Evangelical: To whom does the word belong?

The word Evangelical is a common word in the English vocabulary. It is an excellent example of a fact of language. Words do not having meaning. They have only uses. Today the uses of the word Evangelical have become very muddled.

Evangelical is a translation of the Greek word “euangelion.” It is a Bible word. The word means “good news.” It became a very important word in the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther called himself an Evangelical and most Lutherans continue to consider themselves Evangelicals. The largest body of Lutherans in America call themselves the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Other Lutheran groups have Evangelical in their denominational name.

In the context of the 16th century Reformation the word was used to describe Christians who had left the Roman Catholic Church and had rejected the idea that salvation necessarily required participation in the sacraments of the Catholic Church administered by a properly ordained Catholic Priest. Luther insisted that salvation was by faith and faith alone. By this standard, an Evangelical was a Christian by decision and commitment, not by participation in any rite or sacrament of the Roman Catholic Church.

From the 16th century to the mid-20th century, there have been a vast and varied array of groups and organizations that have used the term Evangelical to describe themselves. Many groups that called themselves Evangelical were marked by what they were against. Others defined themselves in very specific theological terms. It is best for the purposes of this article to say that Evangelical movements are very diverse. They form a broad spectrum of non-Roman Catholics Christians. Other than Lutherans it is almost impossible for any Christian group honestly to claim the origin of the term.

In the last half of the 20th century a movement ushered in an era in which Evangelical was newly redefined. In 1942 a group of 147 men met in St. Louis to bring together a broad range of Christian groups who self-identified themselves as Evangelical. The result was the formation of the National Association of Evangelicals. The NAE is at the heart of what is now understood as modern Evangelicalism. Their intent was to avoid the excesses of both Fundamentalism and the liberalism they saw engulfing the large Protestant denominations. In 1943 this infant organization defined itself with a theological statement.

There were seven beliefs in the statement. The first was the most telling in setting the members of NAE apart from other major Christian bodies. The first statement reads, “We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.” This commitment to rigid Biblicism flew in the face of the rapidly developing critical study of the Bible. Critical study of the Bible was an accepted part of the curriculum at most theological seminaries that were related to major denominations. In critical studies, the Bible was being studied as a very human book, written by ordinary men in historical settings. The great divide between modern Evangelicals and the mainline of Protestantism was their understanding of the Bible.

The modern Evangelical movement was blessed by exceptional leadership. Evangelicals mastered modern means of communication. They mastered radio, television, and the Internet. They wrote, they produced movies and established powerful publishing companies. They established new colleges and seminaries. They wrote high quality music that was singable and memorable. Billy Graham and his crusades for Christ were successful beyond imagination. Graham was the perfect public image of modern Evangelicalism. Graham was a talented preacher of personal integrity whom everyone liked. None of the men who met in St. Louis in 1942 could have predicted the success of the modern Evangelical movement.

Several movements in the later part of the 20th century have undermined modern Evangelicals. First is the establishment of religion departments in almost every major American university. By design these academic departments are secular and devoid of religious commitments. Today millions of young Americans are studying the Bible in state universities. The scholarship in state universities has, in the eyes of young students, made the first statement of the modern Evangelical’s theology indefensible.

Second, modern Evangelicalism was captured by the Republican party. Today Evangelicals, rightly or wrongly, are identified with conservative causes and candidates. The shift of Evangelical support from Democrat Jimmy Carter to Republican Ronald Reagan is a story all of its own. The shift was huge and the damage to the message of modern Evangelicals is hard at work.

Third, refusal of modern Evangelicals to welcome gay people into their congregations is a true disaster. Evangelicals are being shown to be practicing bad theology, and even more critically, find themselves on the wrong side of history.

Fourth, the modern Pentecostal movement by its rapid growth is overwhelming modern Evangelicalism. Pentecostals were always reluctant participants in the Evangelicalism of the National Association of Evangelicals. Pentecostalism is far more experience oriented than modern Evangelicals and are theologically more flexible.

Fifth, a new Evangelicalism has developed in America that is more sensitive to social justice, peace, gay acceptance, economics, and environmentalism.

Evangelical is a very good word that is undergoing yet another change in meaning. I cannot predict the eventual shape of the developing Evangelicalism. However, as a devout Evangelical Christian, I pray that the Evangelical of the future will be good news to the whole world.

The Rev. Howard Bess is a retired American Baptist minister, who lives in Palmer. His email address is hdbss@mtaonline.net.

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