The Third Way and the Future of the American Church

The death of Charlie Kirk and its revolutionary aftermath among Jesus followers has brought questions and skepticism to the “Third Way” belief in Christianity in the West. But what is the Third Way, where does it come from, and could it be dangerous to the future of the American Church?

The Third Way, also known as Third Wayism, is a relatively common approach to the Christian life and how one evangelizes a lost and dying world. It claims to be an avenue forward in an ever-growing polarization between the political left and political right. It purports a vision for a emphasis on biblical faithfulness, the future Kingdom of God, and heightened attention to evangelism.

In theory, this might be a great path forward for a Christian faith that saw radical revival in the last few months. Over a hundred million people watched the Charlie Kirk memorial service where the gospel was front and center throughout, according to a Fox News report. The reach sparked a simultaneous church explosion, with church attendance the next few weeks skyrocketing. This added interest to Christianity felt nationwide seems like a perfect opportunity to capture the Church in a unified mindset to move forward for God's kingdom and continue spreading the gospel of Jesus.

However, the Third Way is not the path to achieve this goal. In fact, it is the undercover enemy of God's kingdom, despite its appearances to the contrary.

So - what is this "Third Way"? Politically, the term "Third Way" has been used for decades, promoted by mainstream names such as former US President Bill Clinton, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, and several others. In its definition at Study.com, the belief system is claimed as a "center-left" position, often "touted as the middle way between capitalism and socialism."

When it comes to Christianity, only recently, since the early 2000s, has the term "Third Way" been attributed to its beliefs. Pastor Tim Keller, often considered one of the founders of this movement, claimed "political polarization... is one of the bitter fruits of the secular project" in his book, How to Reach the West Again: Six Essential Elements of a Missionary Encounter. Considering this claim at the outset, it appears his heart is genuinely to see the secular world recognize the unity Jesus offers. And while that is true, political "polarization" is a very broad term. The Christian Post reported Keller as saying we "should not identify the Christian church or faith with a political party as the only Christian one." Keller is not the only mainstream name to push this belief - Pastor Rick Warren in a since-deleted Tweet posted a message discussing Jesus' death on the cross and suggesting the two men killed on either side of Him are symbolic of the two dominant political parties of America: “They crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus in the middle. The guys on both sides were thieves. If you’re looking for the #realJesus, not a caricature disfigured by partisan motivations, you’ll find him in the middle, not on either side.” Even Max Lucado called out Trump in February 2016, refusing to endorse him while saying we should stand against "bullying" in "presidential politics".

Interestingly, these pastors are not pushing an uncommon narrative. In fact, we can personally attest to witnessing this ideology affect churches near us. But, in all honesty, where is the issue? Yes, Trump can be very brash and unorthodox in his approach, the extreme Right-wing factions are extremely corrupt and flawed, and the Body of Christ should not be blindly following a political label of "conservatism".

However, the flaws of the Third Way are not in these above statements - in fact, those are points most conservatives, Christian or not, hold to - but in the inconsistency and outright liberal allowances of this in church community practice.

One example of this goes as follows: A progressive liberal might say abortion is not murder - a hardcore conservative might say it is. Tim Keller's argument for avoiding the "bitter fruit" of secularism would be for these two people to not let this difference divide, but unite in spite of it. It does sound very appealing - promoting a culture of unity in the face of a divided world.

However, biblical values like abortion and same-sex relationships are not the place the lines should be blurred. In fact, we would argue that it is because of this Third Way that sources like the GALIP Foundation report that there are over 9,500 LGBTQ-affirming churches worldwide, and that number continues to grow at a horrific rate.

That being said, a common rebuttal to this is that the Third Way isn't claiming to proport these issues. Often, Third Way pastors will say they oppose abortion or same-sex relationships. Yet, too often they promote a disconnect when it comes to political advocacy for these topics, resulting in a direct impact on our churches and their global success.

This analogy may very well sum up the Third Way's unintentional but undeniable outcome. Imagine two roads diverging. One is founded on truth and biblical principles - firm stances and vocal opposition on issues like abortion and the LGBTQ movement, as well as God-given rights and liberty. The other is founded on a false truth and unbiblical principles - firm stances in support of abortion and the LGBTQ+ movement, as well as social justice and antiracism.

Granted, there are nuances and variation to each side, but for the most part, each road leads to the ultimate end of truth or lies. The Third Way claims to provide an alternative, a "higher" direction for the Christian to follow, one that chooses the moral "high ground", vaguely referencing "loving our neighbor" before picking a side.

We must recognize something first. These are two diametrically opposed sides. They cannot coexist. One who says life begins at conception and another that says that life can be taken at the mother's leisure cannot have a deep, meaningful, Godly relationship where "iron sharpens iron" because they are reasoning out of differing versions of reality.

So why is the Third Way wrong? Because it can't be right. It doesn't side with truth - it coddles lies. It doesn't constantly champion right-standing before God - it often refuses to addresses heresies for the purpose of "unity". While normal Christians fight for the preservation of the unborn and God's pattern for marriage, pastors warn congregants to not become too "focused on the physical" and emphasize "seeking the spiritual".

This is where a slow fade begins. A century ago, an LGBTQ-affirming church was unheard of. Today, there are several within a five mile radius of us, despite the fact this movement is Sodomy before God. A century ago, church members were abhorred at the idea of abortion. In 2024, more than half of Christians supported abortion in most or all cases according to Pew Research, a horrific stat considering the Christian's supposed valuation of life.

Looking at these saddening facts, it seems the Third Way has prevailed in many ways. But Charlie Kirk's death has caused several to expose this approach. Mainstream Christian thought leaders like pastor Frank Turek, podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey, author Megan Basham, singer John Cooper, and author Alisa Childers all have spent time dedicated to exposing the dangerous truths of this Third Way, calling the people of God to be bold for such a time as this.

As Christians, we believe there is one Way. Salvation eternally through Jesus, sanctification personally by His Spirit, and, perhaps most important in this time - boldness to publicly spread the truth of His coming Kingdom. In fact, now is the time to push back even harder and more boldly against the issues that directly oppose our faith, and the pulpit of our churches is where it begins, not where it should be balking.

2 Timothy 4:1-2 (NASB) reads: "I solemnly exhort you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction."

Continue to watch,

Cord, Sawyer and Bryson Reeves

Co-founders, Watchtower Initiative