evangelical theology

Evangelical theology brings together the main common theological aspects, which can be found in the confessions of faith adopted by the Evangelical Christian denominations.Earle E. Cairns, Christianity Through the Centuries: A History of the Christian Church, Zondervan, USA, 2009, p. 484

Evangelical Christianity brings together different theological movements, the main ones being fundamentalist or moderate conservative and liberal.Roger E. Olson, The Westminster Handbook to Evangelical Theology, Westminster John Knox Press, USA, 2004, p. 172Peter Beyer, Religion in the Process of Globalization, Ergon, Germany, 2001, p. 261

Despite the nuances in the various evangelical movements, there is a similar set of beliefs for movements adhering to the doctrine of the Believers' Church, the main ones being Anabaptism, Baptists and Pentecostalism.William H. Brackney, Historical Dictionary of the Baptists, Scarecrow Press, USA, 2009, p. 87 : "From the 16th century, those in the close circle of the believer's churches include the Mennonites, Brethren, Baptists, Amish, and Hutterites, to name the major subcategories. In more modern development, (…) such as the Pentecostals, may consider themselves believer's churches by this definition."Darren T. Duerksen, William A. Dyrness, Seeking Church: Emerging Witnesses to the Kingdom, InterVarsity Press, USA, 2019, p. 45 : "The Believer's Church: As we turn to the early “radical Reformation” or Anabaptist movement (…) widely seen in various Baptist, Pentecostal, community, and independent churches."Michel Deneken, Francis Messner, Frank Alvarez-Pereyre, La théologie à l'Université: statut, programmes et évolutions, Editions Labor et Fides, Genève, 2009, p. 64 : Translation: "Teaching in evangelical establishments: (...) evangelical churches loving to present themselves as "believers' Church", whose members are convinced and committed Christians." Original text in French "L’enseignement dans les établissements évangéliques : (…) les églises évangéliques aimant à se présenter comme des « Églises de professants », dont les membres sont des chrétiens convaincus et engagés."Religioscope et Sébastien Fath, [https://www.religion.info/2002/03/03/evangelisme-et-eglises-evangeliques-en-france-entretien-avec-sebastien-fath/ À propos de l’évangélisme et des Églises évangéliques en France – Entretien avec Sébastien Fath], religion.info, France, 3 mars 2002: Translation: "The criterion of "believers' Church" allows more clearly to define what is called stricto sensu of the evangelical". Original text in French: "Le critère d’«Eglise de professants» permet plus nettement de cerner ce que l’on appelle stricto sensu des évangéliques"Donald M. Lewis, Richard V. Pierard, Global Evangelicalism: Theology, History & Culture in Regional Perspective, InterVarsity Press, USA, 2014, p. 40 : "The modern mission movement is the outstanding exhibit of the influence of the evangelical theological impulse over the past four centuries". and 297: "The Baptist and Mennonite traditions are examples of believer's churches".Robert H. Krapohl, Charles H. Lippy, The Evangelicals: A Historical, Thematic, and Biographical Guide, Greenwood Publishing Group, USA, 1999, p. 11

The Bible is considered to be inspired by God Himself and is the sovereign authority in the Christian faith.Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Baker Academic, USA, 2001, p. 153-154Michel Deneken, Francis Messner, Frank Alvarez-Pereyre, "La théologie à l'Université: statut, programmes et évolutions", Editions Labor et Fides, Genève, 2009, p. 66-67

When Paul, therefore, declares that "all writing" is the product of the divine breath, "holds his breath of God" (2 Tim 3:16), he asserts that Scripture is a product of a very specific divine operation.Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Baker Academic, USA, 2001, p. 160 It is therefore important to note that the Greek does not carry the meaning that the terms of the Bible have been "infused" into human writers, but rather that it breathes God. Divine revelation is a kind of perpetual flow of the creative power of God. In other words, it is considered that God "oversaw" the writing of every line of the Bible so that it contains a message in human language sent by God using the human intellect, writing styles and writing talent - this notion is called Biblical inspiration. The believer is dependent on the Holy Spirit to have a good understanding of the texts. The Bible is considered as a life manual that concerns all aspects of life.Sébastien FATH,

