Module 15: American Evangelicalism

Hi everyone, and welcome back to the fifteenth module of the History of Christianity 2 course. In this section, we'll look at the continuing church in North America. We'll examine the continuing group of churches known as Evangelicals (as contrasted with Theological Liberalism and Separatist Fundamentalism). This module will define the characteristics of Evangelical churches, examine some typical leaders and para-church organizations, and some challenges and how the Evangelicals met those challenges.

This module will help you to understand the nature of the churches that were most recently influential on many of the students' current churches and Christian experiences. The student will be exposed to the characteristics of Evangelical churches, as modeled by recent churches and ministries in America. The student will examine the ideals, goals, and methods of a variety of Evangelical ministries, and their short and long-term results.

The student will be able to evaluate this movement and its methods, as well as some challenges and alternatives, which it encountered in this period. This module will also aid the student to work through how the lessons learned are applicable in their own life and ministry.

Introductory Scenario

Imagine that you are a member of a hiring committee, searching for the new leader for your organization. You are interviewing a variety of potential leaders, who each describe their vision and strategy for the organization. How will you decide between the candidates? What strategies and goals will be more or less attractive? What skills and methods will be more or less ideal in the potential leader? How will you evaluate the leaders, methods, and goals? What standards will you use to evaluate? Please consider these questions and be watching for material that will help you answer them as you work through this module.

Module Objectives and Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this module, the student will:

  • Understand the social and cultural contexts addressed by the various American evangelical leaders and movements, and the strategies used to address them.
  • Describe the main leaders and movements of this period and what made them noteworthy and influential.
  • Understand the challenges faced by the Evangelicals of this period and how they responded to these various challenges.
  • Evaluate the various approaches from this period, and the principles/lessons that can be learned from them and applied to current ministry.
  • Place the major events and people of these movements in a general chronology.

Instruction Guides

In this section, you'll find links to important instructional documents for this module. Click the following links to open each document. There is a set of instructions for individual study and a document for group study.

Individual Student Guide
Group Student Guide

Lecture Content

In this section, you will find the video lectures for the American Evangelicals module. They are designed to be watched in order, but each video should make sense on its own. Click each banner to open access to each video. There are also links with each video if you prefer to watch on the Rumble or YouTube interface or download just the audio to listen offline.

Lecture Study Guide for Module 15
Blank Lecture Notes for Module 15
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15a: Evangelicals - Pt. 1
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Watch on YouTube
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15b: Evangelicals - Pt. 2
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Watch on Rumble
Watch on YouTube
Download Audio

Reviews

In this section, you will find the review slides from the course lectures for module 8. This is a convenient way to view and review the summaries for each lecture. Click the banner to open the slide show.

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Review Slideshow
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Click the prev. and next buttons (bottom right of the slide) to move through the slides. You can also click on any thumbnail to go directly to that slide.

Discussion/Reflection/Essay Questions

This section contains questions for further thought and discussion from Module 15. It is recommended that you take time to think through these issues in order to thoroughly grasp the significance and explore the application of the material you are learning. These questions can also be used as essay questions in a classroom setting exam. Below, you will find links to the Response and Application Reflection Instructions for Individuals, and the Response and Application Discussion Instructions for Groups. And you will find a link to the detailed question document for this module. Or Click the banner below to view the questions in a simplified format.

Instructions for Individuals
Instruction for Groups
Discussion/Reflection Questions for Module 15
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Discussion/Application Questions
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The following questions are for your thoughtful consideration and discussion:

  1. What did you learn from the American Evangelical leaders? What difference will this make in your own life & ministry?
  2. What have you learned from the parachurch ministries? How does this apply?
  3. Describe the cultural issues and the Evangelical statements made in response? What did you learn from them? How does this apply?
  4. What did you learn about mixed priorities? What principles can you apply today? How?
  5. How do people deceive with redefinitions? What are the current dangers of this? How can you guard yourself?
  6. What else did you learn? How does it apply?

(Optional) Timeline - Part 15

This section contains instructions for an optional Timeline activity to be constructed over all sixteen modules. Below is a link to the detailed instructions for this activity.

Timeline Project Instructions

Step fifteen of the Timeline should include the following information:

  • Any significant events, ideas, people, and organizations from the American Evangelicals.
  • Any significant challenges to the church of that time and how the church responded.
  • Any significant writings from these movement, and the ideas, doctrines, and approaches which they represent, and the impact they had.

(Optional) Principles Chart - Part 8

This section contains instructions for an optional Principles Chart activity to be constructed over all sixteen modules. Below is a link to the detailed instructions for this activity.

Principles Chart Instructions

Step fifteen of the Principles chart will add any important principles noted from the American Evangelicals and the challenges they faced, the consequences that came from these movements, and how those principles can be applied.

