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After Party

Project of:

Redeeming Babel 1

References

  1. “About.” Redeeming Babel. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://redeemingbabel.org/about/
Type:

Video Course
Course Instructors:

Curtis Chang, David French, and Russell Moore 1

References

  1. “The After Party.” Redeeming Babel. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://redeemingbabel.org/product/the-after-party/

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The After Party is a six-part video course for churches, church small groups, and individuals that says it helps to navigate “extreme polarization” that has resulted from politics. 1 It is a project of Redeeming Babel. 2 The course is led by Christianity Today editor Russell Moore, journalist David French, and professor and former pastor Curtis Chang, all critics of former President Donald Trump. 3

Although the organization claims to shun partisanship and largely shies away from policy, its donors include the left-of-center Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. 4

Background

The After Party is a six-part video course for churches, church small groups, and individuals that claims to navigate “extreme polarization, entrenched tribal affiliations, and the broken relationships” that have harmed churches because of politics. 5

The After Party is a project of Redeeming Babel, which was founded in 2019, and says it seeks to address three theological problems driving confusion in the current world: a mistaken spirituality of anxiety that is interior; a missing theology of organizations that is institutional; and a misshapen approach to politics, which is societal. 6 In 2021, Redeeming Babel founded Christians and the Vaccine to encourage evangelical Christians to get the COVID-19 vaccine. 7

The project says its partners are Christianity Today, The Trinity Forum, Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, and Undivided. 8

Course Instructors

The three course instructors are Evangelical leader Russell Moore, New York Times journalist David French, and Curtis Chang, who are all critics of former President Donald Trump. 9

Responding to a question if the project is “anti-Trump,” or whether the instructors could be identified as “Never Trumpers,” an After Party spokesperson told the Christian Post: “A ‘never Trump-er’ can still teach timeless biblical truths, just like a Trump supporter can. … We believe both Trump supporters and ‘never Trump-ers’ should be able to talk about Jesus’ teachings that transcends specific candidates.” 10

Curtis Chang is the founding executive director of Redeeming Babel. Chang is the host of the Good Faith podcast and is the author of The Anxiety Opportunity: How Worry Is the Doorway to Your Best Self. Chang is a consulting professor at Duke Divinity School. He is also a senior fellow at Fuller Theological Seminary. 11 Chang has said he is a pro-life Democrat; blamed the “American Church” for the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot; and called for California voters to oppose the 2021 recall effort against Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). 12 He is a former pastor at the River Church Community in San Jose, California. 13

David French is a New York Times columnist. He is also the author of Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation. 14 French is a U.S. Army veteran who earned a Bronze Star for combat in Iraq. He is a lawyer with a degree from Harvard University Law School. He became a writer for the right-of-center National Review in 2015, then left in 2019 to help found The Dispatch, a right-leaning media outlet largely opposed to former President Trump. 15

Russell Moore is editor-in-chief of Christianity Today. He is the director of its Public Theology Project, and author of “Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America.” 16 Moore is a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. Before that, Moore was provost and dean at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. 17

Funding

Tim Alberta’s book The Kingdom, The Power, and the Glory accuses evangelical Christians of “political idolatry,” and features the After Party as trying to reverse the trend. However, Alberta’s book reported that Evangelical donors would not fund a political Bible study. 18

After it was unable to get funding from Evangelicals, the project secured funding from “predominantly progressive” donors and in some cases “unbelievers,” according to Alberta. 19

In May 2022, the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors’ New Pluralists project announced it would donate $10 million “to support local leaders, networks, and community groups who are addressing divisive forces in their neighborhoods, towns, and counties.” The After Party was one of the projects, but the announcement did not include how much each of the groups would receive in comparison to the others. Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors directed its funding to After Party’s work in Ohio, which the New Pluralist project describes as a “battleground state with a politically divided Evangelical community.” It says partners in the Ohio project included “the state’s largest Evangelical church, a representative of the typical small-midsize church, multiple Christian colleges, and other key local networks. 20

The After Party has listed the One America Movement as a partner, an ecumenical group that has been funded by left-of-center donors such as Tides Foundation, the Hewlett Foundation, the Catena Foundation, and the John Pritzker Family Fund. 21

Curriculum

The six sessions for the After Party course are each designed to be completed in 60 to 90 minutes. 22

The After Party course purports to offer a “Christ-centered political identity for 2024 and beyond,” and says it encourages participants to inventory their own political identities, and to consider the “how” vs. the “what” of politics, meaning what Christians advocate for—policies or politicians—is less important than how they discuss issues or candidates. 23

The course teaches that Jesus talked about the “how” of political engagement more than the “what” of parties, policies, or politicians, and it refers to Micah 6:8 triad of humility, mercy, and justice, which says: “He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does Yahweh require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” 24

Tackling partisan divisions, the course description says the “Us vs. Them” mentality opposes the “mind of Christ” and blocks the real enemy, which it says are the dark “powers and principalities” trying to divide humanity. 25

