Evangelicalism Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Evangelicalism, in a strictly lexical, but rarely used sense, refers to all things that are implied in belief that Jesus Christ is the savior. To be evangelical would then mean to be merely Christian - that is, founded upon, motivated by, acting in agreement with, or in some other way identified with τὸ εὐαγγέλιον : the good news, the Gospel of salvation given to Man in Jesus Christ.
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Commentators and historians have described four distinctive characteristics of evangelicals (Bebbington):
Characteristics (based on the most common definition)
Evangelicals generally believe the Bible to be reliable and the ultimate authority in matters of faith and practice and subscribe to the doctrines of sola scriptura and sola fide. They believe in the historicity of the miracles of Jesus Christ and his literal virgin birth, crucifixion, resurrection and Second Coming. Generally, they are conservative in their social outlook, believing, for example, that homosexual behavior is sinful and that human life begins at conception.
Active involvement in secular society is a characteristic of modern evangelicals, who see the danger of withdrawal on the one hand, and accommodation, on the other, and try to take the middle course, that of penetrating society with the gospel. As such, evangelicals are highly active in social causes. Historically, Evangelicals have often been in the forefront of movements such as abolition, prison reform, orphanage and hospital building, and founding educational institutions. Today this activism is also expressed in literacy training, adoption agencies, food banks, and day-care centers for children, as well as more controversial causes such as the pro-life movement and the prohibition of same-sex marriage. Within US mainline denominations there is often a political dichotomy, with the non-evangelicals and evangelicals both actively lobbying in Washington, but for opposite causes.
Evangelicals also tend to prefer individual understanding of the Bible and participation in the service by all on an equal footing to a highly structured liturgy and church hierarchy. On the other hand, there is surprisingly little variation of understanding of the Bible within individual evangelical churches.
Evangelicals can be found in a wide variety of Christian traditions and locations, although they are most commonly Protestant. Many fundamentalists can also be defined as evangelicals, although not all evangelicals are fundamentalists, because they may not hold to a literal interpretation of the Bible. Some Evangelicals also identify with the Pentecostal movement.
A 1992 survey (Green) showed that in the United States and Canada evangelicals make up both the largest and the most active group of Christians (surpassing both Roman Catholics and non-Evangelical Protestant groups).
On a worldwide scale evangelical Churches are (together with Pentecostals) the most rapidly growing Christian churches. The two are even beginning to overlap, in a movement sometimes called Transformationalism.
According to the Washington Post, John C. Green, director of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron in Ohio, said that despite many variations, evangelicals generally adhere to four core beliefs:
- The Bible is without error
- Salvation comes through faith in Jesus and not good deeds
- Individuals must accept Jesus as adults
- All Christians must evangelize
Other information
Historical:
Many Evangelical Christians share an understanding of cross denominational collaboration in mission and evangelism, while at the same time eschewing large institutional church structures. As a result of this emergence, a plethora of not local church-based but church-related organizations, often founded with a direct and limited purpose in mind which are sometimes called para-churches or para church organizations.
Some examples of larger, international organisations of this kind, are:
This is an Article on Evangelicalism. Page Contains Information, Facts Details or Explanation Guide About Evangelicalism Famous evangelicals include:
Contemporaries:
Evangelical para-church organizations
Parachurch organizations well-known in the United States, are:References
See also
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