Evangelicalism, also known as Evangelical Christianity, is a movement within Protestant Christianity that places particular emphasis on the Bible, personal conversion, and spreading the message of Jesus Christ. Present on every continent, it encompasses a wide variety of churches and communities that share certain fundamental religious convictions but have no single central authority or unified organization.
The word “evangelical” comes from the term “Gospel,” itself derived from the Greek euangelion, meaning “good news.” In Christianity, this expression refers to the message of Jesus Christ and the proclamation of salvation. The term can also describe a desire to return to the teachings of the Gospel. In its contemporary religious meaning, however, evangelicalism primarily refers to the Evangelical Protestant movement.
It is important to distinguish between “evangelical” and “evangelist.” The former refers to a Christian belonging to the Evangelical movement, while the latter may refer to the authors of the four Gospels in the New Testament or to someone devoted to preaching Christianity. Evangelism, meanwhile, describes the activity of spreading the Christian message, rather than a particular religious denomination.
The origins of Evangelical Christianity can be traced to the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century, although the movement took its modern form primarily during the eighteenth century, through major religious revivals in Europe and North America. These movements, often referred to as the Great Awakenings, sought to renew Christian faith by emphasizing personal religious experience and the need for a transformation of one’s life.
Preachers such as John Wesley, George Whitefield, and Jonathan Edwards played important roles in this development. Their teachings helped spread an understanding of Christianity in which faith was based not merely on membership in a church, but on personal conviction and commitment. This history is examined in detail in The Oxford Handbook of Early Evangelicalism.
Evangelical Christians share the central beliefs of Christianity. They believe in God, in Jesus Christ, and in his death and resurrection. They generally affirm the Trinity, the belief in one God in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Four characteristics are traditionally associated with Evangelical Christianity. The first is the authority of the Bible, regarded as the fundamental reference for faith and conduct. The second is the importance of personal conversion, sometimes described as being “born again,” through which an individual makes a conscious commitment to the Christian faith. The third is the central role attributed to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in human salvation.
The fourth is the commitment to sharing this faith through preaching, teaching, and action.
These four characteristics, notably formulated by the historian David Bebbington, are widely used in academic studies of Evangelical Christianity.
Religious practices vary considerably between communities. Worship services generally include prayer, singing, Bible readings, and a sermon delivered by a pastor. Some churches favor simple, traditional services, while others use modern musical instruments, contemporary worship songs, and more spontaneous forms of religious expression.
Baptism also occupies an important place. Many Evangelical churches, particularly Baptist and Pentecostal congregations, reserve baptism for individuals who have personally professed their faith and practice it through immersion in water. Other Evangelical traditions continue to baptize infants.
Evangelical Christianity does not constitute a single church. It includes Baptists, Pentecostals, certain Methodist churches, independent congregations, and Evangelical movements operating within historic Protestant denominations.
Pentecostals, who emerged in the early twentieth century, place particular emphasis on the activity of the Holy Spirit and on practices such as speaking in tongues and prayer for healing. Baptists place greater emphasis on believers’ baptism and the autonomy of local congregations. Independent churches may adopt widely differing forms of organization.
In France, Evangelical Christianity has experienced significant growth since the middle of the twentieth century. According to the National Council of Evangelicals of France (Conseil national des évangéliques de France, CNEF), the country has approximately 745,000 practicing Evangelical Christians and 2,530 places of worship. Established in 2010, the CNEF brings together numerous church unions and associations, although it does not represent the entire movement. Some Evangelical churches also belong to the Protestant Federation of France.
Worldwide, Evangelical Christianity encompasses several hundred million believers. The World Evangelical Alliance, founded in 1846, is one of its principal international organizations for cooperation. The movement is particularly prominent in North America, sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and several Asian countries.
Evangelical churches hold diverse positions on social, political, and moral issues. Some adopt strongly conservative views, while others emphasize social engagement, humanitarian assistance, the protection of human rights, or peacebuilding. The political positions frequently associated with American Evangelicals do not necessarily reflect those of Evangelical communities elsewhere in the world.
Finally, the meaning of the word “Evangelical” varies between countries. In Germany, for example, the term evangelisch commonly refers to Protestantism as a whole, particularly Lutheran and Reformed churches, rather than exclusively to Evangelical Christianity in the modern sense.
Today, Evangelical Christianity constitutes one of the major movements within global Protestantism. Despite its considerable diversity, it is primarily characterized by the importance it places on the Bible, personal faith, and the transmission of the Christian message.