EVANGELICAL MANIFESTO

Evangelicals come in all shapes and sizes. That truth emerged publicly last week in a new document produced by a host of evangelical leaders with diverse sociopolitical persuasions. The document's steering committee boasts of true theologians who part company with the more visible, yet misguided pop culture evangelicals. I will comment on the document at some point in the near future following a heavy reading of the material. In the meantime, however, I applaud this point from the manifesto establishing evangelical identity and perhaps refuting stereotypical images produced by a secular media:

Our first task is to reaffirm who we are. Evangelicals are Christians who define themselves, their faith, and their lives according to the Good News of Jesus of Nazareth. (Evangelical comes from the Greek word for good news, or gospel.) Believing that the Gospel of Jesus is God’s good news for the whole world, we affirm with the Apostle Paul that we are “not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation.” Contrary to widespread misunderstanding today, we Evangelicals should be defined theologically, and not politically, socially, or culturally.

Indeed evangelicals walk down all roads of life. Some choose politics of both liberal and conservative persuasion, while others remain true to preaching purely from the Bible and allowing the chips to fall wherever they may. Sadly, political involvement has adulterated the truth about this deeply religious group.
Read the manifesto here.