Tom Jonard on the Neo-Evangelicals
W.Neo-Evangelical
is a neologism that is introduced in Being
Presbyterian in the Bible Belt: A Theological Survival Guide for Youth,
Parents, and Other Confused Presbyterians by Ted V. Foote and P. Alex
Thornburg (Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, 2000). They apply
this term to that currently popular type of American Christianity characterized
by independent, sometimes charismatic churches that heavily emphasize being
saved and saving others. Their point is that simply calling these
churches evangelical is incorrect because all Christian churches are evangelical
since the call to go into the world and bear witness to the Good News of
the Kingdom of God is central to the Christian faith. No one church
can exclusively claim this calling. We do however differ about what
that calling means and how to go about it. I happen to belong to
a traditional branch of Christianity that believes we are commanded to
teach, heal and comfort first. We witness to the presence the Kingdom
of God here and now through action not through recruitment into the Kingdom
of God bye and bye.
Created October 11, 2002,
© 2002, Thomas A. Jonard