[http://www.universalis.fr/encyclopedie/evangelisme-et-eglises-evangeliques/ ÉVANGÉLISME ET ÉGLISES ÉVANGÉLIQUES], universalis.fr, France, accessed March 4, 2019 Often called "the Word of God" or "scripture", it is considered infallible and, in some evangelical circles, without error - this notion is called biblical inerrancy.Sébastien Fath, Du ghetto au réseau. Le protestantisme évangélique en France, 1800-2005, Édition Labor et Fides, Genève, 2005, p. 24 This is sometimes interpreted in a very literal way within certain movements, in particular the most conservative ones with prominent beliefs often referred to as ultraconservative and fundamentalist movements. With the development of moderate evangelical theology in the 1940s in the United States,Robert H. Krapohl, Charles H. Lippy, The Evangelicals: A Historical, Thematic, and Biographical Guide, Greenwood Publishing Group, USA, 1999, p. 197 the study of bible has been combined with disciplines such as hermeneutics, exegesis, epistemology and apologetics.George Demetrion, In Quest of a Vital Protestant Center: An Ecumenical Evangelical Perspective, Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2014, p. 128Roger E. Olson, The Westminster Handbook to Evangelical Theology, Westminster John Knox Press, USA, 2004, p. 49

Evangelical churches and denominations have a Trinitarian theology,Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Baker Academic, USA, 2001, p. 502-503John Howard Yoder, Theology of Mission: A Believers Church Perspective, InterVarsity Press, USA, 2014, p. 132 and as in almost every major Christian stream of thought, the God of creation is eternally present and revealed in three divine Persons, namely, the Father (Almighty God), the Son (or "Only Son" - literal "μονογενης", "monogenes", "unique begotten", Jesus Christ); and the Holy Spirit. The insistence of evangelicals, based on their beliefs found in the Gospels, differs from Catholicism in that evangelicals "only wish to justify this creed on the basis of biblical passages or concepts" and not on the Tradition or the Councils (believing that the birth of this dogma is often attached to the Council of Nicaea which took place at the beginning of the 4th century).

Evangelicals normally adhere (at least informally) to the Nicene Creed (381) defining the relational differentiation of God, both one and triune, as well as the principle of unity and identity, in the case of the two natures, in the person of Christ (christology),Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Baker Academic, USA, 2001, p. 95

as well as the positions of the First Council of Nicaea (and not at the council itself) which condemn Arianism. Before the Council of Nicaea, the idea of the Trinity was not an official teaching of the Church but had been the topic of many early Christian teachings. The Nicene Creed put in place once and for all the idea of Trinitarian theology as is believed to be true by most Christian believers. Nevertheless, most Evangelical churches, in order to avoid any unnecessary controversy, often posit that the mystery of the exact relations between the three divine persons is beyond any human reason, and will not encourage speculative theology concerning the subject of the Trinity beyond that which is not immediately deductible from the Bible.

The Virgin Mary is so called because she was a virgin before the birth of Jesus but the evangelicals believe that she had other biological children, the brothers and sisters of Jesus quoted in the Gospels (Mark 6:3). She is recognized as "Maria Christotokos" (Mother of Christ) and is considered a model of faith, humility and obedience to God. Some evangelicals refute the name of "Theotokos" (Mother of God) of the Council of Ephesus (431) to avoid any confusion with the Marian devotion found in the Roman Catholic Church, but most evangelical theologians accept this formulation from a theoretical point of view by relying on the principle of communicating idioms and considering that rejecting it would amount to denying the uniqueness of the person of Christ; they generally complete it cautiously with a "according to its human nature".Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Baker Academic, USA, 2001, p. 596

Evangelicals almost universally reject the idea that Mary is co-redemptor or mediator, as well as the immaculate conception, the dormition and the assumption, considering them as biblically unjustified, as well as any form of Marian piety as practiced by the Catholic Church.

This Trinitarian conception of God has various consequences in the Christian faith evangelical:

For the Evangelicals like others Christians, God, is the creator of heaven and earth.Robert Paul Lightner, Handbook of Evangelical Theology, Kregel Academic, USA, 1995, p. 168 Moreover, God is presented as a loving Father, and the relation of the human to God must necessarily be that of a child vis-à-vis his father.Robert Paul Lightner, Handbook of Evangelical Theology, Kregel Academic, USA, 1995, p.

