Given that evangelical means different things to different people, it is important to clarify what I mean by the term. Historian David Bebbington’s definition has been accepted by many as a good starting point. He outlines four characteristics:
■ Conversionism: the belief that lives need to be transformed through a “born-again” experience and a lifelong process of following Jesus.
■ Activism: the expression and demonstration of the gospel in missionary and social reform efforts.
■ Biblicism: a high regard for and obedience to the Bible as the ultimate authority.
■ Crucicentrism: a stress on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as making possible the redemption of humanity.



McCaulley, Esau. Reading While Black (pp. 9-1. InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.

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Talking about Jesus while ignoring the way of Jesus has created an American Christianity that is far more American than it is Christian. Paying all our spiritual attention to the message of Jesus while ignoring his practices has not only led people like me into devastating life crises, it has also created a country of Christians whose practical lives are divorced from their actual faith. How else do we explain a country of Christians who preach a radical gospel of

Earley, Justin Whitmel. The Common Rule (p. 17). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.

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