evangelical magazine World and an informal adviser to George W. Bush when he was governor [nytimes.com, 10/28/07]

QUOTE: "There is this sense that the personal gospel is what evangelicals believe and the social gospel is what liberal Christians believe—and, you know, there is only one gospel that has both social and personal dimensions to it. Now it is a growing phenomenon. ... The religious right peaked a long time ago. As a historical, sociological phenomenon, it has seen its heyday. Something new is coming." —Gene Carlson, former senior pastor of Westlink Christian Church in Wichita, Kan. [nytimes.com, 10/28/07]