Jesus is considered perfectly man and perfectly God (Christology). This component of the Trinity, has a resonance and particular consequences for the evangelicals

1. Jesus Christ is considered the "only begotten Son" of God or of the Father (John 3:16), without any biological connotation (belief in his miraculous birth), but in the biblical sense of the term, which according to the evangelical interpretation has a filial symbolic and spiritual status to God, brought closer to Isaac, the son of Abraham (book of Genesis).Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Baker Academic, USA, 2001, p. 240-241
2. Jesus Christ is considered as "God made man".Robert Paul Lightner, Handbook of Evangelical Theology, Kregel Academic, USA, 1995, p. 75 It is a firm object of faith that Jesus Christ is only a carnal manifestation of God, and that He has existed from all eternity.Paul Jewett, God, Creation and Revelation: A Neo-Evangelical Theology, Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2000, p. 429
3. Jesus Christ is, considered in his divinity, as a stakeholder in the judgment of the living and the dead which will take place at the end times.Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Baker Academic, USA, 2001, p. 671

The Holy Spirit (or Spirit of God) God as Spirit is considered to be fully God. It is the eternal manifestation of God in the human dimension. It is the presence of the Spirit that Jesus promised in the Gospel to those who would be converted, attested by the first witnesses of Christ (Acts of the Apostles chapter 2).Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Baker Academic, USA, 2001, p. 569

All evangelical movements consider that the Holy Spirit is present and working in the personal stories of each believer, as well as in the future of the universal Church. As a stakeholder in the conversion of the individual, it is also considered to be the origin of various gifts, which vary a great deal from the New Testament writings, but it is common in the Charismatic movement emphasize on one gifts delivered by the Spirit.Peter Hocken, "Le réveil de l'Esprit: les Églises pentecôtistes et charismatiques", France, Editions Fides, 1994, p. 19-20 The gifts of the Holy Spirit are 9; creative gifts (writing and the arts), pastoral gifts (community guidance and guidance), apostolic gifts (preaching, teaching), prophetic gifts (prophecy in its various forms), prodigious gifts (wonders and miracles).Gabriel Tchonang, [http://rsr.revues.org/435 L’esprit saint dans l’orthodoxie et le pentecôtisme : étude comparative], Revue des sciences religieuses, France, 2008, paragraph 32

Evangelical Christianity, particularly in the Pentecostalism, Evangelical charismatic movement, Neo-charismatic movement, places an emphasis on the Spirit and its action in human lives and in the church.Sébastien Fath, Du ghetto au réseau. Le protestantisme évangélique en France, 1800-2005, Édition Labor et Fides, Genève, 2005, p. 183

The evangelicals refute those designated as holy by the Catholic and Orthodox Churches because assimilating the worship of veneration, that gives these churches to the saints thus designated, and also particularly the worship to Mary, necromancy and idolatry.Franck Poiraud, Les évangéliques dans la France du XXIe siècle, Editions Edilivre, France, 2007, p. 212-213 They are based on the Ten Commandments.Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Baker Academic, USA, 2001, p. 207, 1172

For the evangelicals, Satan and his demons are responsible for curses and temptations to sins.Robert Paul Lightner, Handbook of Evangelical Theology, Kregel Academic, USA, 1995, p. 141-143.

Evangelicals believe that every sinful person by nature must endure an eternal punishment in hell, but that by faith in Jesus (though not by the merit of their good works committed in this faith), they can attain salvation and go to paradise.Brian Stiller, Evangelicals Around the World: A Global Handbook for the 21st Century, Éditions Thomas Nelson, USA, 2015, p. 49-50

In Evangelical Christianity, the believer is justified by faith through grace (Ephesians 2:8). Salvation is the condition for access to paradise.Nigel G. Wright, The Radical Evangelical: Seeking a Place to Stand, Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2016, p. 41 Salvation by faith is a personal decision and commitment.Richard Lints, Renewing the Evangelical Mission, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, USA, 2013, p. 141William A. Dyrness, Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Global Dictionary of Theology: A Resource for the Worldwide Church, InterVarsity Press, USA, 2009, p. 197 In the Reformed view, the believer is saved by the imputed righteousness of Christ; all the merits of Christ are imputed to the believer by faith.Timothy Larsen, Daniel J. Treier, The Cambridge Companion to Evangelical Theology, Cambridge University Press, UK, 2007, p. 86

