Evangelicalism the Best Option

Editorial Introduction: We have featured the writings of C. Michael Patton before at Patheos (Go ye Therefore into the World Wide Web, On the Certainty of Doubt, and When God Takes What He Gave).  Since the following fits so well with our video series on "Why Are You an Evangelical?" (see videos 1, 2, and 3), we are grateful again to make use of an article from Parchment and Pen.

By C. Michael Patton

Evangelicalism is not perfect. No informed person should make such a claim. Evangelicalism has its problems -- big problems. This is nothing new. Yet I believe the strengths outweigh the weaknesses and make Evangelicalism a better option than any other tradition.

While I often write about the weaknesses of Evangelicalism, sometimes complaining about our shames and blind spots, I want to do something different here. I am going to give a short list of what I believe to be the major strengths of Evangelicalism and why I believe Evangelicalism is still the best option:

1. Evangelicalism can celebrate diversity: the dictum of Rupertus Meldenius, which is often mistakenly attributed to Augustine, presents Evangelicalism's celebration of unity in diversity: in necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas. "In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity." Evangelicals, I believe, like no other Christian tradition, can appreciate and celebrate diversity while adhering to a unifying center.

Whether in worship style or liturgy, in house churches or mega churches, Evangelicals recognize that all people are not alike and that there is room for subjective preferences. Evangelicalism, as a movement, cannot prescribe or proscribe the way people should be in areas that are based in non-essential personal preferences. We can recognize that God has created people differently -- and this was intentional. If people have personalities that do not respond well to one style of worship, they are free to celebrate their diversity without feeling the obligation of adapting their style to some traditional norm.