It is suggested that the student begin this activity before watching the Guiding Principles portion of the lecture. Then the student may supplement their work after learning additional insights from the Guiding Principles.

(Optional) Term Project Writing, Editing & Finalizing

As necessary, the student will continue researching their chosen term project topic and organizing the material they have found. The student should primarily be concluding the writing (or otherwise creating) the first draft of their term project. The student should begin editing and polishing the final draft of their project. The student should rework the communication of what they have learned, as well as the principles they gained from the historical data, and how it applies to current life and ministry.

Below is a link to detailed instructions for the entire project.

Term Project Instructions

Primary Source Reading

This section contains instructions and resources for the Primary Source Reading activity. The student should read a minimum of 10-20 pages from a primary resource or resources discussed in this module's lecture and write or discuss a brief response to their reading. Below is a link to detailed instructions for the Primary Source Reading, which contain a list of recommended resources, by module. And click the banner below to access a list of recommended resources with links to where they may be found.

Primary Source Reading Instructions
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Primary Sources
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The following is a list of the recommended primary sources for this module. This list contains links to the resources in print and/or online format. These links may change, so feel free to search for other sources for these same titles. In addition, please do not feel you are limited only to this list. Feel free to choose from any primary source from the period and topic covered in this module:

Links to Primary Sources

Review Quiz

This section is a link to a review quiz to test your understanding of the objective material for Module 15. By clicking the banner, you will be taken to a series of questions, in random order. Answer each question and then push the Submit button to check your answers. Every question must be answered before you can submit the quiz. At the end, you will be shown your score for the entire quiz. The quiz will be different each time, so feel free to take it more than once. Click the banner to begin the quiz.

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Quiz for Module 15
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Review Quiz for Module 15

Here is a review quiz for the material covered in this module's lectures. Click the button next to the best answer for each question, or drag each term to its best definition. Then press the button at the bottom to see if your answers are correct.


The "Battle for the Bible" was caused by rejections of the Bible, similar to Theological Liberalism, infiltrating some Evangelical institutions

True

Well Done

False

Sorry, see Lecture 15b
How does the Lecture suggest Christians should respond to the accusation of being "hateful and intollerant"?

Don't believe the accusation unless there is convincing evidence it is true

True, but only part of the truth, see Lecture 15a

Recognize this as hypocrisy coming from those who themselves are hateful and intolerant of opposing views

True, but only part of the truth, see Lecture 15a

Recognize that every culture is necessarily intolerant of some things, and the question is by which standard a culture is determining what to tolerate and what not to tolerate

True, but only part of the truth, see Lecture 15a

Recognize that by Biblical standards, we should hate and be intolerant of those things that harm people

True, but only part of the truth, see Lecture 15a

All of the above

Good Job
Which best describes the approach the Lecture suggests?

Belonging before believing

Sorry, see Lecture 15b

Believing before belonging

Sorry, see Lecture 15b

Welcomed, before believing, before belonging

Well Done

Drag each term to its best definition
Church Growth
Seeker Sensitive
M. T. D.
Emergent Church Mvmt.
Psychologized model
Marketing model

The danger of giving the insights of secular counselling more weight and authority than revelation from God on these topics

Sought to apply sociological principles learned from cross-cultural ministry about how people change worldviews, to how North American churches should evangelize their own culture

The danger of giving the insights from leadership and management gurus more weight and authority than revelation from God on these topics

The result of a watered down religion that only vaguely resembles Biblical Christianity, where people try to be good and find solace, but treat God as irrelevant to most of life

A Compromise with postmodernism similar to the way that Theological Liberalism compromised with modernism

Sought to use its main weekly church meeting as an evangelism event geared toward non-believers, and driven by the needs and concerns of outsiders

The Moral Majority started the culture war to impose Christian morality on the majority of people who did not believe in Christian morality

True

Sorry, see Lecture 15a

False

Good Job
Parachurch ministries often functioned as an extension of the ministry of multiple churches cooperating together for common cause

True

Well Done

False

Sorry, see Lecture 15a
The Lecture warned against those who use Christian words, but change the definitions in order to deceive Christians into believing and acting falsely

True

False

False

Sorry, see Lecture 15b
The Nashville Statement denies that individuals caught in a sinful sexual lifestyle can find forgiveness in Christ.

True

Sorry, see Lecture 15b

False

Correct
The various Evangelical statements were intended to function similar to creeds and confessions - as a clear statement of what the church believes to be Biblical, and as a test by which individuals can be evaluated by whether they agree or disagree

True

Correct

False

Sorry, see Lecture 15b
Charles Colson advocated for Christians to apply the truth of Christ to every area of life

True

Correct

False

Sorry, see Lecture 15a

Module Completed!

Congratulations, you have reached the end of the fifteenth module. I hope that you have found it rewarding and have noticed personal growth.

I encourage you to continue on the next module as soon as is convenient. The button below will take you to Module 16.