This mini profile was made as part of our look at the “2024 Exiles in Babylon Conference” and Max Lucado’s involvement in that conference. Click here for the main article on that story.
Preston Sprinkle is the president of the Center of Faith, Sexuality, and Gender, and is the man responsible for organizing the Exiles in Babylon conference. He is also a prominent biblical scholar and influencer, having written a book with Francis Chan, in addition to having appeared in interviews with other notable Christian “celebrities” such as Rick Warren, Sean Mcdowell, Lee Stroble, and Michael Heiser. However, a closer examination of Sprinkle’s beliefs betray an alarmingly unbiblical worldview:
- Sprinkle denies the reality of hell, holding to an annihilationist view, which is the belief that unbelievers are annihilated after God judges them: “It took me several years to land on conditional immortality (annihilationism) because I don’t want to pretend like I know more than millions of Christian leaders throughout the centuries, but I do have a few pretty significant theologians on my side.” Time Stamp: 41:13–41:28
- Sprinkle believes Christians should lie to transgender people by using their preferred pronoun: “Could we, whether we agree or disagree with their pronouns use, can we meet them where they’re at? Can we be hospitable even in disagreement, and use their pronouns, and that’s the view that I would recommend.” Time Stamp: 0:38–0:52
- Sprinkle believes that American society is systemically racist and buys into ideas consistent with Critical Race Theory. In an interview with Thabiti Anyabwile, Sprinkle agrees with Anyabwile that so-called “racist” societal structures are more important that personal responsibility in determining who becomes successful in society. In addition, Sprinkle accepts the idea that Critical Race Theory can help Christians interrogate the ways that nonwhite people are oppressed in society.
- When transgender “man” (who is really a woman) “Scott Newgent” (Kellie King) asked Sprinkle to tell her about Jesus, Sprinkle failed to deliver the gospel of repentance and forgiveness of sins to this lost woman. Please consider watching the clip, as adds more depth to the this issue: “I have a hard time with several branches of modern Christianity. When I read the gospels and I see the life of Jesus, I see how he treated people. He treated the marginalized, how he embodied grace and truth. It’s to me the best story of the available options. I’m not a Christian because I like Christianity or Christendom. I’m a Christian because I read the gospels and I’m like, ‘this is the best that I can see right now. And it’s a beautiful story, and I really hope and pray Christians would not just say it and read about it, but would actually embody that grace and truth.” Time Stamp: 1:08:30–1:09:25
- Sprinkle denies that penal substitutionary atonement is central to the gospel (the idea that Jesus paid the punishment we deserve for our sin by dying on the cross in our place) seeing “some type” of it as “one of many metaphors of the cross.” He further states: “I totally agree that some people would say penal substitution is the gospel, the central component, and I would completely disregard that…The book of Ephesians doesn’t mention it, Colossians might barely mention it, but it elevates a Cristus Victor model. The book of Acts is all about the resurrection and never mentions penal substitution, so to say it’s central to the gospel is to go against the grain.” Time Stamp: 46:30–46:57
In summary, Preston Sprinkle does not hold to fundamental doctrines of biblical Christianity, and there is clear and convincing evidence that he has strayed from the faith. This reality should give us pause when considering the list of prominent “leaders” in American evangelicalism who have signed up to speak at Sprinkle’s conference.