The new birth, this personal encounter with Jesus Christ that unfolds at the conversion of the believer, is considered a true passage from spiritual death to spiritual life.Wesley Peach, Itinéraires de conversion, Les Editions Fides, Canada, 2001, p. 56-57 This concept is based on John 3:3 "Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again", and John 10:10. Then speak of "born again Christians" (see 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Galatians 6:15). The believer's meet with Jesus and the decision to give them his life marks an important change in an evangelical's life.Frédéric Dejean, [http://gc.revues.org/832 L’évangélisme et le Pentecôtisme: des mouvements religieux au cœur de la mondialisation], Géographie et cultures, 68, France, 2009, paragraph 5 It means repentance, which is recognition, confession and renunciation of sin.Robert H. Krapohl, Charles H. Lippy, The Evangelicals: A Historical, Thematic, and Biographical Guide, Greenwood Publishing Group, USA, 1999, p. 169 For the majority of evangelical Christians, the new birth occurs before the Believer's baptism, by immersion in the water.Randall Herbert Balmer, Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism: Revised and expanded edition, Baylor University Press, USA, 2004, p. 54

Methodists (inclusive of the holiness movement) define Baptism of the Holy Spirit as synonymous with the second work of grace, entire sanctification, in which a person is made perfect in love and free from original sin.{{cite web |title=Guidelines: The UMC and the Charismatic Movement |url=http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/guidelines-the-umc-and-the-charismatic-movement |publisher=The United Methodist Church |access-date=31 July 2019 |language=en |date=2012 |quote=The Methodists were also first to coin the phrase baptism of the Holy Spirit as applied to a second and sanctifying grace (experience) of God. (Cf. John Fletcher of Madeley, Methodism's earliest formal theologian.) The Methodists meant by their "baptism" something different from the Pentecostals, but the view that this is an experience of grace separate from and after salvation was the same.}}{{cite web|url=http://www.pilgrimholinesschurch.org/doctrine.htm|title=Doctrine|date=15 December 2000|publisher=Pilgrim Holiness Church of New York, Inc.|language=en|access-date=31 May 2018}}

Pentecostals teach that a baptism of the Holy Spirit as a crisis event accompanied by glossolalia and allows an experimentation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.Olivier Favre, Les églises évangéliques de Suisse: origines et identités, Labor et Fides, Genève, 2006, p. 55, 208

The Evangelical Charismatic Charismatic and the Neo-Charismatic Movement teach that baptism of the Holy Spirit is a crisis experience. However, speaking in tongues (glossolalia) is not the only proof of this spiritual event. The believer may have received the other 8 gifts of the Holy Spirit set forth in 1 Corinthians 12–14.Sébastien Fath, Du ghetto au réseau. Le protestantisme évangélique en France, 1800-2005, Édition Labor et Fides, Genève, 2005, p. 219-220Thomas Hale, Commentaire Sur Le Nouveau Testament, Editions Farel, France, 1999, p. 447

For the majority of Baptists, baptism of the Holy Spirit is synonymous with the New Birth.Sébastien Fath, Du ghetto au réseau. Le protestantisme évangélique en France, 1800-2005, Édition Labor et Fides, Genève, 2005, p. 48, 111

The sanctification of the believer is the process by which a person dedicates himself to God and chooses to refuse the sin, by the grace of God after the new birth.William A. Dyrness, Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Global Dictionary of Theology: A Resource for the Worldwide Church, InterVarsity Press, USA, 2009, p. 789-790 There are two evangelical positions on sanctification, progressive sanctification and whole sanctification.Roger E. Olson, The Westminster Handbook to Evangelical Theology, Westminster John Knox Press, USA, 2004, p. 319

Progressive sanctification is the work of sanctification of the believer through grace and the decisions of the believer after the new birth. This is the position of some evangelical denominations, such as Baptist churches and some Pentecostal denominations of the Finished Work Pentecostal variety such as the Assemblies of God and The Foursquare Church.Keith Kettenring, The Sanctification Connection: An Exploration of Human Participation in Spiritual Growth, University Press of America, USA, 2008, p. 29James Leo Garrett, Systematic Theology, Volume 2, Second Edition, Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2014, p. 395; "those branches which derived from Baptist or Reformed roots have taught positional and progressive sanctification as distinguishable from baptism in or with the Spirit (e.g., Assemblies of God, International Church of the Foursquare Gospel)."

