Hot answers tagged evangelicalism
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Evangelicalism is not in itself a "confession". It is more of a general grouping of similar confessions. As such, it is a bit hard to pin down on a specific point of doctrine like your question calls for.
That being said, we could paint with a broad brush and describe some of general leanings. Every one of these will be wrong for at least some Evangelicals.
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9
This is at least one modern evangelical view...
It is true that the New Testament really does not prescribe tithing, that is, giving 10% of your income. It does, however, prescribe giving:
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or
under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7
The church at Phillip ...
7
Outside of the Roman Catholic context, genuflection is simply kneeling or bowing to show respect. There's no right or wrong time to do this; the Bible doesn't say we must be on one knee before we take communion, nor that we must not genuflect at any other time.
In evangelical meetings, genuflection is sometimes used; sometimes as a result of an invitation ...
7
The Practice of the Presence of God is one of a variety of different Christian "classics" which really cross denominational boundaries (Imitation of Christ might be another). Since the truths it discusses are universal to Christianity and because there is very little in the document which must be Catholic, its benefits are generally considered to far ...
7
"Evangelical" is certainly difficult to pin down! The Encyclopedia of Christianity says
[In America] it covers a wide range of not completely harmonious uses, from the Pentecostal churches to the peace churches, Missouri Synod Lutherans, Southern Baptist Convention, Holiness movement (eg Church of the Nazarene), charismatic groups (including Roman ...
6
One of the founding ideas of Protestantism was "sola scriptura", meaning that we view the Bible as the only ultimate authority. That doesn't mean that we refuse to read any other books. The existence of thousands of Baptist bookstores should be adequate proof that that's not true. What it means is that we do not view any book other than the Bible as having ...
5
For purposes of this question, protestants can be divided up into three main political camps:
Those that align closely with Catholics, such as Anglicans, older Lutheran groups, and other highly-centralized and liturgical groups. This category tends to either vote exactly as the denomination suggests, or will discount religion in their voting patterns ...
5
Pentecost, for Christians, marks the birth of "the Church." For evangelicals, however, church history generally means when their local congregation was founded. As a body of believers with no history, by design, historical holidays (I.e. Anything not explicitly about Jesus) fall to the wayside.
From an historic viewpoint, the Church Universal is an amazing ...
5
Much depends here on your definition of Protestantism. You don't have to be an expert lexicographer to discern the etymology of the word, its roots being in "protest" against Roman Catholicism. But while I know many evangelical Christians who disagree with Catholicism, I know very few who actively protest against it, or for whom Catholicism is "weighing ...
5
Evangelicalism is a kind of Protestantism.
From wikipedia:
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great
Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States
during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.
Its key commitments are:
The need for personal conversion (or being "born ...
4
A little bit of apples and oranges here, so if you don't mind me clarifying a few terms here.
Protestantism
In the West, most Christians assume that Protestant means anything "not Roman Catholic." Yes, we're ignoring the Orthodox, but I think a strong working definition of Protestantism would be as follows: Any non-Roman Catholic denomination that split ...
4
faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Doesn't this seem to say that since true faith is accompanied by action, and faith unaccompanied by action is dead, that the dead faith isn't really faith at all?
From your comment on asfallows's answer:
But James seems to argue that people can legitimately believe (as the
demons do) ...
3
As a matter of chronology, yes, the United States was the first major Christian country (and it was fairly substantial, even at the time of the Revolution) to not require the establishment of a particular state church. Not all colonies had established churches (Rhode Island, since 1636!, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, etc...) but most colonies disestablished in ...
3
I think the short answer that's easiest to give to another person is that if you really believe the message the Christ brought to mankind, it will change you, and that change will show in your actions. Not that you must do change your behavior to attain salvation, but that coming to believe what saves us by faith cannot but change your behavior.
By ...
3
It seems in your question your assumption is that Protestantism is something akin to Contra-Catholicism. This is not the case. What distinguishes protestants from Catholics and what identifies different denominations both as protestant is the doctrine of Justification by Faith.
If you take that as the working definition of what is to be protestant then it ...
3
I think the key thing here is understanding what it means to "sow to flesh" and "sow to the Spirit".
The difference (referencing Bob Utley's commentary) is the key difference between the two basic approaches to being right with God: our own effort, or God's free grace.
The former (sowing to flesh) refers to trying to be right by God by trying to work ...
2
Of course when we see a tree we see God holding together, beneath the subatomic level, all the elements necessary for a tree to be. If God ever decided no longer to sustain the tree, a flower, a cloud, the Devil, then it would cease to exist.
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his ...
2
We know from Einstein's General Theory of relativity that space and time cannot be considered separately. There is no absolute time from which God could observe a single "now" moment that applies to the whole universe. So in Genesis 2:1 "Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array," it seems to me that we should take that to mean ...
2
My answer to this would be yes. In a Southern Baptist Church (considers themselves to be very evangelical) in Watkinsville, GA several months ago, a visiting “evangelist” trying to form another Southern Baptist Church in the NE made a statement that only about 3% of the people of the NE and particularly in NY were Evangelicals. After a few minutes the ...
2
Apologize for he length, the question is so good that I am answering not just for you but digging up worthy references for myself.
A good place to start for an evangelical answer is with two evangelical theologians famous for having an acute sense of the sinfulness of man and the nature of God's grace in the Christian. John Owen and Jonathan Edwards both ...
2
Aeoril says:
"The idea of 'Natural Moral Law', if you are referring to the idea that one can discern moral truths from pure philosophical pursuits is something I would argue is untenable."
I would suggest that you read Cicero's "De Legibus" ("On the Laws"). Within, you will find that Cicero arrives at many conclusions about of God and His law which ...
1
I am not sure about the "Evangelical take", but as a disciple of Christ who studies and lives and speaks in communion with other Christians, I have come to certain conclusions about truth.
The idea of "Natural Moral Law", if you are referring to the idea that one can discern moral truths from pure philosophical pursuits is something I would argue is ...
1
Paul is speaking to believers who have been exposed to the teachings of the church, which is that selfishness and greed is sin:
Luke 16:13-17 NET No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
The Pharisees (who loved money) ...
1
Unless we have an understanding of philosophical methods, we would have no idea of the validity of any work claiming to be an exposition of the Bible.
One could read the Summa, but unless you know how it lacks, it would be pointless. The Divine Law, its requirements, the right approach meet those requirements, all this require a proper understanding of the ...
1
Evangelicals most assuredly do not consider Roman Catholics to be pagans. We realize they worship the same God - we mostly differ over views of church governance (i.e. we don't think the Pope has any primacy) not theology.
One of the most interesting cases in point is Francis Beckwith, one-time president of the National Association of Evangelicals, who, in ...
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