AN AWAKENING OF CONSCIENCE: THE CHANGING RESPONSE OF AMERICAN EVANGELICALS TOWARD WORLD POVERTY (CHRISTIAN, RELIEF, THEOLOGY, MISSIONS)

For most of this century, American evangelical Protestants have retreated from their traditional involvement in social issues, reforms, and humanitarian assistance. However, in the seventies, Third World poverty assistance from evangelicals appeared to surge upward at an unprecedented rate. Their central focus also appeared to be shifting from relief to development assistance. Was a major shift in fact occurring? If so, why?; Time-series budget and sector involvement data spanning 1969/70 to 1981/82 for eighty-five evangelical agencies were examined to determine whether a significant increase and shift in type of aid had occurred. A budget survey was also sent out to these agencies. Qualitative assessments were gained through interviews with key evangelical leaders and agencies. Data analysis showed that evangelical Third World assistance had quadrupled from $62 million in 1969/70 to $238 million by 1981/82. A major shift from relief to development assistance also occurred, with significant movement shown into central development sectors such as agriculture, enterprise development, construction, cooperatives, and community development. This shift can be explained by numerous inter-related factors. External factors include the impact of Vietnam on American attitudes, national media coverage of famine and refugee problems, pressure from the Third World, and the availability of U.S. Government funds for relief and development programs. Within Evangelicalism, increased agency publicity, the example of pioneering agencies, conferences, key books, a change in educational content for young evangelicals, and the general broadening of Evangelicalism itself all had an impact on attention toward poverty issues. Yet, behind these factors were some even more significant value changes. The re-acknowledgement of the humanity of Christ, the rejoining of Word and deed, the re-emphasis on the Kingdom of God, and a theological-cultural paradigm shift toward seeing Christ's relationship to culture as a transforming role all had important implications for social concern. These changes served to create and legitimize values of aiding the poor. An "awakening of conscience" toward social responsibility has occurred for evangelicals. Since important theological values have changed, the renewed emphasis on social concern and Third World poverty assistance will likely endure.