With its recent change in editors, Christianity Today has set forth a new “Declaration of Principles” that reflect the “biblical objectivity” preached for decades by Marvin Olasky, new editor in chief.
Olasky, 75, rose to evangelical prominence as editor of World magazine, a publication more narrowly evangelical and conservative than Christianity Today. In recent years, critics from the far right have accused Christianity Today of becoming “woke” and even “liberal” despite its decidedly conservative slant.
To a subset of evangelicals who value doctrinal statements and orthodoxy, Olasky now has written a doctrinal treatise beyond CT’s existing “Statement of Faith.” While there is some overlap in World magazine’s founding principles, Olasky’s vision for CT does not begin with a Calvinistic statement on the glory of God as does World: “God works all things according to his will, and his glory should be paramount in all human endeavor, including journalism.”
However, Olasky’s vision for CT does carry over his teaching on “biblical objectivity” in this statement: “We try to approach every issue through the lens of Scripture, and therefore we oppose any attempt to put humanity’s purported wisdom above God’s. We remember that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, so we are skeptical of ideological pronouncements. We value street-level reporting over suite-level orating.”
“To be blunt, CT is not theologically affirming on LGBTQ issues and does not publish affirming perspectives.”
The new CT statement takes a hard line on sexual relations and gender identity: “We believe that God designed sexual activity to be in the context of a marriage between a man and a woman and that all Christians are called to chastity — abstaining from sex before marriage and practicing fidelity within marriage. We believe the sexed bodies given by God determine whether we are men or women. To be blunt, CT is not theologically affirming on LGBTQ issues and does not publish affirming perspectives.”
Olasky says CT “is committed to orthodox Christian doctrines on the Trinity, Scripture, Adam and Eve, the Fall, Christ’s redemptive work on the Cross, Resurrection and biblical inerrancy.”
In addition to CT’s own statement of faith, the magazine affirms both the Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed, he said. “These commitments shape our journalism and all content production at every stage.”
CT is “pro-life,” Olasky said, including opposition to euthanasia and eugenics as well as abortion. However, he did not mention capital punishment, IVF or health care as “pro-life” issues. “All of us, born and unborn, regardless of ability or disability, are created in God’s image,” he said.
While CT aims to “endorse and uphold the U.S. Constitution with its checks and balances, rule of law, and Bill of Rights,” the publication will be “dispositionally conservative — not reactionary or opposed to progress but biased toward due process and respectful of time-tested wisdom. We oppose extremists on the right and the left who put power above persuasion.”
And although CT will not publish anything pro-LGBTQ or pro-abortion, “we welcome readers and writers from an array of denominations and theological traditions,” he said. “You’ll find in our pages differing opinions on baptism, predestination and roles of women in the church and home.”
The magazine will not “lobby for or against legislation or endorse or oppose candidates for office,” he explained. However, “We believe Christians are called to show compassion to the poor, the homeless and immigrants. We see that many governmental aid programs have failed, so we look for ways to further charity. We oppose racism, antisemitism and ethnic hatred.”
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