Difference between revisions of "Evangelical Christians"
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An '''Evangelical Christian''' is a Protestant who spreads the Gospel. In recent decades the term has narrowed to designate a white conservative Protestant, usually with a belief in the inerrancy of scriptures. "Evangelical" includes [[Fundamentalists]]. In the [[Reformation]] of the 16th century, "Evangelical" was a favorite term especially used by [[Lutherans]]. This article focuses on the United States and Canada since 1800. "Fundamentalists" are fighting evangelicals taking on mainstream religion; they believe in [[Dispensationalism]] which most [[Calvinism|Calvinist]] Evangelicals reject. The largest Evangelical church is the [[Southern Baptist Convention]], which is also Fundamentalist. Also important is the [[Missouri Synod Lutheran Church]], which is Fundamentalist and Lutheran. | An '''Evangelical Christian''' is a Protestant who spreads the Gospel. In recent decades the term has narrowed to designate a white conservative Protestant, usually with a belief in the inerrancy of scriptures. "Evangelical" includes [[Fundamentalists]]. In the [[Reformation]] of the 16th century, "Evangelical" was a favorite term especially used by [[Lutherans]]. This article focuses on the United States and Canada since 1800. "Fundamentalists" are fighting evangelicals taking on mainstream religion; they believe in [[Dispensationalism]] which most [[Calvinism|Calvinist]] Evangelicals reject. The largest Evangelical church is the [[Southern Baptist Convention]], which is also Fundamentalist. Also important is the [[Missouri Synod Lutheran Church]], which is Fundamentalist and Lutheran. | ||
| + | There is no exact definistion. Pollsters often ask, "Are you a born-again Christian?" to define the group. Sociologists look at membership in specific denominations, and often include [[Holiness Movement]], [[Pentecostal]] and [[Nazarene]] groups. Some scholars focus on the Bible beliefs, together with a personal commitment to Christ.<ref> See Krapohl and Lippy (1999) ch 1</ref> | ||
==19th century America== | ==19th century America== | ||
The [[Second Great Awakening]] from 1800 to the 1830s created a dramatic growth in "evangelical" or "pietistic" denominations. They included the Methodists, Congregationalists, most Presbyterians, Christians (Church of Christ and Disciples of Christ) and Scandinavian Lutherans. They were opposed theologically by the liturgical or "high" churches, including Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, and German Lutherans.<ref>See Richard Jensen, ''The Winning of the Midwest, 1888-1896'' (1971)</ref> The evangelicals were strong supporters of moral reforms in society, using government action to promote women's rights, the abolition of slavery, and the prohibition of liquor. | The [[Second Great Awakening]] from 1800 to the 1830s created a dramatic growth in "evangelical" or "pietistic" denominations. They included the Methodists, Congregationalists, most Presbyterians, Christians (Church of Christ and Disciples of Christ) and Scandinavian Lutherans. They were opposed theologically by the liturgical or "high" churches, including Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, and German Lutherans.<ref>See Richard Jensen, ''The Winning of the Midwest, 1888-1896'' (1971)</ref> The evangelicals were strong supporters of moral reforms in society, using government action to promote women's rights, the abolition of slavery, and the prohibition of liquor. | ||
Revision as of 10:54, May 16, 2009
An Evangelical Christian is a Protestant who spreads the Gospel. In recent decades the term has narrowed to designate a white conservative Protestant, usually with a belief in the inerrancy of scriptures. "Evangelical" includes Fundamentalists. In the Reformation of the 16th century, "Evangelical" was a favorite term especially used by Lutherans. This article focuses on the United States and Canada since 1800. "Fundamentalists" are fighting evangelicals taking on mainstream religion; they believe in Dispensationalism which most Calvinist Evangelicals reject. The largest Evangelical church is the Southern Baptist Convention, which is also Fundamentalist. Also important is the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church, which is Fundamentalist and Lutheran.
There is no exact definistion. Pollsters often ask, "Are you a born-again Christian?" to define the group. Sociologists look at membership in specific denominations, and often include Holiness Movement, Pentecostal and Nazarene groups. Some scholars focus on the Bible beliefs, together with a personal commitment to Christ.[1]
19th century America
The Second Great Awakening from 1800 to the 1830s created a dramatic growth in "evangelical" or "pietistic" denominations. They included the Methodists, Congregationalists, most Presbyterians, Christians (Church of Christ and Disciples of Christ) and Scandinavian Lutherans. They were opposed theologically by the liturgical or "high" churches, including Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, and German Lutherans.[2] The evangelicals were strong supporters of moral reforms in society, using government action to promote women's rights, the abolition of slavery, and the prohibition of liquor.
