Page 418 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

NEW EVANGELICAL

has no light of eternity in its eyes. It is a poor, sickly College, Westminster, The Evangelical Divinity School,
thing, born of the union of the heart of the world with and Moody Bible Institute.
the head of Christian theology--a mongrel, bastard New Evangelicalism has been broadcast through
thing with a backslidden church for its mother and the powerful print, radio, and television media. Christianity
world for its father. Oh, my dear brother and sister,
never forget that this unnatural monster will be Today, for example, was founded in 1956 to voice the
destroyed at the coming-again of our Blessed Lord new philosophy. It was distributed freely for the first
Jesus Christ (James A. Stewart, Pot-Pourri Evangelism, two years to ministers in the U.S.A., Canada, Great
pp. 25-28). Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, and also sent freely
Countless other examples could be given to show to missionaries throughout the world. Large Christian
that Evangelicalism of past generations involved publishers such as Eerdmans, Zondervan, InterVarsity
contending plainly for the faith and separating from Press, Tyndale House, Moody Press, Thomas Nelson,
error. When was the last time you read things like the Baker Book House, and Broadman, have promoted the
above, that we have quoted from the pens of old-line New Evangelical philosophy.
Protestants and Evangelicals, in Christianity Today New Evangelicalism has been promoted through
magazine or preached by Billy Graham or Charles large conferences, such as the International Congress on
Colson or Charles Swindoll or Max Lucado or John World Evangelization (Lausanne, Switzerland, July
Maxwell or James Dobson or other popular Evangelicals 1974) and the International Conference on Itinerant
today? Sadly, today’s Evangelicalism is almost 100% in Evangelists at Amsterdam in 1983, 1986, and 1999.
the business of upholding “potpourri evangelism” and Because of the tremendous influence of these men
“turfing the road of Roman Catholicism.” Even the most and organizations, New Evangelical thought has swept
conservative of Southern Baptist Evangelicals do not the globe. Today it is no exaggeration to say that almost
speak out boldly against the Pope after the former without exception those who call themselves Evangelicals
fashion or against the ecumenical evangelism practiced are New Evangelicals; the terms have become synonymous.
by their fellow Evangelicals such as Billy and Franklin Old-line Evangelicals, with rare exceptions, have either
Graham and Luis Palau. aligned with the Fundamentalist movement or have
THE INFLUENCE OF NEW EVANGELICALISM adopted New Evangelicalism. For all practical purposes
New Evangelicalism was popular, appealing to the the Evangelical movement today is the New Evangelical
carnality and lust of the age, and it spread rapidly to movement.
become the prominent doctrine among Evangelicals. “Part of the current confusion regarding New
New Evangelicalism was popularized through Evangelicalism stems from the fact that there is now
pleasing personalities. It has been adopted by such well- little difference between evangelicalism and New
known Christian leaders as Billy Graham, Bill Bright, Evangelicalism. The principles of the original New
Evangelicalism have become so universally accepted by
Harold Lindsell, John R.W. Stott, Luis Palau, E.V. Hill, those who refer to themselves as evangelicals that any
Leighton Ford, Charles Stanley, Bill Hybels, Warren distinctions which might have been made years ago are
Wiersbe, Chuck Colson, Donald McGavran, Jack Van all but lost. It is no doubt true to state that ‘Ockenga’s
Impe, Tony Campolo, Arthur Glasser, D. James Kennedy, designation of the new movement as New or Neo-
David Hocking, Charles Swindoll, Max Lucado, John Evangelical was abbreviated to Evangelical. ... Thus
Maxwell, Tony Evans, and a multitude of other men today we speak of this branch of conservative
(and women). Christianity simply as the Evangelical
New Evangelicalism became the working principle of movement’” (Ernest Pickering, The Tragedy of
Compromise, p. 96).
large interdenominational and parachurch organizations
such as the National Association of Evangelicals, THE CHARACTERISTICS OF NEW EVANGELICALISM
National Religious Broadcasters, Youth for Christ, The following are important characteristics of New
Campus Crusade for Christ, Back to the Bible, Evangelicalism that will enable the Bible believer to
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, the Evangelical identify it. Not every New Evangelical will hold to every
Alliance of Britain, Lausanne Committee for World one of these characteristics, but every New Evangelical
Evangelization, World Vision, Operation Mobilization, will hold to most of them, particularly to the
the Evangelical Foreign Mission Association, World repudiation of separation, the love for positivism, a
Evangelical Fellowship, and the National Sunday School judge-not philosophy, exalting love and unity above
Association, to name a few. doctrine, pragmatism, pride of scholarship, an anti-
New Evangelicalism has spread through educational fundamentalism attitude, and a mood of softness and
institutions such as Fuller Theological Seminary, neutrality.
Wheaton College, Gordon-Conwell, BIOLA, Regent 1. New evangelicalism is characterized by a repudiation
of separation.

418 Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity