Shane Claiborne's Christian "Extremism" at Christian Music FestivalConnor EwingJuly 8, 2010Speaking to a crowd of thousands at a Christian music festival in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, self professed Christian "monastic" and pacifist Shane Claiborne continued his mission of spreading a new vision for the future of Christianity. By his lights, that future is looking bright. “I am so excited today, because I see a whole generation like you guys, who are totally nonconformist to the patterns of this world,” Claiborne exclaimed, straining his voice to be heard by the multitude gathered for the opening night of Lifest. Now in its twelfth year and regularly attracting thousands of all ages, Lifest has become an important event for Christian musicians and speakers. Running four days, Lifefest 2010 will feature numerous popular evangelical performances and lecturers.This year’s event is notable for the participation of Shane Claiborne and Sojourners president Jim Wallis, both of whom are keynote speakers. While in the past the festival organizers have steered clear of controversial political figures such as these, their invitation this year reflects the rising prominence of Evangelical Left figures like Claiborne and Wallis in the evangelical world.Claiborne’s Christianity is characterized by an emphasis on the effects of faith in the world, rather than its substantive details. Describing his perspective Claiborne said, “The world is not going to know that we are Christians by our bumper stickers and t-shirts but by our love….The way that our faith has to work itself out in the world is with compassion and justice.” Referencing God’s questioning of the nations in Matthew 25, Claiborne observed, “[A]ll of the nations are gathered before God and we’re asked a few questions by God to give account of our lives. And interestingly enough they’re not doctrinal questions.”Quoting Martin Luther King, Jr., he challenged the crowd: “The question we must ask is not whether or not we will be extreme, but what kind of extremists will we be?” He continued, “Will we be extremists for hatred, or for love? The world has seen religious extremists--Muslim, Jewish, Christian extremists. Christians that will blow up abortion clinics and hold up signs that say, ‘God Hates Fags,’ a sick Christianity. But they have got to know that God is raising up a generation of extremists for love and for grace.”Foreshadowing Wallis’ appearance later this week, Claiborne said, “As my friend Jim Wallis... says, ‘We look at the world and we don’t believe the evidence of poverty and war. We believe despite the evidence, and we watch the evidence change.’” Reiterating his vision for a future of Christian “extremists” Claiborne enthused, “I don’t know how we get the notion that Christians are meant to be normal, because Christians have always been holy trouble makers, creators of mischief, holy mischief, because we do not accept the world as it is but we insist on the world as God dreams of it to be.”