Entire sanctification, also known as Christian perfections, is a second work of grace subsequent to the new birth in which an individual is made perfect in love and free from original sin.{{cite web|url=https://www.biblemethodist.org/about-us/core-values/|title=Core Values|publisher=Bible Methodist Connection of Churches|language=en|access-date=29 May 2018}} This is the position of Methodist denominations (inclusive of the holiness movement), as well as Holiness Pentecostal denominations, such as the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, Church of God (Cleveland) and Church of God in Christ.William Kostlevy, Historical Dictionary of the Holiness Movement, Scarecrow Press, USA, 2009, p. 148 These denominations affirm a growth in grace before and after entire sanctification that is accomplished "through a consistent Christian life of faith and good works."{{cite book |title=Discipline of the Immanuel Missionary Church |date=1986 |publisher=Immanuel Missionary Church |location=Shoals, Indiana |pages=9–10 |language=English}}{{cite book |title=KMHA Handbook |date=15 September 2020 |publisher=Kentucky Mountain Holiness Association |page=5 |language=English}}

According to Reformed theology, good works are the consequence of the salvation and not its justification.Robert Paul Lightner, Handbook of Evangelical Theology, Kregel Academic, USA, 1995, p. 214 They are the sign of a sincere and grateful faith. They include actions for the Great Commission, that is, evangelism, service in the Church and to charity.Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Baker Academic, USA, 2001, p. 524 They will be rewarded with the grace of God at the last judgment.Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Baker Academic, USA, 2001, p. 1296

In contrast, the Methodist Churches (inclusive of the holiness movement), teach:

{{Blockquote|...after a man is saved and has genuine faith, his works are important if he is to keep justified.
146) James 2:20-22, "But wilt thou known, O vain main, that faith without (apart from) works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou faith wrought with works, and by works was faith made perfect? —A Catechism on the Christian Religion: The Doctrines of Christianity with Special Emphasis on Wesleyan Concepts{{cite book |last1=Rothwell |first1=Mel-Thomas |last2=Rothwell |first2=Helen F. |title=A Catechism on the Christian Religion: The Doctrines of Christianity with Special Emphasis on Wesleyan Concepts |date=1998 |publisher=Schmul Publishing Co. |page=53 |language=en}}}}

The local Evangelical Church is the organization that represents the universal Church and is seen by evangelicals as the body of Jesus Christ.Robert Paul Lightner, Handbook of Evangelical Theology, Kregel Academic, USA, 1995, p. 228 It is responsible for teaching and ordinances, mainly the believer's baptism and the Lord's Supper,Robert Paul Lightner, Handbook of Evangelical Theology, Kregel Academic, USA, 1995, p. 234 and occasionally others such as foot washing. Each church has a particular confession of faith and a common confession of faith if it is a member of a denomination.William A. Dyrness, Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Global Dictionary of Theology: A Resource for the Worldwide Church, InterVarsity Press, USA, 2009, p. 294 Some denominations are members of a national alliance of churches of the World Evangelical Alliance.Brian Stiller, Evangelicals Around the World: A Global Handbook for the 21st Century, Thomas Nelson, USA, 2015, p. 210

Common ministries within evangelical congregations are pastor, elder, deacon, evangelist and worship leader.Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Baker Academic, USA, 2001, pp. 370, 778 The ministry of bishop with a function of supervision over churches on a regional or national scale is present in many the Evangelical Christian denominations, even if the titles president of the council or general overseer are mainly used for this function.John H. Y. Briggs, A Dictionary of European Baptist Life and Thought, Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2009, p. 53William K. Kay, Pentecostalism: A Very Short Introduction, OUP Oxford, UK, 2011, p. 81 The term bishop is explicitly used in certain denominations.Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Baker Academic, USA, 2001, p. 171 Some evangelical denominations operate according to episcopal polity or presbyterian polity. However, the most common form of church government within Evangelicalism is congregational polity. This is especially common among non-denominational evangelical churches.{{Citation |last=Balmer |first=Randall Herbert |title=Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=syUupeVJOz4C |year=2002 |place=Louisville, KY |publisher=Westminster John Knox Press |isbn=978-0-664-22409-7 |access-date=October 25, 2011 |page=549}}

