Page 315 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

INSPIRATION

In the foreword to Dr. Harold Lindsell’s book The broadcast across the world. New Evangelicalism became
Battle for the Bible, Ockenga stated the position of New the working principle of large interdenominational
Evangelicalism: organizations such as the National Association of
“Neo-evangelicalism was born in 1948 in connection Evangelicals, National Religious Broadcasters, Youth for
with a convocation address which I gave in the Civic Christ, Campus Crusade, Back to the Bible, InterVarsity
Auditorium in Pasadena. While reaffirming the Christian Fellowship, World Vision, Operation
theological view of Fundamentalism, this address Mobilization, the Evangelical Foreign Mission
repudiated its ecclesiology and its social theory. The Association, World Evangelical Fellowship, the National
ringing call for A REPUDIATION OF SEPARATISM and Sunday School Association, etc. It was spread through
the summons to social involvement received a hearty educational institutions such as Fuller Theological
response from many Evangelicals. It differed from Seminary, Wheaton College, Gordon-Conwell, BIOLA,
Fundamentalism in its repudiation of separatism and
its determination to engage itself in the theological and Moody Bible Institute. Countless conferences have
dialogue of the day. It had a new emphasis upon the been organized to promote New Evangelicalism. Two of
application of the gospel to the sociological, political, the largest and most influential were Amsterdam ‘83
and economic areas of life.” and Amsterdam ‘86 which were sponsored by Billy
The New Evangelical philosophy called for dialogue Graham Ministries and were attended by thousands of
with modernists rather than separation from them. The preachers from across the world.
New Evangelical called upon God’s people to stay in the Because of the tremendous influence of these men
modernistic mainline denominations rather than leave and organizations, New Evangelical thought has swept
them, to study at the feet of modernists in their the globe. Today it is no exaggeration to say that almost
theological institutions rather than reject them as without exception those who call themselves
heretics. The result was foreseeable. The Evangelical Evangelicals are New Evangelicals; the terms have
world has been infected by modernistic thought. become synonymous. Old-line Evangelicals, with rare
Ockenga may or may not have coined the term “New exceptions, have either aligned with the Fundamentalist
Evangelicalism,” but it is certain that the movement movement or have adopted New Evangelicalism.
itself was not “born” with his convocation address. He The breakdown of separation from modernism
did not create the movement; he merely labeled and among New Evangelicals has resulted in the downgrade
described the new mood of positivism and non- of the doctrine of biblical inspiration. This has been
militancy that was quickly permeating his generation. documented by Evangelical leaders themselves.
Ockenga and the new generation of Evangelicals, Billy Harold Lindsell, former vice-president of Fuller
Graham figuring most prominently, determined to Theological Seminary and editor emeritus of
abandon a militant Bible stance. Instead, they would Christianity Today, published two volumes on the
pursue dialogue, intellectualism, and appeasement. downgrade of the Bible in Evangelicalism, with
They determined to stay within apostate denominations particular focus on Fuller Seminary, the Southern
to attempt to change things from within rather than Baptist Convention, and the Lutheran Church-Missouri
practice biblical separation. The New Evangelical would Synod. Lindsell’s The Battle for the Bible was first
dialogue with those who teach error rather than published in 1976. The sequel, The Bible in the Balance,
proclaim the Word of God boldly and without came out in 1979. This careful documentation by a
compromise. man who was in the inner circle of Evangelicalism’s
The New Evangelical leaven spread rapidly. New leadership for many decades leaves no doubt about the
Evangelical philosophy has been adopted by such well- fact that the Evangelical world of the last half of the
known Christian leaders as Billy Graham, Bill Bright, twentieth century is leavened with apostasy.
Harold Lindsell, John R.W. Stott, Luis Palau, E.V. Hill, In 1984, well-known Evangelical leader Francis
Leighton Ford, Charles Stanley, Bill Hybels, Warren Schaeffer published The Great Evangelical Disaster. The
Wiersbe, Chuck Colson, Donald McGavran, Tony book’s title describes the thesis. The cover jacket says,
Campolo, Arthur Glasser, D. James Kennedy, David “In this explosive new book Dr. Francis Schaeffer
Hocking, Charles Swindoll, and a host of other men. exposes the rise of compromise and accommodation,
New Evangelicalism was popularized through pleasant and the tragic consequences of this, within the
personalities and broadcast through powerful print, evangelical church.” The issue that Schaeffer called “the
radio, and television media. Christianity Today was watershed of Evangelicalism” is the inspiration and
founded in 1956 to voice the new philosophy. Through authority of the Bible. He testified, “Within
publishing houses such as InterVarsity Press, Zondervan, evangelicalism there are a growing number who are
Tyndale House Publishers, Moody Press, and Thomas modifying their views on the inerrancy of the Bible so
Nelson—to name a few—New Evangelical thinking was

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