Evangelical? Or What?

I would not really consider any denomination evangelical. Most denominations have evangelical churches and non-evangelical churches. Baptists, btw, are no exception. There are evangelical Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Pentecostal, and Nazarene Churches (among others). There are non-evangelical churches among the exact same groups.

 

Depends on what you mean by evangelical. Its such an ambiguous term these days.

 

Many observers find a dichotomy between "evangelical" Protestants and "mainline" Protestants. The mainlines include Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Anglicans/Episcopalians, Church of Christ (like the variety Obama belongs to) and probably Disciples of Christ. Evangelicals would include Baptists, Pentacostals, Churches of Christ (the ones that don't use instrumental music), Nazarenes and nearly all of the independent community churches, Christian churches and nondenominationals. However, I would agree that there are many exceptions to this in individual congregations.

 

Tim, even what we mean by evangelical needs defining? This term has been thrown around just about everywhere, without considering its historic roots.

 

I agree. What is an evangelical?
A church that evangelizes?
The mormons do that.

I agree t hat many observers would see it this way but it still doesn't make for a good distinction.
I as a baptist would rather be associates with conservative Lutherans that the CHurch of Christ or Charismatics.
I will even attend certain Presbyterian churches at times if I can't get to my regular church.


Of course Baptists are all over the board on this issue.
Our church shares a facility with an American baptist chuch and I noticed they share a hymnal with the Disciples of Christ.

One other monkey wrench to throw in: The Lutheran church just down the road from our chuch is called "St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Are they evangelical?

I really don't even know what the word is supposed to mean.
It is like "funamentalist" of course I am a fundamentalist, I believe in the basic, that is fundamental., doctrines of the Bible.
I think all Christians should evangelize. All christians should believe the fundamentals of the faith.
But I don't think that is what most people mean by those terms.

 

I looked up evangelical and got this:

 

And here is fundamentalism:

 

Here is the root of the word.
It would seem that EVERYONE should be a fundamentalist. The argument then is on what constitutes the fundamentals of the faith.

Are the fundamentals the deity of CHrist and his atoning work on calvary or are they playing card going to movies, dancing and drinking alcohol? (or the lack thereof)?


So we should all be "evangelizing" the "fundamentals" but just what ARE the fundamentals?

 

Dale-c, as a starting point, Historic Evangelicalism held to the solas of the Reformation.

Now, what is going to happen if we were to contrast that with what is thrown around today as Evangelicalism?

 

Concerning the use of the word "Evangelical" in the name of a Lutheran congregation ... that used to be standard practice in the Lutheran groupings, and it came from the German background of many Lutherans. In Germany the Protestant or Lutheran church is called "Evangelische" and so that word signalled to their constituency that there was a connection to the mother country and church.

Then of course came the German Calvinists, calling themselves Evangelical as well, and joining with the German Reformed Church to produce the Evangelical and Reformed Church. This is one of the components of today's United Church of Christ, which, as another poster suggested, is a mighty long way from the Church (es) of Christ, and shares no history with that grouping.

If you think today of "evangelical" as having a concern for personal conversion experiences, my guess is that few of the Lutheran or UCC or any other paedobaptist groups would find that name applicable.

 

R.C. Srpoul developed the evolution of the terms "evangelical" and "fundamentalist" in his recent book (which I tookk back) "Getting the Gospel Right." The book is in answer to Evangelicals and Catholics Together (or perhaps it is the GES he was referring to) and is largely just a perspective of that meeting.

If I remember right, evangelical used to be fundamental but now applies to more liberal churches who especially don't want to be classified as "fundamentalists." And the membership and product of "Evangelicals and Catholics Together"/GES provides a current idea of who's who.

Are Lutherans "evangelical?" I'd say they are.

skypair