Would the Real Evangelicalism Please Stand Up?
David Bebbington’s, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain, is an honest analysis of Evangelicalism’s evolution in Britain’s recent history. Although this stream of Christianity did morph, develop, and adapt to the culture over time he argues that it maintained four specific characteristics and emphasis throughout its journey (conversions, activism, biblicism, and Jesus’ work on the cross). However, he does admit and illustrate throughout the book that Evangelicals did not always agree on how these four characteristics were defined. He explains, “Each of the characteristics, however, has found expression in many different ways, and one of them, activism, was a novelty that set Evangelicals apart from earlier Protestantism. [1]
While in England our cohort did a tour around Oxford and learned some interesting facts about the town’s history from a student with a sense of humor and a cool Irish accent. Our guide explained that Oxford University will typically ask its applicants three questions.
1) What books are you reading? 2)Why are your reading them? 3) What are these books inspiring you to read next?
I thought these were great questions, and I couldn’t help but think about how Bebbington’s book weirdly inspired me to learn more about evolutionary theory. While I was in England, I picked up The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin at the Museum of Natural History and Evolution by Brian and Deborah Charlesworth while at Blackwell’s Bookstore.
Why?
I consistently find myself asking: How and why do things change so much over time? What happens if things don’t adapt? Also, if enough minor changes happen over a long enough period of time can a thing mutate into something that it is unrecognizable from its original form? It’s more the transferable principals, if any, I’m interested in regarding evolution. Bebbington admits, “Evangelical religion in Britain has changed immensely during the two and a half centuries of its existence. Its outward expression, such as its social composition and political attitudes, have frequently been transformed. Its inward principles, embracing teaching about Christian theology and behavior, have altered hardly less.” [2]
-Evangelicalism (in all its branches) is an offshoot from Protestantism.
-Protestantism (in all its branches) is a major split from the Catholic church.
-The Catholic church (in all its branches) is a product of European culture interpreting and inheriting a Jewish faith.
To complicate matters, I was reading a blog by Bart Ehrman, a New Testament scholar, a few months back where he claimed its more accurate to shift our language from early Christianity to early Christianities (plural).[3]Although I don’t agree with everything Ehrman proposes in all his worldviews, he made some excellent points regarding the early church with ample evidence to back his views. Early Christians, and their beliefs, were much more diverse then imagined.
It seems we are always trying to locate ground zero, the original stream, and the pure doctrine with little success.
Bebbington admits, “Nothing could be further from the truth than the common image of Evangelicalism being ever the same. Yet Evangelicals themselves have often fostered the image. They have claimed that their brand of Christianity, the form once delivered to the saints, has possessed an essentially changeless content so long as it has remained loyal to its source.” [3]
Is Evangelicalism, or at least certain forms, a mutated stream of our faith tradition that’s drastically different from what Jesus and his disciples emphasized in the first and second century? Timothy Keller, in The Prodigal God, beautifully unpacks the famous story Jesus tells of a Father and his two sons, who Keller argues were equally lost.[4] The youngest walks away from his Father and does his own thing, the elder brother stays in his Father’s house and does all the right things resulting in feelings of entitlement and rage toward the grace his Father has for his little brother. The parable is not about breaking the law or keeping the law as much as it is the character of God. We recognize and receive this type of love freely and live from that place.
Dr. Jason Clark in Evangelicalism and Capitalism, argues how “elder brother syndrome” inevitably crept into Evangelicalism in the form of material providence. Faith alone was not enough to give some Christians a solid sense that their souls were heaven bound.[5] People needed assurance of their salvation which they could achieve through hard work resulting in material success giving a sense of eternal security. This almost seems like early signs of the prosperity gospel before jets, mansions, and Louis Vuitton bags meant you were blessed and highly favored.
In Luke 10:25-28, Jesus is asked how we can inherit eternal life. Ironically Bebbington’s quadrilateral was not mentioned when Luke says. 25 An expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” 27 He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”
I love the simplicity of Jesus. He also does not answer how many of us Evangelicals would assume he would in this instance.
