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Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism (/ˌiːvænˈdʒɛlɪkəlɪzəm, ˌɛvæn-, -ən-/), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of the Christian gospel. The term evangelical is derived from the Koine Greek word euangelion, meaning "good news," in reference to the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. Evangelicalism typically places a strong emphasis on personal conversion, often described as being "born again", and regards the Bible as the ultimate authority in matters of faith and practice. The definition and scope of evangelicalism are subjects of debate among theologians and scholars. Some critics argue that the term encompasses a wide and diverse range of beliefs and practices, making it difficult to define as a coherent or unified movement.
The theological roots of evangelicalism can be traced to the Protestant Reformation in 16th-century Europe, particularly Martin Luther's 1517 Ninety-five Theses, which emphasized the authority of Scripture and the preaching of the gospel over church tradition. The modern evangelical movement is generally dated to around 1738, influenced by theological currents such as Pietism, Puritanism, Quakerism, and Moravianism—notably the work of Nicolaus Zinzendorf and the Herrnhut community. Evangelicalism gained momentum during the First Great Awakening, with figures like John Wesley and the early Methodists playing central roles.
It has had a longstanding presence in the Anglosphere, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States, before expanding globally in the 19th, 20th, and early 21st centuries. The movement grew substantially during the 18th and 19th centuries, notably through the series of religious revivals known as the Great Awakening in the United States and various revival movements and reform efforts in Britain. Today, evangelicals are found across many Protestant denominations and global contexts, without being confined to a single tradition. Notable evangelical leaders have included Zinzendorf, George Fox, Wesley, George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, Billy Graham, Bill Bright, Harold Ockenga, Gudina Tumsa, John Stott, Francisco Olazábal, William J. Seymour, Luis Palau, Os Guinness, and Martyn Lloyd-Jones.
As of 2016, an estimated 619 million people identified as evangelical Christians worldwide, accounting for roughly one in four Christians. In the United States, evangelicals make up about a quarter of the population and represent the largest religious group. A growing number of individuals, often referred to as exvangelicals, have left evangelicalism due to discrimination, abuse, or theological disillusionment. Evangelicalism is a transdenominational movement found across many Protestant denominations, including Reformed traditions such as Presbyterianism and Congregationalism, Anglicanism, Plymouth Brethren, Baptists, Methodism (especially in the Wesleyan–Arminian tradition), Lutheranism, Moravians, Free Church bodies, Mennonites, Quakers, Pentecostal and charismatic movements, and various non-denominational churches.
The word evangelical has its etymological roots in the Greek word for 'gospel' or 'good news': εὐαγγέλιον euangelion, from eu 'good', angel- the stem of, among other words, angelos 'messenger, angel', and the neuter suffix -ion. By the English Middle Ages, the term had expanded semantically to include not only the message, but also the New Testament which contained the message as well as more specifically the Gospels, which portray the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The first published use of evangelical in English was in 1531, when William Tyndale wrote "He exhorteth them to proceed constantly in the evangelical truth." One year later, Thomas More wrote the earliest recorded use in reference to a theological distinction when he spoke of "Tyndale [and] his evangelical brother Barns."
During the Reformation, Protestant theologians embraced the term as referring to "gospel truth." Martin Luther referred to the evangelische Kirche ("evangelical church") to distinguish Protestants from Catholics in the Catholic Church. Into the 21st century, evangelical has continued in use as a synonym for Mainline Protestant in continental Europe. This usage is reflected in the names of Protestant denominations, such as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The German term evangelisch more accurately corresponds to the broad English term Protestant and should not be confused with the narrower German term evangelikal, or the term pietistisch (a term etymologically related to the Pietist and Radical Pietist movements), which are used to describe Evangelicalism in the sense used in this article. Mainline Protestant denominations with a Lutheran or semi-Lutheran background, like the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England, who are not evangelical in the evangelikal sense but Protestant in the evangelisch sense, have translated the German term evangelisch (or Protestant) into the English term Evangelical, although the two German words have different meanings. In other parts of the world, especially in the English-speaking world, evangelical (German: evangelikal or pietistisch) is commonly applied to describe the interdenominational Born-Again believing movement.
Christian historian David W. Bebbington writes that, "Although 'evangelical,' with a lower-case initial, is occasionally used to mean 'of the gospel,' the term 'Evangelical' with a capital letter, is applied to any aspect of the movement beginning in the 1730s." According to the Oxford English Dictionary, evangelicalism was first used in 1831. In 1812, the term evangelicalism appeared in The History of Lynn by William Richards. In the summer of 1811 the term evangelicalists was used in The Sin and Danger of Schism by Rev. Dr. Andrew Burnaby, Archdeacon of Leicester.
The term may also be used outside any religious context to characterize a generic missionary, reforming, or redeeming impulse or purpose. For example, The Times Literary Supplement refers to "the rise and fall of evangelical fervor within the Socialist movement." This usage refers to evangelism, rather than evangelicalism as discussed here; though sharing an etymology and conceptual basis, the words have diverged significantly in meaning.
