Sociology Of Evangelical Movements
The page for the Sociology of evangelical movements.
Summary |
Foundations identity
Evangelical churches see themselves as relatives of the first Christians living in the first century AD under the Roman Empire: the persecution and opposition of society are considered the normal batch inherent to the "true" Christian churches instead of consensus , settled comfortably and secular on earth. Their relationship to the world is underpinned by an opposition, an opposition between those who received the Light and those who have not received. Indeed, according to the Scriptures, mankind fell in the garden of Eden under the authority of the devil , the human being both a victim and blame for this state where darkness occupy more space than light The true light was that which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. ... He came home, and His own did not receive but to all who received him, he gave them the right to be children of God, even to them that believe on his name which are born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man but of God.
These movements feel so at odds with the march of a world they see thrall to the forces of darkness, potentially enemy of the Christian faith. Moreover, membership in God and the mystical body of the church takes precedence over any affiliation to any human society whatsoever. Although the followers of these movements involve the whole into perfect citizens, there is some distance on the merits of Christianity integrated into society, even as a separate state that we know TODAY 'Today in many democracies.
The disagreement is not only with non-Christians, but also with parts of the Christian world view as corrupt and spiritually forgetful character 'heavenly' and the sacred role of the Church on earth. The divide is particularly strong with the major churches ( Catholic , Reformed , Orthodox , etc..) considered gentrified and institutional. The pastor or evangelist teacher feels closest disciple or the Apostle persecution in Rome today that the priest considered a little too tied to its bell, its liturgy and traditions. It is a position fundamentalist (peaceful), which crystallizes with difficulty in an institution, and when that happens, the price of a crisis. This informal nature that it can not be any recognition of the world. The Christian according to the apostle Paul , a leading figure of Evangelicals, has no place on this earth, but its citizenship in heaven
As expressed by the adjective evangelical churches are meant those faithful to the Gospel they consider unwavering - biblical inerrancy - immutable and incorruptible. Their members may not recognize themselves in the political and ideological hopes that feed the humanism of a world where truth is plural. From the time the Gospel, the source and foundation, is rejected or not accepted as absolute truth, followers come into resistance in a 'spiritual bush' in which they find their legitimacy.
Since the only reference is the sacred text and its meaning revealed is authentic, we spend a lot of time studying. In the absence of a responsible person of the theological unity as the bishop (or the Pope ) in the Episcopal churches of this study emerge from theological currents differ somewhat from each other. There are plural textual interpretations, often atypical and surprising, sometimes shocking or controversial. So there are many evangelists and no unified formal creed.
Identity through history
We can not speak for evangelical Christians and their relationship to the world without reference to the Reformation. Moreover, in the sixteenth century, the term "evangelical" meant the Reformers or "evangelical men," a term that Luther adopted it as "die Evangelisehen"
The great spiritual awakening that is the Reformation in Europe will be crystallized in what is now called the Reformed Church in France or Germany and Lutheran will give Anglicanism in England. But these new large clusters of faith will emerge during the nineteenth and twentieth century as a retreat to religiosity and denial of Christian identity while civil peace in Western Europe is weakening. Then, of place, particularly in England, the great awakening and a return of thousands of people to a purer Christianity. The great revival preachers will all give a color and a personal note to their theology even if he emerges a common to all: the gospel. That is why today there is a plurality of evangelical theology in a huge evangelical movement. An evangelical church is almost always linked to a theological movement.
The report to the authority
"Bible in hand, everything is a Protestant pope ... "
Of the Reformation, the churches are so interesting in structural reconstruction of the church which has been produced, in that it calls into question basic principles including the report to the authority, either way exogenous vis--vis civilian authorities, but also endogenously, in its own organizational structure and governance. Yet what is more characteristic and crucial to understand that a group's report to the authority?
On this operating point inside, it is interesting to note at the outset, as many Roman Catholic church that his great opponent, the current Reform and all the current evangelical in his suite, all have seen this temporary authority and localized was the apostles in the first century. This authority to own the original Church, was recognized by all, had suffered no revolution, was coated with wisdom and divine revelation, and gave the Apostles the power to decide on theological disputes (including the first Council of Jerusalem ). But: After those days, difficult because of the persecution, but happy because of the unit, what about authority in the Church, once the apostles died?
In response, the Roman Catholic Church will put a man, a priest, through the spiritual lineage of the popes, apostolic authority to extend this in time, while the Reformation and the evangelical trend after him, substitutes a Book: the New Testament. The New Testament was written entirely to 90% by apostles , their seems to be a more faithful reflection and inspiration to their liking than the history of popes. This authority of the New Testament, the Old, the Gospels, short of whole of Scripture, would give the evangelical Protestants and the ability to distinguish itself in any other form of authority and in particular to religious leaders.
Consequently, this reference to the Written Word as authority, gives a large part in teaching. The letter killeth, the Spirit gives life . On this point, interpretation and education that we find differences, including on this very hot - an evangelical church to another - that is the question of authority concerning the church itself. Everyone understood that, following the baptism of the Church , the Spirit of God gave the Christians or the driver, one who illumines the Scriptures, but in action and reality, much of the local liturgy comes to mix biblical text is a kind of personal credo, to maintain an ad hoc doctrinal line.
As for teaching, several forms of government can exist without resembling (or episcopal collegial forms). The authorities of the church or movement that legitimacy to maintain good spiritual direction to members and ensure a correct understanding of biblical truth.
