Sunday Essay: Charlie Kirk and the Cognitive Dissonance of Christian Elites

Most evangelical institutions prefer inoffensive academics and polite pastors over powerful prophets. That's not going to cut it.

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by Michael Clary
October 19, 2025

When I think about many of the Christian leaders I once looked up to, I wonder how many of them are experiencing some serious cognitive dissonance right now as they survey the cultural and political landscape in America.

One month after the assassination of Christian martyr Charlie Kirk and his gospel-saturated memorial service that God used to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to over 100 million viewers worldwide, I can only imagine that they are. Everything they thought and taught about “effective ministry methods” in a “postmodern” world has been turned upside down by the life, death, and testimony of a young man who never went to college and never coddled the Left.

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In my seminary and early church planting days, I was taught a model of cultural engagement that emphasized “non-offensiveness” as a ministry non-negotiable. O…