The Spirit of Evangelical Christianity

The desire to conserve and to strengthen evangelical Christianity in our day is evidence of a vigorous religious life. This solicitude is greatly needed in the transition period through which we are passing. But there is danger that the real spirit of evangelicalism may be missed. In historical evan...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Smith, Gerald Birney (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: University of Chicago Press 1922
In: The journal of religion
Year: 1922, Volume: 2, Issue: 6, Pages: 624-634
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Summary:The desire to conserve and to strengthen evangelical Christianity in our day is evidence of a vigorous religious life. This solicitude is greatly needed in the transition period through which we are passing. But there is danger that the real spirit of evangelicalism may be missed. In historical evangelicalism primary stress has been laid on the creation of a profound religious experience in the individual, rather than on the necessity of submitting to an authoritative system. Luther, Pietism, and the Methodist movement all represent this emphasis. We cannot point to a distinctive evangelical theology as differentiating evangelicalism from the types of Christianity which it opposed in Protestantism. The spirit of evangelicalism is the spirit of persuasive appeal rather than that of citing an authoritative system. Whenever heresy-hunting or theological disputation is foremost, the spirit of evangelicalism is in danger of being lost. Evangelical Christianity may inspire a restatement of doctrine in our day.
ISSN:1549-6538
Contains:Enthalten in: The journal of religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1086/480322