“Evangelical” is a theological term shaped by historical events. Since Joe asked us to define the word, I’ll define evangelicalism at its best, rather than at its worst.
An evangelical is someone who embraces the solas of the Reformation (salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone, according to Scripture alone), responates with the emphasis on the new birth and the reviving work of the Spirit found in the Great Awakening, believes in the complete trustworthiness of the Bible contra the liberals and modernists, accepts the responsibility of world evangelization and social engagement as modeled by countless missionaries and reformers, rejects the obscurantism that marked parts of fundamentalism, and, in distinction to the pragmatists and postmoderns, affirms the importance of doctrinal propistions and the knowability of truth.
I know, a dense statement like this begs to be unpacked, but it’s a start. It may not be better than all the other definitions on this blog. But, hey, it’s only a sentence.
October 19th, 2009 | 4:28 pm | #1
and loves the church.
October 19th, 2009 | 5:23 pm | #2
Very true. Should have said that. Thanks my credo friend.
October 19th, 2009 | 9:03 pm | #3
and knows how to spell responates and propistions.
October 20th, 2009 | 11:20 am | #4
[...] DeYoung via Evangel blog At its heart [evangelicalism] is a theological core shaped by the Trinitarian and Christological [...]
October 20th, 2009 | 11:22 am | #5
To define “evangelical” we need to pay attention to those who have made it their life study to come to terms with this movement, and two scholars have done just that: Mark Noll in the USA and David Bebbington (The Dominance of Evangelicalism: The Age of Spurgeon And Moody (History of Evangelicalism) ) in the UK. They agree on this: an evangelical is a Christian Protestant for whom the central ideas are the leading authority of Scripture, the necessity of personal conversion, the centrality of the death of Christ on the cross as a substitutionary atonement, and the importance of a life of active following Jesus, seen in such things as Bible reading, prayer, church attendance, and deeds of compassion and justice. That is the standard definition of evangelical. This definition summarizes those who care about getting this term accurate. It is not a definition designed to exclude some of whom they are worried. It’s big tent definition, but it bears no ill-will toward others.
via Scott McKnight
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