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This Wheaton/IVP/NAE/Christianity Today axis of elitism was first the target of Francis Schaeffer’s book The Great Evangelical Disaster, where he called out supposed faith leaders for theological and moral compromise, and Big Eva is now the focus of Megan Basham’s book Shepherds for Sale.

Basham admits that despite exhausting research (there are 50 or so pages of footnotes) some errors did creep into the work, which she says will be corrected in subsequent editions. But don’t let the book’s critics, or worse, its targets, like Russell Moore distract you from the genuinely alarming degree to which some highly placed evangelical thought leaders indeed sold us out, for social respectability or even cold hard cash in the form of grant money from leftwing foundations trying, in their words, to “rent an evangelical” to promote their causes, which even included homosexuality.

Here she is with the aforementioned Allie Beth Stuckey

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Oal1N4Aau3c&t=3s&pp=ygUlbWVnYW4gYmFzaGFtIHNoZXBoZXJkcyBmb3Igc2FsZSBhbGxpZQ%3D%3D

and discussing the book’s critics with Alisa Childers and Frank Turek

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Oal1N4Aau3c&t=3s&pp=ygUlbWVnYW4gYmFzaGFtIHNoZXBoZXJkcyBmb3Igc2FsZSBhbGxpZQ%3D%3D

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You may not be aware, but there are others who bear the same name as the object of this diatribe. I'm thinking of Russell Moore of Bluegrass music fame. He and his band, called IIIrd Tyme Out, have been active since the early 1990's and earned an excellent reputation for themselves.

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There was an old game show back in the 1950's called "The Name's the Same" In which contestants with the same name as famous people would try to stump a celebrity panel. It was basically "What's My Line?" with a twist. It made for some pretty funny moments. When I was in seminary, some fellow with the same name as me got arrested for protesting at an abortion clinic. It made the National news and some of my best friends actually thought it was me.

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Though I have always used the nickname, Bobby, when I was a schoolboy I was called by my formal name, Robert. Robert Lime. Not a name to grouse about, is it? However, my actual name is Robert Taylor. I was born in 1952, and in my childhood, Robert Taylor, the movie star, was still a figure to be reckoned with. It wasn't uncommon for me to be teased about my name by other kids. I am grateful to God that Robert Taylor, movie star, did not inspire a cult. You must realize that somewhere in this world, there is at least one man named Humphrey Bogart, who has had to cope all of his life with teasing.

Your article showed up in my weekly Substack reads, and I am glad it did. Thank you for writing it.

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