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Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism (/ˌiːvænˈdʒɛlɪkəlɪzəm, ˌɛvæn-, -ən-/), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of the Christian gospel. The term evangelical is derived from the Koine Greek word euangelion, meaning "good news," in reference to the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. Evangelicalism typically places a strong emphasis on personal conversion, often described as being "born again", and regards the Bible as the ultimate authority in matters of faith and practice. The definition and scope of evangelicalism are subjects of debate among theologians and scholars. Some critics argue that the term encompasses a wide and diverse range of beliefs and practices, making it difficult to define as a coherent or unified movement.
The theological roots of evangelicalism can be traced to the Protestant Reformation in 16th-century Europe, particularly Martin Luther's 1517 Ninety-five Theses, which emphasized the authority of Scripture and the preaching of the gospel over church tradition. The modern evangelical movement is generally dated to around 1738, influenced by theological currents such as Pietism, Puritanism, Quakerism, and Moravianism—notably the work of Nicolaus Zinzendorf and the Herrnhut community. Evangelicalism gained momentum during the First Great Awakening, with figures like John Wesley and the early Methodists playing central roles.
It has had a longstanding presence in the Anglosphere, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States, before expanding globally in the 19th, 20th, and early 21st centuries. The movement grew substantially during the 18th and 19th centuries, notably through the series of religious revivals known as the Great Awakening in the United States and various revival movements and reform efforts in Britain. Today, evangelicals are found across many Protestant denominations and global contexts, without being confined to a single tradition. Notable evangelical leaders have included Zinzendorf, George Fox, Wesley, George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, Billy Graham, Bill Bright, Harold Ockenga, Gudina Tumsa, John Stott, Francisco Olazábal, William J. Seymour, Luis Palau, Os Guinness, and Martyn Lloyd-Jones.
As of 2016, an estimated 619 million people identified as evangelical Christians worldwide, accounting for roughly one in four Christians. In the United States, evangelicals make up about a quarter of the population and represent the largest religious group. A growing number of individuals, often referred to as exvangelicals, have left evangelicalism due to discrimination, abuse, or theological disillusionment. Evangelicalism is a transdenominational movement found across many Protestant denominations, including Reformed traditions such as Presbyterianism and Congregationalism, Anglicanism, Plymouth Brethren, Baptists, Methodism (especially in the Wesleyan–Arminian tradition), Lutheranism, Moravians, Free Church bodies, Mennonites, Quakers, Pentecostal and charismatic movements, and various non-denominational churches.
The word evangelical has its etymological roots in the Greek word for 'gospel' or 'good news': εὐαγγέλιον euangelion, from eu 'good', angel- the stem of, among other words, angelos 'messenger, angel', and the neuter suffix -ion. By the English Middle Ages, the term had expanded semantically to include not only the message, but also the New Testament which contained the message as well as more specifically the Gospels, which portray the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The first published use of evangelical in English was in 1531, when William Tyndale wrote "He exhorteth them to proceed constantly in the evangelical truth." One year later, Thomas More wrote the earliest recorded use in reference to a theological distinction when he spoke of "Tyndale [and] his evangelical brother Barns."
During the Reformation, Protestant theologians embraced the term as referring to "gospel truth." Martin Luther referred to the evangelische Kirche ("evangelical church") to distinguish Protestants from Catholics in the Catholic Church. Into the 21st century, evangelical has continued in use as a synonym for Mainline Protestant in continental Europe. This usage is reflected in the names of Protestant denominations, such as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The German term evangelisch more accurately corresponds to the broad English term Protestant and should not be confused with the narrower German term evangelikal, or the term pietistisch (a term etymologically related to the Pietist and Radical Pietist movements), which are used to describe Evangelicalism in the sense used in this article. Mainline Protestant denominations with a Lutheran or semi-Lutheran background, like the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England, who are not evangelical in the evangelikal sense but Protestant in the evangelisch sense, have translated the German term evangelisch (or Protestant) into the English term Evangelical, although the two German words have different meanings. In other parts of the world, especially in the English-speaking world, evangelical (German: evangelikal or pietistisch) is commonly applied to describe the interdenominational Born-Again believing movement.
Christian historian David W. Bebbington writes that, "Although 'evangelical,' with a lower-case initial, is occasionally used to mean 'of the gospel,' the term 'Evangelical' with a capital letter, is applied to any aspect of the movement beginning in the 1730s." According to the Oxford English Dictionary, evangelicalism was first used in 1831. In 1812, the term evangelicalism appeared in The History of Lynn by William Richards. In the summer of 1811 the term evangelicalists was used in The Sin and Danger of Schism by Rev. Dr. Andrew Burnaby, Archdeacon of Leicester.
The term may also be used outside any religious context to characterize a generic missionary, reforming, or redeeming impulse or purpose. For example, The Times Literary Supplement refers to "the rise and fall of evangelical fervor within the Socialist movement." This usage refers to evangelism, rather than evangelicalism as discussed here; though sharing an etymology and conceptual basis, the words have diverged significantly in meaning.