When it comes to not only Evangelicalism, but Christianity in general, examining the principals of evolution may come in handy. Conditions, society, and the world are always changing. We should continually ask what is essential to our faith, what have we lost that we need back, what needs to be modified, and what new thing should we allow to develop within this unfolding stream for us to adapt and thrive in an ever-changing world.
Will Foster, almost in passing during his lecture, mentioned a book dealing with Christ and the early church planting a seed rather than laying a blueprint to be replicated exactly. From a seed grows a tree that shoots out many branches, these branches hopefully produce fruit. I can see this as all the forms, expressions, and branches of Christianity that have grown and evolved over the centuries from the seed Christ planted. However, the point of branches is ultimately to bear fruit, right?
There is no doubt that Christian Evangelicalism has branched and evolved over time. However, what is the fruit of Evangelicalism? Some aspects and expressions of it, both in Britain and America, have been adaptive, innovative, transformative, and fruitful to usher in the love and heart of God while other aspects have been questionable, rigid, off putting, and even counterproductive as Dr. Jason Clark and Bebbington point out in their works. As we evolve, Christianity, in all its branches will look different, but it is important for us to define, in community, what it means to remain faithful to the seed that began it all.
[1] D. W. Bebbington, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A history from the 1730s to the 1980s (London: Routledge,1989), 271.
[2] Ibid., 271.
[3] Ibid., 271.
[3] https://ehrmanblog.org/27875-2/
[4] Keller, Timothy. The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith. New York: Dutton, 2008.
[5] Jason Paul Clark, “Evangelicalism and Capitalism: A Reparative Account and Diagnosis of Pathogeneses in the Relationship” (DMIN diss., George Fox University, Newberg, 2018), 76.
About the Author
Adam Harris
I am currently the Associate Pastor at a church called Godwhy in Hendersonville, TN near Nashville. We love questions and love people even more. Our faith community embraces God and education wholeheartedly. I graduated from Oral Roberts University for undergrad and Vanderbilt for my masters. I teach historical critical Biblical studies at my church to help our community through their questions and ultimately deepen their faith. I love research, writing, learning, and teaching. I oversee our staff and leadership development. Before being at Godwhy I worked as a regional sales coach and director for Anytime Fitness. I've been married for over 13 years to my best friend and we have two amazing boys that keep us busy.16 responses to “Would the Real Evangelicalism Please Stand Up?”
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Adam- I enjoyed your connection of your interest in learning more about evolution to the development of Evangelicalism over time. I think there is a nice cross over between your thoughts and Pam’s post that is intriguing. Maybe I can get you two on a zoom call and listen to you discuss it!
I also chuckled at this: “Ironically Bebbington’s quadrilateral was not mentioned when Luke says…”
Well said! I think we are called to keep separating the essentials of our faith to the insidious cultural “add ons.”
Thanks for the response! I read Pam’s post and there are intersections for sure. Would love to talk these out sometime! This book caused me to step back and look at the big picture of just what seems to happen as faith moves forward in history within various contexts (and this is just Evangelicalism for a few hundred years) So many branches and splits from the seed of Christ.
Ahh you caught that about Bebbington’s Quadrilateral. Just thought I would throw that in there and see how it landed. lol
Okay…you started me on this hunt!
Glossary: Wesleyan Quadrilateral, the
May 26, 2015
The phrase which has relatively recently come into use to describe the principal factors that John Wesley believed illuminate the core of the Christian faith for the believer. Wesley did not formulate the succinct statement now commonly referred to as the Wesley Quadrilateral. Building on the Anglican theological tradition, Wesley added a fourth emphasis, experience. The resulting four components or “sides” of the quadrilateral are (1) Scripture, (2) tradition, (3) reason, and (4) experience.
For United Methodists, Scripture is considered the primary source and standard for Christian doctrine. Tradition is experience and the witness of development and growth of the faith through the past centuries and in many nations and cultures.
Experience is the individual’s understanding and appropriating of the faith in the light of his or her own life. Through reason the individual Christian brings to bear on the Christian faith discerning and cogent thought. These four elements taken together bring the individual Christian to a mature and fulfilling understanding of the Christian faith and the required response of worship and service.
Source: A Dictionary for United Methodists, Alan K. Waltz, Copyright 1991, Abingdon Press. Used by Permission.
