What do evangelicals believe?

So, you want to know what an evangelical is.

Of course, when most people think of “evangelicals” they likely have in mind those of a particular (usually far-right) political agenda. But this is not necessarily so.

Essential to understanding “what is an evangelical?” and “what is evangelicalism?” is the fact that evangelicalism is neither a religion nor a denomination, but a faith movement.

Because it is a movement, it is not restricted to a “theological” construct. As a result, evangelicals are found across a vast spectrum of Christianity. In fact, there are evangelicals on both sides of the political aisle.

Evangelicals attend all sorts of churches: there are non-denominational, mega-church evangelicals,[1] there are evangelical Baptists, evangelical Lutherans,[2] and evangelical Presbyterians.[3]

NB: I have a series of five posts on my site critiquing evangelicalism and the Bible. In the coming weeks I will have a series critiquing “evangelicalism and salvation.” Then, in the Fall of 2022, I will begin a series of posts addressing the far-right evangelicals and their embrace of America, American exceptionalism, and Christian Nationalism.

What makes an evangelical an evangelical?

The word “evangelical” simply indicates someone that believes in the “good news” or the “Gospel.” Perhaps, the central evangelical conviction that all persons must have a personal encounter with Jesus is what gave rise to the label “evangelical”—which comes from the Greek word “euangelion” (“good news” or “gospel”).

One of the problems here, and one that evangelicals do not reckon with enough, is the fact that all Christians believe in the “good news” of Jesus. But not all Christians are evangelicals.

Perhaps the most widely recognized description of “evangelical” comes from the historian  David Bebbington.[4] According to Bebbington, there are four fundamental beliefs that unite all evangelicals.

• Biblicism: a high regard for the Bib,le and a conviction that it contains all the spiritual truths needed for Christians.
• Cross-centered: a strong conviction of the Cross of Christ and its atoning significance for our salvation.
• Conversion: individuals need to have a personal trust in Christ for their salvation.
• Activism: that all Christians are called to proclaim the gospel.

When did evangelicalism begin?

Evangelicalism could only have arisen after the Protestant Reformation (1500’s). After all, the exalted belief in the Bible as the sole basis for one’s beliefs and practices, which is a central pillar in the formation of Protestantism, only makes sense after the development of the printing press in the 15^th century and the rise of Protestantism and its drive to translate the Bible into the languages of the people.

The rise of modern evangelicalism is largely due to the influence of Billy Graham.[5] The publication Christianity Today, which was formed by Graham in 1956, served as a media arm of his burgeoning movement. Academic institutions such as Wheaton College and Fuller Seminary served as training grounds for the new evangelicals.

Evangelicals and political activism

Of course, when many people think of evangelicalism, their first inclination is to associate it with partisan politics—in particular, far-right partisan politics. If we were to press further and ask “what is the defining issue of evangelicalism?” I suspect that most would respond, “abortion.”

But, did you know that in the 1960’s and 70’s?^[6] abortion was not the defining issue of far-right evangelicalism?[7] Many of those who came to be the leading voices of the conservative evangelicals, in fact, actually supported Roe v Wade (see my recent post here for further discussion of evangelicals and their early support of Abortion)

Unbeknownst to many, popular “evangelicalism” which is known today for its embrace of the far-right political agenda, coalesced around the issue of segregation^[8] (see my previous post in which I provide far more detail on this point).

After the famed Brown v Board of education and the demand to desegregate the schools, some White parents feared the prospect that if their White girls attended the same schools as Black boys they might eventually grow up, fall in love, and have “brown babies.”

So the burgeoning new movement that came to be known as “evangelicalism” responded to the government’s demands to integrate the schools by forming “segregation academies” in which children of color could not afford to attend.

Yep, one of the key catalysts in the rise of private Christian schools was racism.

Rise of the Moral Majority

In the 1980-90’s evangelicalism coalesced even further around politics with the formation of the Moral Majority.

The fear among the conservative evangelicals was that liberalism was encroaching on America and they needed to fight back.

Through the leadership of Jerry Falwell, the founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Va., the new evangelical right became a driving force in American politics.

Their new champion Ronald Reagan emerged shortly thereafter. The Bride had found a groom and the movement was gaining momentum.

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[1] There is a chart of 40 “evangelical” churches and their interrelationships available on the National Association of Evangelicals website https://v2ieg1eiji227cna43m44rey-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/NAE-Denominational-Network-Diagram.pdf. There are “evangelical” churches that are not included in this chart, but nonetheless it gives a good representation of the diversity and distinctiveness of evangelicalism.

[2] There is the “Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.”

[3] There are the relatively newly formed ECO Presbyterian Churches that are evangelicals.

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_W._Bebbington

[5] I am not interested in presenting a thorough history of evangelicalism. Many claim that it formally arose in the early 1900’s after some began to break from the Fundamentalist movement.

[6] See Daniel Williams, Defenders of the Unborn, Oxford University Press; Reprint edition (December 4, 2015).

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/evangelical-history/christian-right-discovered-abortion-rights-transformed-culture-wars/.  Last accessed 9-7-20.

[7] Abortion did not become the defining issue for American evangelicals until 1980. Prior to the 1980’s abortion was viewed by many evangelicals as a “Catholic” issue. Because evangelicals were often anti-Catholic, this meant that most evangelicals prior to 1980 were pro-abortion.

[8] See https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2018/02/05/race-not-abortion-was-founding-issue-religious-right/A5rnmClvuAU7EaThaNLAnK/story.html. Last accessed 9-7-20. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/05/religious-right-real-origins-107133. Last accessed 9-7-20.