Editor’s Note: Today and tomorrow we feature essays on Evangelicalism and Anglo-Catholicism, not as old party lines but as contributions, opportunities, and invitations to deeper discipleship and commitment to mission.
The word “Evangelical” has become a theologically loaded epithet. Detached from its history, this word now has as many political and sociological overtones as theological or spiritual. Episcopalians should be particularly wary of the way this word has come to be used. By distancing themselves from it, Episcopalians lose a part of their inheritance as Christians.
The phrase from which we derive evangelical is found in the New Testament: good news. From that word we have the word gospel. It was originally used by the despots of Rome to announce their ruler (along with new taxes). The proclamation “good news” would be made, and the people would have to obey. But the first followers of Jesus the Christ lifted the word from the Romans and applied it not to the rule of Augustus Caesar but to the rule of the true Son of God and king.
The “evangel” is the proclamation of the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. This emphasis on “good news” is essential. All too often, “good news” becomes exceptionally bad news when not filtered through “the whole counsel of God” as summarized in the Great Commandment. But what is this good news that constitutes this gospel? In 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, Paul provides a succinct answer, which we receive and by which we are saved and in which we stand. Here we read that the gospel centers on the scriptural standard.
For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to someone untimely born, he appeared also to me.
The good news is, therefore, about Jesus Christ who died for our sins, was raised for our justification, appeared publicly and privately before others, ascended into Heaven, sits at the right hand of the Father, and will return. The historic, biblical gospel is about sin, salvation, sanctification and glorification—God’s gracious good work for us, in us, and through us.
As followers of Jesus Christ, as people whose hearts and minds are shaped by Scripture and certainly as Episcopalians attentive to our prayer books, evangelicals identify themselves with the priorities, principles, and practices of those who first heard the good news, those who received what Paul describes as “of first importance.” This is our beginning, our foundation. I am reminded of Bishop Lancelot Andrewes’ emphasis on “One Bible, Two Testaments, Three Creeds.” This is an evangelical Episcopal emphasis.
Evangelicalism, as a post-Reformation Protestant phenomenon, certainly had its presence within Anglicanism. It was not a foreign interloper. Upon preaching the gospel in the United States and Great Britan, the Wesley brothers and George Whitfield inspired considerable excitement about the good news of Jesus Christ. Preachers like Charles Simeon breathed life into their congregations only because they stayed so close to the God-breathed word of Scripture.
In the early 20th century, evangelicals in America faced not only sluggish religiosity but also a rise in human-centered skepticism. A schism occurred within the Presbyterian Church, including the decamping of some faculty members from Princeton Seminary to form Westminster Theological Seminary. This is the beginning of “fundamentalism,” namely the assertion of five fundamentals: the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture, the virgin birth of Jesus, Christ’s death as an atonement for sin, the bodily resurrection of Jesus, and the historical reality of Jesus’ miracles. Perhaps even our understanding of that word needs sobering.
What marks evangelicalism today, though, and especially what might be some areas for evangelical witness within the Episcopal Church?
Although evangelicals are exceptionally diverse, there are certain distinctions. Most simply, there is the clear confession of “one Lord, one Faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.” More specifically, and citing the 19th-century Church of England bishop J.C. Ryle, evangelicalism is marked by a belief that (1) we are sinners, (2) Jesus Christ is our only Savior, (3) Scripture is God’s Word that was written for our teaching, our practices, and our moral theology, (4) the Holy Spirit is essential to spiritual life and (5) evangelism is not a Christian option but a Christian expectation.
Evangelicals are invested in the church always seeking to conform itself to Christ—therefore the adage semper reformanda, always reforming. As we are not perfect, the church is always a place for the curing work of the Spirit. Consequently, we are consciously and consistently seeking the Savior and his sanctifying work in, among, and through us.
There is likewise a constant need for refreshment and renewal, an obligation to acknowledge through the sabbath the active sovereignty of God and the provision of his Holy Spirit. We need the breath of God to send fresh graces upon us.
These simple principles—being grounded in Scripture, focused on Christ’s work for us, a reliance on the gift of the Spirit, and a divine commission to share the good news—mark evangelicalism. The Episcopal Church, including individuals and parishes, could do much worse than embrace this vision.
The Rev. Donald Richmond, DMin, DD is a Guest Writer. He is a semi-retired priest and worships and serves at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Auburn, California.