Worship service in Evangelical churches is seen as an act of God's worship.Gerald R. McDermott, The Oxford Handbook of Evangelical Theology, Oxford University Press, UK, 2013, p. 311 There is no liturgy, as the conception of worship service is more informal.Roger E. Olson, The Westminster Handbook to Evangelical Theology, Westminster John Knox Press, UK, 2004, p. 284 It usually contains two main parts, the praise (Christian music) and the sermon, with periodically the Lord's Supper.Bruce E. Shields, David Alan Butzu, Generations of Praise: The History of Worship, College Press, USA, 2006, p. 307-308Robert Dusek, Facing the Music, Xulon Press, USA, 2008, p. 65 The latin cross is one of the only spiritual symbols that can usually be seen on the building of an evangelical church and that identifies the place's belonging.Mark A. Lamport, Encyclopedia of Christianity in the Global South, Volume 2, Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2018, p. 32Anne C. Loveland, Otis B. Wheeler, From Meetinghouse to Megachurch: A Material and Cultural History, University of Missouri Press, USA, 2003, p. 149 Because of their understanding of the second of the Ten Commandments, evangelicals do not have religious material representations such as statues, icons, or paintings in their places of worship.Cameron J. Anderson, The Faithful Artist: A Vision for Evangelicalism and the Arts, InterVarsity Press, USA, 2016, p. 124Doug Jones, Sound of Worship, Taylor & Francis, Abingdon-on-Thames, 2013, p. 90

The main Christian feasts celebrated by the Evangelicals are Christmas, Pentecost (by a majority of Evangelical denominations) and Easter for all believers.William H. Brackney, Historical Dictionary of the Baptists, Scarecrow Press, USA, 2009, p. 402

Daniel E. Albrecht, Rites in the Spirit: A Ritual Approach to Pentecostal/Charismatic Spirituality, Sheffield Academic Press, UK, 1999, p. 124Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Baker Academic, USA, 2001, p. 236-239

For evangelicals, the mission is based on the Great Commission given by Jesus, to share the Good News of Kingdom of God, to form disciples and to baptize the believers. In churches, there are programs of evangelism local and international.Gerald R. McDermott, The Oxford Handbook of Evangelical Theology, Oxford University Press, UK, 2013, p. 170, 350 Most evangelicals believe that the conversion of hearts is the work of God alone, by his Holy Spirit (John 16: 8), but also know that sharing faith with unbelievers is an act of gratitude for what God did for them (Mathieu 10:32) Patrice de Plunkett, Les évangéliques à la conquête du monde, Éditions Perrin, France, 2009, p. 134-135 It takes shape in the distribution of leaflets and bibles, the formation of disciples, the support to the churches and the Christian humanitarian aid.Mark A. Lamport, Encyclopedia of Christianity in the Global South, Volume 2, Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2018, p. 255 Various evangelical missionaries organizations have specialized in evangelization throughout history.

Charity, this concern for helping the needy, is one of three primary Christian virtues and a concept clearly established from the Old Testament.Frank M. Loewenberg, From Charity To Social Justice, Transaction Publishers, USA, 2001, p. 148

It is expressed first in terms of financial generosity but also in terms of time spent. It is also considered very important by most evangelical churches. Some churches give large sums of money each year on humanitarian aid (food support, medical aid, education, etc.).

This value is at the origin of the modern Christian humanitarian aid.Christian Buckley, Ryan Dobson, Humanitarian Jesus: Social Justice and the Cross, Moody Publishers, USA, 2010, p. 15

At the beginning of the 20th century, the American Baptist pastor Walter Rauschenbusch, leader of the Social Gospel movement, developed the importance of social justice and humanitarian actions in Evangelical churches.Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Baker Academic, USA, 2001, p. 1119 The majority of evangelical Christian humanitarian organizations were founded in the second half of the 20th century.Brian Steensland, Philip Goff, The New Evangelical Social Engagement, Oxford University Press USA, USA, 2014, p. 242-243 Among the most important are International Justice Mission, Prison Fellowship International, Samaritan's Purse, Mercy Ships, World Vision International.Wendy Murray Zoba, The Beliefnet Guide To Evangelical Christianity, Three Leaves Press, USA, 2005, p. XX The majority of Christian NGOs help everyone, regardless of religion.E. Ferris, "[https://www.icrc.org/eng/assets/files/other/irrc_858_ferris.pdf Faith-based and secular humanitarian organizations]", International Review of the Red Cross 87, 858 (2005), p.317

