Driscoll’s apolitical branding masked a belligerent culture-warrior stance

Evidence

Driscoll sought to distance himself from earlier culture warriors like Falwell and Dobson, and he liked to bill himself as apolitical. But the trendy packaging masked a culture-warrior mentality every bit as belligerent as that of his predecessors, if not more so. For instance, while he may have welcomed LGBT “seekers” into his church, he denounced gay men as “damn freaks.” Some evangelical leaders expressed reservations about Driscoll’s crudeness, but many nonetheless professed their admiration. As Al Mohler explained, “wherever the gospel is to be found, we need to be happy about that.” Though Mohler thought there was “a difference between being crude and being candid,” he admired the “boldness” and “tenacity” with which Driscoll preached “the gospel of Jesus Christ.” — Kristin Kobes Du Mez, Jesus and John Wayne, 445

Categorization

• XREF: Directly supports the central continuity-not-hypocrisy thesis: the packaging changed, the warrior mentality continued.
• QUESTION: Mohler’s willingness to praise Driscoll’s ‘candor’ reveals how leadership legitimated crudeness in service of the gospel — worth tracing how that legitimation cascaded.