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Evangelicalism (/ˌiːvænˈdʒɛlɪkəlɪzəm, ˌɛvæn-, -ən-/), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that puts primary emphasis on evangelization. The word evangelic comes from the Greek word for 'good news' (evangelion).[1] The Gospel story of the salvation from sin is considered "the good news". The process of personal conversion involves complete surrender to Jesus Christ (commonly referred to as being "born again"). The conversion process is authoritatively guided by the Bible, the God in Christianity's revelation to humanity.[2][3][4][5][6] Critics of the conceptualization of evangelicalism argue that it is too broad, too diverse, or too ill-defined to be adequately seen as a movement or a single movement.[7][8]
The theological nature of evangelicalism was first explored during the Protestant Reformation in 16th century Europe. Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses in 1517 emphasized that scripture and the preaching of the gospel had ultimate authority over the practices of the Church. The origins of modern evangelicalism are usually traced to 1738, with various theological streams contributing to its foundation, including Pietism and Radical Pietism, Puritanism, Quakerism and Moravianism (in particular its bishop Nicolaus Zinzendorf and his community at Herrnhut).[9][10][11] Preeminently, John Wesley and other early Methodists were at the root of sparking this new movement during the First Great Awakening. Today, evangelicals are found across many Protestant branches, as well as in various denominations around the world, not subsumed to a specific branch.[12] Among leaders and major figures of the evangelical Protestant movement were Nicolaus Zinzendorf, George Fox, John Wesley, George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, Billy Graham, Bill Bright, Harold Ockenga, Gudina Tumsa, John Stott, Francisco Olazábal, William J. Seymour, and Martyn Lloyd-Jones.[9][11][13][14][15]
Evangelicalism has long had a presence in the Anglosphere before spreading further afield in the 19th, 20th, and early 21st centuries. The movement gained significant momentum during the 18th and 19th centuries with the Great Awakening in the United States, and also in Great Britain's reformations.
As of 2016,[update] there were an estimated 619 million evangelicals in the world, meaning that one in four Christians would be classified as evangelical.[16] The United States has the largest proportion of evangelicals in the world.[17] American evangelicals are a quarter of the nation's population and its single largest religious group.[18][19] As a transdenominational praxis, evangelicals may be found in nearly every Protestant denomination and tradition, particularly within the Reformed (Continental Reformed, Presbyterian, Congregational, Anglican Reformed, Baptist Reformed), Plymouth Brethren, Baptist, Methodist (Wesleyan–Arminian), Lutheran, Moravian, Free Church, Mennonite, Quaker, Pentecostal/charismatic and non-denominational churches.[20][21][22][23][14]
At its most basic level, evangelical Christianity is characterized by a belief in the literal truth of the Bible, a "personal relationship with Jesus Christ", the importance of encouraging others to be "born again" in Jesus and a lively worship culture. This characterization is true regardless the size of the church, what the people sitting in the pews look like or how they express their beliefs.
...evangelical Christianity, which united by a common authority (the Bible), shared experience (new birth/conversion), and commitment to the same sense of duty (obedience to Christ through evangelism and benevolence).
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was invoked but never defined (see the help page).Hope1997
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was invoked but never defined (see the help page).Contemporary Quakers worldwide are predominately evangelical and are often referred to as the Friends Church.
This powerful spiritual awakening resulted in an amazing worldwide upsurge that firmly planted evangelical Christianity in the Caribbean, and the Moravian Church as an important element in West Indian life. Next came the Methodist...