It is a belief in Christianity in general and in other monotheistic religions that at the end of time there will be a last judgment by God.Brian Stiller, Evangelicals Around the World: A Global Handbook for the 21st Century, Éditions Thomas Nelson, USA, 2015, p. 138 Jesus Christ will come back personally, corporeally, and visibly. While other religions and branches of Christianity conceive that they will be judged on the basis of their actions, an important point of evangelical Christianity is to believe that humans will be judged on their faith, namely on their acceptance or not of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord when they heard the Christian gospel in their lifetime. Good works are the consequence of the salvation and will be rewarded by the grace of God at the last judgment.

Some evangelicals uphold covenant theology while others are dispensationalists.Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Baker Academic, USA, 2001, p. 344 They divide history into seven major periods (dispensations). These 7 periods are:Timothy J. Demy Ph.D., Paul R. Shockley Ph.D., Evangelical America: An Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Religious Culture, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2017, p. 100

1. Innocence: Adam and Eve before their fall
2. Consciousness: Humanity has sinned and has to answer to God
3. The human government: From the flood, God gives a political organization to humanity
4. The reign of the patriarchs (or the promise): Abraham, God promises the blessing to him who believes in him
5. The Law: God makes an alliance with Israel for His good and the blessing of the nations
6. The Church: God completely forgives those who believe in Jesus
7. The millennium: Jesus will come back and reign for 1000 years of peace on earth

Thus, most of them believe in the second coming of Christ, or, for some, to its imminence that would then proceed to Rapture of the Church. According to them, at first, the Church will be removed (1 Thessalonians 4.16-18) and thus preserved judgments that will affect the world (Book of Revelation 3:10 ) for 7 years, then will be united to the Messiah ( Rev 19: 7-8 ) before he comes to establish the millennium: ( Rev 20: 1-6 ) peace on Earth. After which will come the Last Judgment (Rev 20: 11-15), the end times and the entry into a new world (Rev 21: 1).

• The Zionist Evangelicals: They are dispensationalists and Zionists because they believe they are at the end of the sixth dispensation. For them, the creation of the modern state of Israel (1948) corresponds to the biblical and prophetic restoration of Israel, to the restoration of the chosen people, prologue the seventh dispensation and the return of Christ.Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Baker Academic, USA, 2001, p. 1309 To help the full establishment of Israel and to support it is therefore to follow the plan and the will of God.

• Non-Zionist Evangelicals: Though thinking to be in the sixth dispensation, they doubt or even perceive at all modern Israel as being the kingdom of Israel to be restored by the divine will.Tarek Mitri, Au nom de la Bible, au nom de l'Amérique, Labor et Fides, Genève, 2004, p. 183 For them, the modern state is a resultant of men and not of God; in this sense, they join the position Haredi or ultra-Orthodox Jews. To support this non-divine, non-prophetic Israel could then go against the divine will; their attitude thus oscillates between neutrality and hostility towards the state of Israel.
• Non-dispensationalist Evangelicals: For them dispensationalism is a doctrine developed especially by Cyrus Scofield, human, not even mentioned in the Bible and therefore without any divine inspiration or foundation. However, this does not prevent them from estimating the second coming of Christ more or less close in time. Their attitude toward the state of Israel is therefore variable but generally neutral.

A particularly controversial doctrine in the Evangelical Churches is that of the prosperity theology, which spread in the 1970s and 1980s in the United States, mainly through televangelism.Randall Herbert Balmer, Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism: Revised and expanded edition, Baylor University Press, USA, 2004, p. 562 This doctrine is centered on the teaching of Christian faith as a means to enrich oneself financially and materially, through a "positive confession" and a contribution to Christian ministries.Kate Bowler, Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel, OUP USA, USA, 2013, p. 59 Promises of divine healing and prosperity are guaranteed in exchange for certain amounts of donations.Laure Atmann,

[http://www.notreafrik.com/au-nom-de-dieu-et-du-fric/ Au nom de Dieu et… du fric!] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160130080011/http://www.notreafrik.com/au-nom-de-dieu-et-du-fric/ |date=2016-01-30 }}, notreafrik.com, Belgium, July 26, 2015Bob Smietana,

