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Evangelicalism: the story on HearLore | HearLore
Evangelicalism
The word evangelical derives from the Koine Greek term euangelion, meaning good news, yet its modern usage describes a movement that has reshaped the spiritual landscape of the modern world. This global force, which claims 600 million believers by 2025, traces its roots to a specific moment in the 18th century when ordinary people began to demand a personal, emotional connection to their faith rather than relying solely on ritual and tradition. The movement emerged from the confluence of Pietism, Presbyterianism, and the vestiges of Puritanism, creating a unique theological blend that emphasized warmhearted spirituality, doctrinal precision, and individual introspection. While the term had been used in English since 1531 by William Tyndale to describe the gospel truth, it was not until the 1730s that it became a distinct party designation, marking a shift from the cold orthodoxy of the established churches to a dynamic, revivalist movement that would eventually spread across the globe. The core of this movement rests on four pillars: conversionism, the necessity of being born again; biblicism, the belief in the authority of Scripture; crucicentrism, the centrality of the atonement; and activism, the drive to share the gospel and engage in social reform. These four elements form a quadrilateral of priorities that defines the movement, distinguishing it from other forms of Protestantism and creating a flexible yet powerful identity that has survived for nearly three centuries.
The Awakening That Ignited A Fire
In the fall of 1734, a small community in Northampton, Massachusetts, experienced a religious revival that would become the blueprint for the modern evangelical movement. Under the leadership of Congregationalist minister Jonathan Edwards, the town witnessed an extraordinary response to a sermon series on justification by faith alone, with signs of religious commitment increasing among the laity, particularly the young. This local revival spread to 25 communities in western Massachusetts and central Connecticut, waning only by the spring of 1735, but its impact was profound. Edwards, heavily influenced by European Pietism, adopted practices such as small groups divided by age and gender to meet in private homes, a strategy that preserved the fruits of the revival. Simultaneously, students at Yale College in New Haven were experiencing their own spiritual awakening, including Aaron Burr Sr., who would later become president of Princeton University. In New Jersey, Presbyterian minister Gilbert Tennent urged his church to stress the necessity of converted ministers, while in Wales, Howell Harris and Daniel Rowland began preaching to large crowds after their own conversion experiences in 1735. The movement gained international momentum when George Whitefield, a fellow Holy Club member of Charles Wesley, joined forces with Edwards to fan the flame of revival in the Thirteen Colonies. By 1739, Whitefield had become a national celebrity in England, drawing massive crowds to open-air preaching sites, and the First Great Awakening had begun to stir Protestants throughout America, changing their rituals, piety, and self-awareness.
The word evangelical derives from the Koine Greek term euangelion, meaning good news. It was first used in English by William Tyndale in 1531 to describe the gospel truth. The term became a distinct party designation in the 1730s to mark a shift from established church orthodoxy to a dynamic revivalist movement.
When did the modern evangelical movement begin in North America?
The modern evangelical movement began in the fall of 1734 with a religious revival in Northampton, Massachusetts. This local revival spread to 25 communities in western Massachusetts and central Connecticut and waned only by the spring of 1735. The movement gained international momentum when George Whitefield joined forces with Jonathan Edwards to fan the flame of revival in the Thirteen Colonies.
Who were the key figures who shaped the evangelical movement in the 18th century?
Key figures included Jonathan Edwards, John Wesley, Charles Wesley, and George Whitefield. John Wesley experienced his conversion in 1738 after a voyage to Georgia and a meeting in London while listening to a reading of Martin Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans. Charles Wesley reported an evangelical conversion in 1738, and the two men along with Whitefield became the driving forces behind the Methodist revival.
How did the term neo-evangelicalism emerge in the 20th century?
Harold Ockenga coined the term neo-evangelicalism in 1947 to identify a movement distinct from fundamentalism. This new movement sought to engage with social concerns and position itself between the fundamentalists and modernists. The National Association of Evangelicals was established in 1943 following a National Conference for United Action among Evangelicals in St. Louis in 1942.
What is the current global reach of evangelicalism?
Estimates suggest 600 million to 937 million believers by 2025, depending on whether Pentecostals and Charismatics are included in the count. The movement has become a truly global phenomenon with the strongest movements in Africa based on Pentecostal beliefs and growing especially since independence came in the 1960s. The World Evangelical Alliance claims 600 million believers and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities had 185 members in 21 countries in 2023.