The curriculum tells how small group leaders should lead the sessions and includes a list of optional pre-written prayers under several categories, including “for the human family,” “for the unity of the Church,” “for justice,” and “for our country.” 26

The curriculum says little about specific public issues, but briefly mentions racism, abortion, and immigration. 27 In one segment, Moore stresses the Christian roots of the civil rights movement. 28

In a segment on partisanship, French says, “we are not calling and have not called for people to not be Republican or not be Democrat,” but added too many Americans “have placed that as a fundamental aspect of their identity.” 29

References

  1. “The After Party.” Redeeming Babel. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://redeemingbabel.org/product/the-after-party/
  2. “About.” Redeeming Babel. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://redeemingbabel.org/about/
  3.  Basham, Megan. “Follow the Money to the After Party.” First Things. January 22, 2024. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2024/01/follow-the-money-to-the-after-party
  4. Basham, Megan. “Follow the Money to the After Party.” First Things. January 22, 2024. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2024/01/follow-the-money-to-the-after-party
  5. “The After Party.” Redeeming Babel. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://redeemingbabel.org/product/the-after-party/
  6. “About.” Redeeming Babel. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://redeemingbabel.org/about/
  7. “About.” Redeeming Babel. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://redeemingbabel.org/about/
  8. “The After Party.” Redeeming Babel. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://redeemingbabel.org/product/the-after-party/
  9.  Basham, Megan. “Follow the Money to the After Party.” First Things. January 22, 2024. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2024/01/follow-the-money-to-the-after-party
  10. Giatti, Ian M. “Evangelical project warning against political partisanship in the Church led by ‘Never Trumpers.’” Christian Post. February 8, 2024. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.christianpost.com/news/evangelical-project-against-partisanship-led-by-never-trumpers.html
  11. “The After Party.” Redeeming Babel. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://redeemingbabel.org/product/the-after-party/
  12.  Basham, Megan. “Follow the Money to the After Party.” First Things. January 22, 2024. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2024/01/follow-the-money-to-the-after-party
  13.  Giatti, Ian M. “Evangelical project warning against political partisanship in the Church led by ‘Never Trumpers.’” Christian Post. February 8, 2024. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.christianpost.com/news/evangelical-project-against-partisanship-led-by-never-trumpers.html
  14. “The After Party.” Redeeming Babel. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://redeemingbabel.org/product/the-after-party/
  15. “David French.” Bio Page. New York Times. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/by/david-french
  16. “The After Party.” Redeeming Babel. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://redeemingbabel.org/product/the-after-party/
  17. “Bio.” Russell Moore. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.russellmoore.com/about/
  18. Basham, Megan. “Follow the Money to the After Party.” First Things. January 22, 2024. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2024/01/follow-the-money-to-the-after-party
  19. Basham, Megan. “Follow the Money to the After Party.” First Things. January 22, 2024. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2024/01/follow-the-money-to-the-after-party
  20. Grubbs, Alison. “What Healing Looks Like: Meet the People Working Across Difference to Build Stronger Communities.” New Pluralist Project. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://newpluralists.org/what-healing-looks-like/
  21. Basham, Megan. “Follow the Money to the After Party.” First Things. January 22, 2024. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2024/01/follow-the-money-to-the-after-party
  22. Foust, Michael. “Evangelical Leaders Launch Project to Help Christians ‘Honor Jesus’ Through Political Engagement.” Christian Headlines. February 9, 2024. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/michael-foust/evangelical-leaders-launch-project-to-help-christians-honor-jesus-through-political-engagement.html
  23. “The After Party.” Redeeming Babel. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://redeemingbabel.org/product/the-after-party/
  24. “The After Party.” Redeeming Babel. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://redeemingbabel.org/product/the-after-party/
  25. “The After Party.” Redeeming Babel. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://redeemingbabel.org/product/the-after-party/
  26.  Giatti, Ian M. “Evangelical project warning against political partisanship in the Church led by ‘Never Trumpers.’” Christian Post. February 8, 2024. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.christianpost.com/news/evangelical-project-against-partisanship-led-by-never-trumpers.html
  27. Watts, Jay. “Christianity is Better: What Place for the Christian in a Post-Christian Political World?” Christian Research Institute. February 28, 2024. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.equip.org/articles/christianity-is-better-what-place-for-the-christian-in-a-post-christian-political-world/
  28. Giatti, Ian M. “Evangelical project warning against political partisanship in the Church led by ‘Never Trumpers.’” Christian Post. February 8, 2024. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.christianpost.com/news/evangelical-project-against-partisanship-led-by-never-trumpers.html
  29. Giatti, Ian M. “Evangelical project warning against political partisanship in the Church led by ‘Never Trumpers.’” Christian Post. February 8, 2024. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.christianpost.com/news/evangelical-project-against-partisanship-led-by-never-trumpers.html
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