[https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2018/july/prosperity-gospel-survey-churchgoers-prosper-tithe-blessing.html Prosperity Gospel Taught to 4 in 10 Evangelical Churchgoers], christianitytoday.com, USA, July 31, 2018Gina Meeks,

[http://www.charismanews.com/us/44293-megachurch-pastor-ed-young-promises-to-refund-tithe-if-god-doesn-t-open-the-windows-of-heaven Megachurch Pastor Ed Young Promises to Refund Tithe if God Doesn't Open the Windows of Heaven], charismanews.com, USA, June 16, 2014 Fidelity in the tithe would allow one to avoid the curses of God, the attacks of the devil and poverty.John Blake, [https://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/us/sunday-stickup/index.html How passing the plate becomes the 'Sunday morning stickup'], cnn.com, USA, June 14, 2015Raoul Mbog, [https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2015/12/25/le-juteux-business-du-pasteur-evangelique-dieunedort-kamdem_4838146_3212.html Le juteux business du pasteur évangélique Dieunedort Kamdem], lemonde.fr, France, December 25, 2015Venance Konan,

[http://www.koffi.net/koffi/actualite/6402-Eglises-evangeliques-d-Abidjan-Au-nom-du-pere-du-fils-et-du-business.htm Églises évangéliques d’Abidjan - Au nom du père, du fils et... du business], koffi.net, Ivory Coast, May 10, 2007 The offerings and the tithe occupies a lot of time in the worship services.Serge Alain Koffi, [https://www.connectionivoirienne.net/2021/04/04/proliferation-des-eglises-evangeliques-en-cote-divoire-le-reveil-du-business-spirituel-enquete/ Prolifération des églises évangéliques en Côte d’Ivoire: Le réveil du business spirituel (ENQUÊTE)], connectionivoirienne.net, Ivory Coast, April 04, 2021 Often associated with the tithe mandatory, this doctrine is sometimes compared to a religious business.Laurie Goodstein,

[https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/us/16gospel.html Believers Invest in the Gospel of Getting Rich], nytimes.com, USA, August 15, 2009Jean-Christophe Laurence,

[http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/national/201011/17/01-4343412-le-business-religieux.php Le business religieux], lapresse.ca, Canada, November 17, 2010

Trésor Kibangula, [https://www.jeuneafrique.com/134687/politique/rdc-pasteur-un-job-en-or/ RDC : pasteur, un job en or], jeuneafrique.com, France, February 06, 2014 It is criticized by pastors and church unions, such as the National Council of Evangelicals of France, in France.Henrik Lindell, [http://www.lavie.fr/religion/protestantisme/theologie-de-la-prosperite-quand-dieu-devient-un-distributeur-de-miracles-08-08-2012-29858_18.php Théologie de la prospérité : quand Dieu devient un distributeur de miracles], lavie.fr, France, August 8, 2012AFP, [http://www.lepoint.fr/societe/le-ruineux-evangile-des-theologiens-de-la-prosperite-26-03-2013-1646315_23.php Le ruineux Evangile des "théologiens de la prospérité"], lepoint.fr, France, March 26, 2013

{{Portal|Evangelical Christianity|}}

• World Evangelical Alliance
• Bible
• Born again
• Worship service (evangelicalism)
• Jesus Christ
• Believers' Church

{{Reflist}}

• Roger E. Olson, The Westminster Handbook to Evangelical Theology, Westminster John Knox Press, USA, 2004
• Gerald R. McDermott, The Oxford Handbook of Evangelical Theology, Oxford University Press, UK, 2013
• Timothy Larsen, Daniel J. Treier, The Cambridge Companion to Evangelical Theology, Cambridge University Press, UK, 2007
• Paul Jewett, God, Creation and Revelation: A Neo-Evangelical Theology, Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2000
• Gary J. Dorrien, The Remaking of Evangelical Theology, Westminster John Knox Press, USA, 1998
• Roger E. Olson, The Westminster Handbook to Evangelical Theology, Westminster John Knox Press, USA, 2004
• Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Baker Academic, USA, 2001
• Roger E. Olson, Pocket History of Evangelical Theology, InterVarsity Press, USA, 2007
• Robert Paul Lightner, Handbook of Evangelical Theology, Kregel Academic, USA, 1995

{{Christian theology by tradition}}

{{Authority control}}