Politically, the evangelicals in the North were the core of the Republican party in the Third Party System, as well as the small Prohibition party.
Evangelicals were active in missions (as were the non-evangelical Chrisians). Missionaries, in addition to spreading the word of God, have helped bring much needed medical and educational services to poor parts of the world, as part of their missionary activities.
The Third Great Awkaening from 1850 to about 1900 saw the evangelical denomintions organize themselves more thoroughly, and begin to have splits between "modernists" and "fundamentalists" about therological principles.
20th century
By the end of the 20th century there were nearly 100 million Americans who identified themselves as "Evangelical Christians," according to a Gallup Poll in 1995.
Self Image
The self image of evangelical Christians include:
- generally better knowledge of the Bible compared to non-evangelical Christians
- view all events recorded in the Bible as historically accurate and treat it as the infallible Word of God
- See communion as a symbolic sacrament instead of the literal flesh and blood of Christ as held by Catholics
- promotge active participation in a local church
- high levels of charity
- support of homeschooling
- emphasize humility, as in Isaac Newton's attitude towards science [3]
White Evangelical Christians in the 21st century have been voting 75%-80% for Republican presidential candidates and are politically conservative.
See also
- Anti-Saloon League, led the dry forces to enact Prohibition
- Assemblies of God
- Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church
- William Jennings Bryan, politician who fought Darwinism
- Calvinism
- Christian Reformed Church, Dutch Calvinists
- Common Sense Realism, part of Princeton Theology
- Culture War
- Fundamentalism
- Billy Graham, post 1945
- Heritage Reformed Congregations
- Charles Hodge, leader of Princeton theology
- Holiness Movement
- John Gresham Machen, Fundamentalist theologian early 20c
- Princeton Theology
- Protestant Reformed Church
- Reformed Churches
- William Bell Riley, organizer of 20c Fundamentalism
- Second Great Awakening, 188-1820s
- Southern Baptist Convention
- Billy Sunday, early 20c
- Theory of Fundamentalist Antisemitism
- Third Great Awakening, 1850-1900
- United Methodist Church, highly evangelical in 19th century
- Westminster Presbyterian Church in the United States
External links
- What is an Evangelical?
- Robert E. Brown, "Varieties of American Evangelicalism Course Syllabus" (Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture 2004), highly detailed bibliography and outline
Further reading
- Balmer, Randall. Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism (2002), 654pp, by leading historian
- Balmer, Randall. Blessed Assurance Cl: A History Of Evangelicalism In America (2000), 144pp excerpt and text search, topical essays but not a systematic history
- Carpenter, Joel A. Revive Us Again: The Reawakening of American Fundamentalism (1999), major scholarly history of post 1925 era excerpt and text search
- Hankins, Barry. American evangelicals: a contemporary history of a mainstream religious movement (2008) 205 pages excerpt and text search
- Krapohl, Robert H., and Charles H. Lippy. The Evangelicals: A Historical, Thematic, and Biographical Guide (1999). 338 pgs. online edition
- Larsen, Timothy and Daniel J. Treier, eds. The Cambridge companion to evangelical theology (2007) 303 pages; excerpt and text search
- Marsden, George M. Fundamentalism and American Culture: The Shaping of Twenteth Century Evangelicalism, 1870-1925 (2nd ed. 2006). standard scholarly history by leading Evangelical scholarexcerpt and text search
- Marsden, George M. Understanding Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism
- Noll, Mark. A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada (1992) by leading Evangelical scholar excerpt and text search
- Rawlyk, George, ed. Aspects of the Canadian Evangelical Experience. (1997). 542 pp.
- online books
Historiography
- Burch, Maxine. The Evangelical Historians: The Historiography of George Marsden, Nathan Hatch, and Mark Noll. (1996). 130 pp.
References
- ↑ See Krapohl and Lippy (1999) ch 1
- ↑ See Richard Jensen, The Winning of the Midwest, 1888-1896 (1971)
- ↑ "I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me." [1]