Can you give me a personal example of your personal “experience.” That brought you to faith?
Shalom…
Russ
You really are on the hunt Russell! Love it.
As far as my experiences, I was raised in the church, but had milestone experiences from the time I was young onward. Around 7-8 I experienced the love of God for the first time in a direct way. Around 16 I had a radical spiritual encounter at an alter that left me changed forever. At 23 my wife and I both experienced similar things at a conference and were in awe and even a little giddy for the rest of the night :). In between these times I’ve experienced that still small voice, “divine appointments” with people out of no where, divine protection and providence, personal “Rhema” words, dreams, intuitions, etc. Following Christ is truly an adventure.
Great question. Would love to hear some of yours as well!
This idea of “experience” resonates with me. As a new Christian (age 33) my first chaplain was put into prison for having sex with his adopted Korean Daughter. The condemnation of the church made we cringe what happened to the “hate the sin, not the sinner?”
Flash forward, a Blackhawk Pilot friend of mine was shot down by friendly fire in Afghanistan. His wife asked me to escort the body back to Fort Rucker. As the masses of people filed by to give their condolences, I heard “Dennie” say, oh Mike is not in there. He is in heaven with our baby (I learned that she had suffered a miscarriage). Her faith shown through the tears.
When I presented the flag to her, my voice broke and there was an awful tear soaked pause, hundreds waited for me to finish my sentence.
Odd I should remember that…experiences in faith. Wow I am going to have to dwell on this one.
I am adding this as an after thought. Thoughts on the new Israeli war? Had the Jews killed those God told them to would we be in this current situation?
Time to revisit Walker’s Holy Violence?
Shalom.
Man Russell, the suffering war brings. I know that meant a lot for your friends wife for you to present the flag, but I know that had to be an incredibly emotional and tough moment. I can’t imagine. Faith and God’s presence holds so much value in these spaces.
One of the members of our church went through chemo with this youngest son (who is doing great now and is healthy, thank God). One of the other parents he got to know during this journey, who was also walking through the same thing with his child, asked him: “How can you keep any kind of faith in God when your child is going through something like this?” He responded by saying, “I couldn’t get through this without my faith.”
Experiencing God has always been my anchor, even when I had a million questions and my inherited faith system and beliefs were not making sense for me for a season.
Adam, you never cease to mess with my mind. You make connections that are quite profound, and stimulate my thinking towards undiscovered lands.
At Oxford I spent my off-time (ha!) reading Lewis’ “Mere Christianity.” Not sure how I’m 52 years old and never read this one before. I’ve now gone onto his Narnia series on audio. I’d be curious where I’ll go next in my reading. In the last few months I’ve read everything from “I Love Ramen” by Toni Patrick to “Canada” by Mike Meyers to “Bird by Bird” by Anne Lamont.
Question for you: what can you imagine, even now, that your currents read on evolution perhaps lead you to?
Thanks for the response John, I know it was an unexpected and kinda weird connection, but that’s where my head went! I’m really excited that you got to read “Mere Christianity” while in Oxford. What a thinker he is and classic that book is.
Question for you: what can you imagine, even now, that your currents read on evolution perhaps lead you to?
A few things so far from these books on evolution.
-The world, society, and its conditions are always changing. Either we adapt or we cease to exist. I think Evangelicalism was an effective and necessary adaptation to society and the intellectual world changing. (I didn’t think realize that as much until I read Bebbington)
-I think we are still in the process of change like both Will Foster and Simon Walker mentioned. That’s why leadership is so hard! Things keep changing. I ordered Martyn Percy’s book and he immediately says we are always tempted to think our generation is an exception. We still need to adapt and modify our faith tradition to thrive in today’s climate.
-The principles of evolution can help us step back and ask what is naturally and organically shifting in our faith communities around the world, what no longer seems to be serving us well at this point in history as conditions change (these “genes” no longer need to be expressed), what existing things that are serving us well need to be modified, and what new things, ideas, theologies, understandings need to be created or at least expanded.
