Why the Word, “Evangelical,” Is in Trouble

In the first session of the 2019 EFCA Theology Preconference, “Evangel, Evangelical, Evangelicalism and the EFCA,” Dr. Mark Noll, research professor of history at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, explored the historical and global perspective of the word, “evangelical,” within a 21st Century context.

In Dr. Noll’s lecture, he outlined definitions for “evangelical” and “evangelicalism” and unpacked how white Americans and African-Americans can share so much in their personal religion, yet differ so drastically in their political allegiance.

“The very high level of white evangelical support for Donald Trump is like nothing seen in America’s recent religious-political history except for the even higher percentage of support that Bible-believing African-Americans have given to Democrats since the 1960s. To mention this one other, exceedingly strong political connection immediately spotlights why the word, ‘evangelical,’ is in trouble.” — Dr. Mark Noll

Listen to the full lecture in the EFCA Theology Podcast episode, and stay tuned for the upcoming podcasts from the conference. If you missed other episodes from the conference, find them in the EFCA Theology Podcast archives.