Evangelical is a term used to refer to a particular strand of tradition amongst the world church (from the Greek word euangelion, which means ‘good news’ or ‘gospel’). There is still variety within this tradition, but those organisations, academic institutions, churches and individuals who would call themselves evangelical should share a key characteristic: the belief that the Bible is absolutely true and reliable, that the words within it are the ‘very words’ of God Himself and that therefore the Bible is the final authority for all doctrine and lifestyle. This is important because any other statements about the character of God, the creation of the universe, the nature of human beings or the gospel of Jesus Christ cannot be agreed upon unless there is a belief in the authority of the Holy Spirit-inspired Scripture to teach us all things. A generally accepted definition of evangelicalism is:
- Conversionism: the belief that lives need to be transformed through a ‘born-again’ experience and then a life-long process of following Jesus;
- Activism: the expression and demonstration of the gospel in missionary and social reform efforts;
- Biblicism: a high regard for and obedience to the Bible as the ultimate authority;
- Crucicentrism (the centrality of the Cross): a stress on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as making possible the redemption of humanity.
Some European and American churches describe themselves as ‘Evangelical Lutheran’. This goes back to an earlier usage, where ‘Evangelical’ means ‘based on the gospel’, in accordance with the teaching of Martin Luther, as distinct from the Roman Catholic emphasis on following the traditions of the Church.