Can the 'E-word' be saved?

The term "evangelical" has, unfortunately, become short-hand for politically conservative Christians. USA Today asks if the word can recover.

Will the word continue to drift into a pejorative realm with "fundamentalist," losing the meaning forever?

Can it be "born again" with a renewed emphasis on what being an evangelical means and what it doesn't mean?

I see no way to recapture the terminology. It has become fastened within society's lexicon and apart from those who claim the title, most hold a negative view of those associated with it.

What was odd or at least telling about the USA Today article was their method of restoring the term seemed to coincide with evangelicals becoming more liberal or shifting toward the Democrats.

To me, the way to bring back the actual meaning of the term is to downplay any and all connections to politics and focus on the doctrinal teachings common to all evangelicals.

It's not that evangelicals should not be involved in politics or allow their faith to influence their voting, but they should realize that politics are of secondary concern to evangelicals - especially since the term means "messengers of the good news" of Jesus.

Comments

[Silver Hallide]

I think the damage has already been done and the term can never really be salvaged and restored to its original meaning.

I draw the following parallel in societal America:

The right has successfully been able to castigate the term Liberal and transform it into a dirty word (Liberal = Bad, will damage the country, Liberals will take X right away from you, etc).

Similarly, the Left in response to being labeled as Evil from some quarters, the overt and in your face Religion is Politics/Politics is Religion, and the perception of Evangelicals by some as being on the fringe on some issues, has been successful in turning the label Evangelical on the national stage into one of extremism.

I am not saying that I share this belief, but that is the backlash that I am seeing towards the label Evangelicals since the term has been broadened to include not only faith, but a politcal movement in this country.

Based upon history with the term "Liberal" in the last 30 years, I don't see Evangelical coming home to its former purity.

[Lawanda]

I never knew people called themselves "Evangelicals" (with a capital E no less) until just before I found this site! And I have been to church every sunday of my life except when I was fevered, puking, or having a baby! (Can count those days even without using my toes too ;) )

I am not worried about the root word of evangelical, which is in the bible, the word evangelist. People who study the Bible and other books - you know, the ones who really care - they will understand it. Everyone who is a christian is not an evangelist anyway. Read Ephesians 4:11.

[Aaron]

Silver, that is a good comparison and probably a very apt one.

Lawanda, it is kind of a short hand for people who hold to certain doctrinal views, one of which is the importance of missions and evangelical effort, not that they themselves are evangelists.