The figures who shaped the evangelical movement were often men of intense personal struggle who found assurance of salvation through a dramatic spiritual crisis. John Wesley, the future founder of Methodism, experienced a long period of inward struggle before his conversion in 1738, a process deeply influenced by the Moravian Brethren and their belief that assurance of salvation was a normal part of Christian life. Wesley's conversion was preceded by a voyage to Georgia as a missionary, where he shared his journey with August Gottlieb Spangenberg, a Moravian leader whose faith and piety impressed him. Wesley finally received the assurance he had been searching for at a meeting of a religious society in London while listening to a reading of Martin Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans. Charles Wesley, John's brother, reported an evangelical conversion in 1738, and the two men, along with Whitefield, became the driving forces behind the Methodist revival. In the 19th century, figures like William Wilberforce, an evangelical Anglican politician, used the movement to promote social activism, successfully campaigning for the abolition of the slave trade. The movement also produced theological innovators like John Nelson Darby, an Irish Anglican minister who devised modern dispensationalism, and Cyrus Scofield, whose reference Bible further promoted this interpretation. The 20th century saw the rise of Billy Graham, whose London crusade of 1954 and New York crusade of 1957 broadened the reach of evangelicalism beyond the confines of fundamentalist circles, leading to the formation of the National Association of Evangelicals and the founding of Christianity Today magazine to promote neo-evangelical views.
The Battle Over The Bible
The 20th century was defined by a fierce theological struggle between fundamentalists and neo-evangelicals, a conflict that began to take shape after the Scopes trial of 1925. Fundamentalism, which emerged in the 1920s primarily as an American phenomenon, rejected liberal theology and emphasized the inerrancy of the Scriptures, the virgin birth of Jesus, and the literal resurrection of Christ. Following the 1904, 1905 Welsh revival, the Azusa Street Revival of 1906 began the spread of Pentecostalism, adding a new dimension to the movement with its emphasis on spiritual gifts and faith healing. The fundamentalist movement, led by figures like Carl McIntire, separated from mainline churches and established their own organizations, refusing to participate in ecumenical bodies like the National Council of Churches. However, by the 1930s, evangelicalism began to reassert itself, with the advent of radio serving as a powerful tool for mass communication. Charles E. Fuller's Old Fashioned Revival Hour, which began on the 3rd of October 1937, sought to avoid the contentious issues that had characterized fundamentalism. In 1942, 147 representatives from 34 denominations met in St. Louis for a National Conference for United Action among Evangelicals, leading to the establishment of the National Association of Evangelicals in 1943. Harold Ockenga, the first president of the NAE, coined the term neo-evangelicalism in 1947 to identify a movement distinct from fundamentalism, one that sought to engage with social concerns and position itself between the fundamentalists and modernists. This new movement was characterized by a rejection of the name fundamentalist, which was seen as an embarrassment, and a desire to be more inclusive and culturally relevant while maintaining theologically conservative teaching.
The Global Expansion And The New Frontiers
By the 21st century, evangelicalism had become a truly global phenomenon, with the strongest movements in Africa based on Pentecostal beliefs and growing especially since independence came in the 1960s. The movement has expanded across the world, with estimates suggesting 600 million to 937 million believers by 2025, depending on whether Pentecostals and Charismatics are included in the count. In Africa, countries like Nigeria have seen the rise of large evangelical churches, such as the Full Life Christian Centre, which have become centers of worship and community life. The movement has also seen the development of megachurches, with the first evangelical megachurch, the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, inaugurated in 1861 by Charles Spurgeon with a 6000-seat auditorium. In the United States, the movement has grown to include organizations like the World Evangelical Alliance, which claims 600 million believers, and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, which had 185 members in 21 countries in 2023. The movement has also seen the rise of the charismatic movement in the 1960s, which introduced Pentecostal theology and practice into many mainline denominations, leading to the formation of new groups like the Association of Vineyard Churches and Newfrontiers. The movement has also faced challenges, including the rise of postmodern influences and the emerging church movement, as well as the relationship between spiritual warfare and contemporary military metaphors, which has led to a partnership between religious organization and militarization.
The Controversies And The Critics
Despite its global reach, evangelicalism has faced significant criticism and internal debate over its definition and scope. 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. Theologian Donald Dayton has called for a moratorium on the use of the term, while historian D. G. Hart has argued that evangelicalism needs to be relinquished as a religious identity because it does not exist. The movement has also been criticized for its stance on social issues, including its views on sexuality, where 84 percent of evangelical leaders surveyed in 2011 believed homosexuality should be discouraged, and its support for the virginity pledge among young Christians. The movement has also faced challenges from within, with the rise of progressive evangelicals, postconservative evangelicals, and postevangelicals, who seek to be more inclusive and culturally relevant while maintaining theologically conservative teaching. The movement has also been criticized for its relationship with political power, particularly in the United States, where evangelicals make up about a quarter of the population and represent the largest religious group. The movement has also faced challenges from the rise of exvangelicals, individuals who have left evangelicalism due to discrimination, abuse, or theological disillusionment, and the movement has been criticized for its handling of sexual misconduct and its relationship with military metaphors.