Christian History and Denominations: The Quakers
Christian History and Denominations: The Baptists
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Evangelicalism is a movement within Protestant Christianity that emphasizes the need for a personal and transforming conversion experience—often referred to as being “born again”.

The movement was inaugurated during the Reformation of the sixteenth century and continues into the present day, where it has achieved wide social and racial diversity and worldwide influence. Over the centuries, it developed through reactionary responses to various movements, such as seventeenth-century Calvinism and the Enlightenment deism of the eighteenth century.

The United States of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries witnessed the emergence of many evangelical institutions in the form of Bible colleges, liberal arts colleges, seminaries, radio stations, and publishing houses. American Evangelicalism produced two other major movements: the Holiness Movement, with its emphasis on personal and corporate sanctification, and Pentecostalism, which today proliferates across Africa and Asia.

According to British historian David Bebbington, scholars generally accept that the characteristics of the movement include conversionism (the belief that lives need to be changed), activism (expression of the gospel in action), biblicism (a high regard for the authority of scripture), and crucicentrism (emphasis on Christ’s sacrifice on the cross).

Evangelicals consistently emphasize the salvific death of Jesus Christ on the cross, as described in the four canonical New Testament gospels. Compared to most other Protestant branches, Evangelicalism distinguishes itself through its marked emphasis on the suffering and torture of Christ during this tribulation, which leads most of its focus to be placed on the Passion (meaning “suffering” or “enduring”, which refers to Christ’s final week before his crucifixion), over and above his teachings.

Second, the Bible is infallible and contains a coherent story of God’s revelation to humankind. It is therefore the authentic source of all knowledge of Christ and God free from falsehood. The New Testament forms the center of evangelical devotional life.

Moreover, evangelicals are practical. The term Evangelicalism has its origins in the Greek work evangelion, meaning “the good news” or “gospel.” Evangelicals are therefore distinguished by their efforts to spread the good news, or to evangelize, in reverential obedience to Christ’s instruction for his followers to spread the Gospel across the earth (Great Commission; Matthew 28:19). Evangelicals are adamant that living a faithful, devotional life requires virtue not only in thought and prayer but also in practice and missionary labor. Sharing faith in Jesus and salvation is essential, arguably being the primary practice of evangelicals.

The experience of personal conversion—being “born again“—is an essential first step for living a life sanctified by Christ. Prayer for the forgiveness of sin is strongly emphasized, requiring each believer to account to Christ for a particular sin or sins in order to pursue a godly life on earth.