Even Bebbington argued that although the quadrant remained, how it was expressed changed over time. For instance, some believed parts of the Bible were more inspired than others, some held all of the Bible was inspired. Both ideas were “Evangelical” and both held the Bible as foundational, but they expressed and understood it very differently. It causes me to ask, “God, what are you doing today and where are you taking us now?” The story is still unfolding which is exciting to me. I’ve also been thinking about a statement I heard that said, “The greatest obstacle to recognizing what God is doing now, is a preoccupation with how God moved then.”
Wow, that’s a long response to your question! Appreciate the question though!
Adam,
I always think to deeper levels when I read your posts so thank you!
The history of Christianity and how it has evolved proves again and again the mystery of the gospel and how we, as finite humans, do our best to understand and live it out. I too, paused when you questioned Bebbington’s quadrilateral pillars and posed it against Luke 10:25-28. When applying it to that scripture alone, it seems overreaching. However, I wonder if in viewing all of scripture, would Bebbington’s quadrilateral still withstand scrutiny?
Your post had me look up another theologian who wrote on Bebbington’s work. He commented “While passionate piety might validly characterize the movement at the start of the third millennium, it is possible to hope for more. Those of us who are the theologians of evangelicalism would do well to ask ourselves how we might aid the movement to reimagine itself. There is enough in our heritage to entitle us to strive for more than a slightly vacuous passionate piety.” [1]
Passionate piety. An interesting paring of words. There is great hope as we reimagine how to move beyond passionate piety and focus on the simplicity of the gospel.
[1] Harris, Brian. Beyond Bebbington: The Quest for Evangelical Identity in a Postmodern Era. Retrieved from chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/churchman/122-03_201.pdf, 213.
Thanks for your response Esther! You caught that too huh? 🙂 I did think, “Is it fair to pull out this one passage from Luke?”, but I do wonder about all of the different doctrines, Christian expressions, creeds, rituals, statements of faith, and streams that develop over time against the simplicity of Jesus in the gospels.
I look at this interaction between Jesus and this lawyer as Jesus is asked “THE big question” and he answers very simply Love God and Love others, then tells the story of the “Good Samaritan” immediately after as if to further define what it means to Love God and others. The more I learn about Christian history sometimes the more overwhelming it can be and the more complicated people seem to make faith.
I like what one man said who I met years ago, “Just saying ‘God help me!’ seems to work just fine”. He went from an atheist professor to a missionary after a radical encounter with Christ. He most certainly holds a “passionate piety” today. I like that pairing as well! The more I learn about quadrilaterals, formation of doctrines, multiple branches of Christianity, etc., the more I think I yearn for simplicity.
You are an amazing writer and thinker! Thank you for your post! We have a saying in the Presbyterian Church (USA) that we are reformed and always being reformed by the Holy Spirit. The idea is that God is always calling us forward, to change, transform, etc. I believe we can see this in many of the stories in the Old and New Testaments – don’t have an example to write in this response because it would take too long but I swear it’s in there! Ha!
I think the key in our evolution/transformation/being reformed is whether or not it is God or the HS doing the transforming or if we are just changing for the sake of change. That’s not always easy to figure out or know – actually it’s rarely easy to figure out or know but it should probably be a question we ask ourselves.
I so appreciate what you wrote about evangelism coming from Protestantism coming from Catholicism coming from Judaism, etc. And then the quote you included from Ehrman, about “Christianities.” None of us have it “right.” There is no one way to be “Christian!” We all interpret scripture a bit differently, we all “live like Jesus” differently, etc. While I wouldn’t say – all that matters is the intentions we have about how we practice our faith – I wonder if it is more like, what matters is that we are open to transformation, to the Holy Spirit calling us to a more spacious faith, to Jesus’ opening us more and more to grace for ourselves and others, to God calling to a more expansive love. (Sorry, got a little preachy there.) What do you think?
Oh wow Kally, that means a lot. I agree with the Spirit moving us “into a more expansive love”, I think the point in all these Christian developments, streams, evolutions is the trajectory or direction the Spirit is moving us as individuals and as a collective body. I think Paul is a great example of how the Spirit began doing this in his life as a first century Jewish leader. For him to say, “there is neither Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female…” was a major step for him with his background of being an elite Pharisee who prioritized Israel over everyone else. He encountered a presence that dissolved his previous categories of ins and outs.