It should not however present the different evangelical churches Pentecostal, Baptist, etc.. as pure divergence: there are certainly large divisions, there are points on which there is no single answer, and in any case, with regard to the fundamentals of Christianity, almost everything essential is common.
Strong identity and communities of conviction
This allows us to outline a sociological portrait of this group because of this allegiance to God alone, and despite a civic integration of people were still dealing with a social group that does not mix. Since there are also independent of major ecclesiastical training, he maintains that culture and currents of the plurality, and that he did not real representation (however, there are federations evangelicals), it is also difficult to know his body of doctrine or political position or opinion on major social issues like abortion, euthanasia ...
Yet despite this apparent dispersion exists beyond the differences, a strong anchoring on a biblical text and a faith in the person of Jesus Christ and fully shared the common denominator in all these movements is in itself a powerful doctrinal base that could unite all the different evangelical groups rather than separate them in case of general crisis.
It is also true that, first, that faith based on love and salvation of mankind and secondly, the determination to keep integrity as a Christian in a hostile world, can give the same feeling of ambiguity that carry with them such words as 'communalism' or 'fundamentalism'. Because we can not talk about 'good' communitarianism, if they share the same values to many, and 'good' fundamentalism, for keeping these values with pugnacity, against all odds? A priori whether these concepts are initially rather frightening qualities and nothing short of a collective sharing of beliefs. Slippage and ultimately the level of danger is more about quality values promoted and the level of blindness of interest, blindness according to its strength, determines the degree of sectarianism.
Or precisely, it is to judge the quality of these values is at stake here: because the values of Christianity often considered reactionary go against the grain for many of those of modern society.
Antinomy peaceful world
Because of this multifaceted identity and the independence of churches, it is also unwise to keep generalities about 'evangelical Christians'. It seems that after having identified the specific general, we can characterize these movements as fundamentalist community, knowing there will always be a strong likelihood of entrenched positions, even opposing, but non-violent, with mainstream companies around them by the concept of 'world'.
The concept of 'world' (and its adjective 'worldly') is the central paradigm evangelical. It means all the practices, beliefs, desires that govern the lives of non-Christian in the strict sense of the Gospels , that is to say not having accepted by faith the "good news" (Evangelion in Greek) of free salvation by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The evangelical concept of "world" thus justifies that Christians are called "walking against the current" practices of men, left to their own ', as practices and beliefs to faith guilty and destructive, all at the same time condemned by God and causes of misery and suffering of mankind. It is therefore a strong cleavage and a spiritual concept but not physical persons of the 'world' are not enemies, but human beings and entitled to lost all the compassion of God and men. In fact, according to evangelical doctrine, every Christian 'born again' is itself from the world and no man is born out of the world. We recover the idea that cultural heritage proximity with the Gospel (eg family) or proximity to such evangelical group, its practices, not to be confused with the ever act of personal faith and conscious acceptance salvation.
A contradiction to the Gospel 'world' is peaceful and friendly to the individuals who compose it, and therefore does not justify theoretically no fanaticism , nor any infringement of freedom and individual choice. Asked whether the evangelical movement are pacifists , a nuanced response is needed: peace in the world is not a priority goal for them or to defend himself, given the belief that peace can not be achieved through reconciliation of prior rights with God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and obedience to God. Thus, the pacification of a 'world' otherwise 'revolt' against growing God can not be an objective in itself evangelical movements, even when peace is at the heart of the Gospel message (peace with God and peace among Men - peace among men on the basis of reconciliation with God).
It is fair to say that one consequence of the significant use of this concept is the emergence of divisions within evangelical groups, not on the question of salvation by grace through faith, but on the behavior of Christians, practices. Some evangelical groups may well expose a 'compromise with the world' on specific issues (a laxity toward sin, tolerance judged inappropriate in the Church), in other meetings, or in the lives of some community members. So is the distinction between "Christian winner '(the' world ') or' carnal Christian 'and Christian' spiritual ', that after accepting salvation is also concerned with the sanctification.
Attention to this firm and determined which could be extreme: there is no dogma in the New Testament, which calls for violence and never a Christian martyr was also a murderer. The axiom is to obey the soldier and the officer , because they are placed by God. However no allegiance: another axiom, and compatible with the first, is that we must obey God rather than men . However, if a Christian must disobey, it will never be in disorder or a anarchist revolutionary disobedience, but by a higher idea of the order is first obedience to God in the Christian principles of love and forgiveness.
References
- (en) France: Analysis of the evangelical movement by Sbastien Fath, historian and sociologist affiliated with the CNRS on eemnews.umc-europe.org. Accessed November 5, 2010.
- Gospel of John Ch. Vers.4 1, 5
- Gospel of John Ch. 1 vers.10-13
- Epistle of Paul to the Philippians chap.3 vers.20
- From the book The Gospel Truth, a challenge for the unit, John Stott - Editions LLB (published August 7, 2005).
- Nicolas Boileau (1636-1711) Satire XII
- Acts Chap. 15
- In fact only Luke and Marc authors of their gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles, are not apostles but were very close to them: Luke was a physician and friend of the apostle Paul , and Marc's personal secretary the apostle Peter. (There are of course also an anonymous text: the Epistle to the Hebrews ).
- 2 nd Epistle to Corinthins chap.3 vers.6
- Acts of the Apostles Ch. 2
- Epistle of Paul to the Romans Chap.13 vers.1
- Acts of the Apostles, chap. 5 to. 29
Loading ...