{"id":28114,"date":"2022-02-02T09:00:06","date_gmt":"2022-02-02T17:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=28114"},"modified":"2022-01-28T14:14:01","modified_gmt":"2022-01-28T22:14:01","slug":"driven-to-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/driven-to-action\/","title":{"rendered":"Driven to Action"},"content":{"rendered":"

The author of Evangelicalism in Modern Britain, <\/em>David Beddington, provides an excellent historical account of the evangelical movement from the 1730s to the 1980s. The four marks of evangelicalism provide the framework for his summary, which are: \u201cconversionism<\/strong>, the belief that lives need to be changed; activism<\/strong>, the expression of the gospel in effort; biblicism<\/strong>, a particular regard for the Bible; and what may be called crucicentrism<\/strong>, a stress on the sacrifice of Christ on the cross\u201d (bold print mine).[1]<\/a> In my reading of Beddington, I was particularly drawn to the orientation this framework of evangelicalism provided the Church. Speaking to this orientation, Dr. Clark writes, \u201cEvangelicalism was about being in the world, even whilst it tried not to be; this is its double dynamic. Personal faith as a way of fleeing the world led, in fact, to a way of living in the world.\u201d[2]<\/a> I will highlight a few key concepts of Beddington\u2019s work and the implications of evangelicalism in the life of the Church and society as a whole.<\/p>\n

As the first point of observation, conviction driven by Biblical theological principles ought to drive followers of Jesus and the Church to action.<\/em> <\/strong>In observing the social implications of evangelicalism, Beddington states that conversion was intertwined with major theological convictions.[3]<\/a> Such convictions led to practical demonstrations of this newfound faith in Jesus through loving one\u2019s neighbor well. One example of this social engagement was the philanthropic heart of evangelicals as an outward demonstration of their faith in Christ. Commenting on Wesley, Beddington writes that his<\/p>\n

generosity was legendary. He would scatter coins to beggars, he waded through snow in old age to raise money for the relief of the poor and he died worth virtually nothing because his considerable income from publications was given away. Evangelicalism as a whole taught that good works are a fundamental element of Christian duty. There was continuity between traditional teaching on concern for the poor, as expressed for instance in the religious societies of the Church of England, and the charitable work of Evangelicals.[4]<\/a><\/p>\n

Further extending this orientation toward action, the practice of evangelicalism led to a missional engagement in society.<\/em><\/strong> As a significant shift, evangelicals no longer waited for people to flock to the church; rather, they went out to the people![5]<\/a> This shift marks a powerful demonstration of the advancement and outward engagement of the Church. I note the similarities to Walter Rauschenbusch\u2019s work in Christianity and the Social Crisis in the 21st<\/sup> Century<\/em>. In his book, Rauschenbusch claims salvation is not only individual<\/em> salvation but also has implications for all of society. Additionally, the Church is to be at the forefront of addressing social needs in expectation of transformation on a national, social, and religious level.<\/em>[6]<\/strong><\/em><\/a> Much like Rauschenbusch, while Beddington advocates for what I would refer to as a holistic gospel, he also acknowledges that this service of the poor is not exempt of responsibility \u2013 \u201cNot all the needy deserved help; if at all possible, the poor should help themselves; and public assistance was to be rejected out of hand.\u201d[7]<\/a> In the 20th<\/sup> century, this holistic engagement caused a division between conservatives and liberals and what would become coined the social gospel<\/em>.[8]<\/a> Sadly, this is still a division the Church seeks to untangle to this day. \u201cIn reality, however, the social gospel was grounded in Evangelicalism.\u201d[9]<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>With advancement, there is a tendency to forget about God<\/em>. <\/strong>While the evangelical movement exploded in such a way that it prompted the Church outside the walls to alleviate not only the spiritual need for a Savior, it also led the Church to concern itself with the social ills of society, such as poor education, illiteracy, inadequate healthcare, and sub-par housing. Interestingly, with the advancement and betterment of society, evangelicalism began to decline after the middle of the 19th<\/sup> century. Beddington notes, \u201cMore widespread in their effects were changes in social circumstances. The second half of the nineteenth century was marked by an acceleration in improving the standard of living.\u201d[10]<\/a> I see two parallels in this historical observation. One, much like the people of Israel, when all goes well, we tend to forget about God. And two, much like Lieberman\u2019s observations in The Molecule of More, <\/em>advancement is not always better. Thus, while the impact of evangelicalism led to exceptional social impact and Church growth, it would also be the very thing that would lead the Church to the neglect of God and spiritual apathy.<\/p>\n

As a final observation, identity<\/em> is essential to our kingdom engagement in society. <\/strong>With the assurance of salvation that comes as a bi-product of evangelicalism, it is my opinion that identity<\/em> is a core driving principle that motivates followers of Jesus to engage the world in Christ-like, kingdom-oriented ways. Beddington notes that this activism flows from one\u2019s conversion.[11]<\/a> In consideration of my NPO, to promote shalom among vulnerable communities, it is my conviction that ensuring a solid, Biblical understanding of \u201cself\u201d is essential to promote the flourishing of all. I am pretty sure Friedman would have something to say about this as well!<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> D. W Beddington, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain a History from the 1730s to the 1980s<\/em> (London: Routledge, 1988), 16.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Jason Clark, \u201cEvangelism and Capitalism: A Reparative Account and Diagnosis of Pathogeneses in the Relationship,\u201d Faculty Publications – Portland Seminary<\/em> (June 1, 2018): 73, https:\/\/digitalcommons.georgefox.edu\/gfes\/132.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Beddington, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain a History from the 1730s to the 1980s<\/em>, 22.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Ibid., 135.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Ibid., 221.<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> Walter Rauschenbusch, Christianity and the Social Crisis in the 21st Century: The Classic That Woke up the Church<\/em>, 2009.<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a> Beddington, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain a History from the 1730s to the 1980s<\/em>, 225.<\/p>\n

[8]<\/a> Ibid., 254.<\/p>\n

[9]<\/a> Ibid., 385.<\/p>\n

[10]<\/a> Ibid., 264.<\/p>\n

[11]<\/a> Ibid., 29.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The author of Evangelicalism in Modern Britain, David Beddington, provides an excellent historical account of the evangelical movement from the 1730s to the 1980s. The four marks of evangelicalism provide the framework for his summary, which are: \u201cconversionism, the belief that lives need to be changed; activism, the expression of the gospel in effort; biblicism, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":142,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1424],"class_list":["post-28114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-beddington","cohort-lgp11"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28114","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28114"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28114\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28115,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28114\/revisions\/28115"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28114"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28114"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28114"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}