What does that look like today in the 21st century? We are still in the story and God’s Spirit is still at work expanding and revealing. The point has to be a distinct Spirit that is being spread around the world verses some of this other complicated stuff. We can discern each branch and development by the fruit (love) it bears and fosters in a life, community, or region. With all that to say, I agree!
Reverend, Dr., Pope, Prince Adam, ooohhhh, this is brilliant. Intelligent people tend to show their intelligence by simply being intelligent. You show your intelligence through an unusual deep humility. WOW, man! As usual many things “struck” my heart but there is one area I will ponder on,
“We should continually ask what is essential to our faith, what have we lost that we need back… what needs to be modified, and what new thing should we allow to develop within this unfolding stream for us to adapt and thrive in an ever-changing world.”
That whole phrase is pregnant with beauty. And I ponder, what have I lost that I need back? Is it okay that I lost it? Do I need it back and why? What happens to me or the Church if we don’t get it back? Why did I/we lose it? How much did God play a part in me/us losing it? Did I lose it in order to be led down a deeper path? Thoughts to ponder on this upcoming week. Thank you, Sir Adam!
You’re too much man! Reading your responses always puts a smile on my face. I believe God brings us to places where letting go of some things is the only way forward. Sometimes it feels like I’m holding onto a metaphorical rope that is secure and familiar, but something more is just beyond my reach so letting go of what I know is the only option to grasp the new. Then sometimes life just kicks us out of the nest and we don’t seem to have much of a choice! Always appreciate your responses and encouragement my friend!
“Some aspects and expressions of it, both in Britain and America, have been adaptive, innovative, transformative, and fruitful to usher in the love and heart of God while other aspects have been questionable, rigid, off putting, and even counterproductive as Dr. Jason Clark and Bebbington point out in their works”.
Your quest for knowledge and the way you experience life is contagious. I really enjoy every conversation with you and with how much ease you can take a conversation from fun into deep theological thought…..it’s effortless! You also give me hope in the church. How do you discern in your own leadership, especially as one so in touch with culture and how it’s moving, what is good and what is not? I hate boiling that down to good v bad, but you know what I mean.
Thanks Jana! That means a lot and is extremely encouraging!
Great question. I have to lean on the simplicity of Jesus here. Jesus taught the golden rule which helps define that “love thing” he always talks so much about.
It causes me to ask: How would I feel if someone did, said, or acted like that to me? If I were in this situation what do I wish someone would do for me?
It seems some of the goal posts keep moving when it comes to “good” and “bad” across cultures and time (divorce, slavery, polygamy, food taboos, fashion, violence, circumcision, movies, food offered to idols, birth control, wearing pants, having long hair, dancing, the lists continues)
Jordan Peterson makes a good point when he lays out several questions pertaining to morals and ethics.
What is loving and healthy for me?
What is loving and healthy for not just me but my family?
What is loving and healthy for not just me and my family, but my community?
What is loving and healthy for not just me, my family, and my community but my nation?
What is loving and healthy for not just me, my family, my community and my nation but the rest of the world?
I think things that are truly “good” or “bad” will reveal themselves in the health, dignity, and life it brings to an individual, relationship, community, nation, and the world.
Simon Walker mentioned something in passing about his STEER program. He was talking about measuring data and what we measure and where we put our attention as vitally important. That’s where I am these days. What defines “success” in the eyes of God. Church growth, baptism’s, discipleship programs, confessions? Absolutely sometimes. Depends on the fruit it brings.
I think God may measure success differently at least from what I read in the gospels. Living a life of service to others? Being moved to action due to compassion like the Gospels mention Jesus was so many times? Loving, blessing, and praying for our enemies? Going out of our way to take care of hurting people everyone else seems to walk past? Living a life of prayer, love, and surrender modeled by Jesus?
Reading all these books on the branches of faith leading to arguments, expulsions, complex doctrines, burning of heretics, church splits, and even wars gives me a sneaking suspicion that we have a knack for channeling energy into things that don’t really matter and are even counter to Christ.
That’s my two cents, sorry LOOONNNG answer to your question! lol