tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25253203.post4274397661951237808..comments2023-07-04T08:14:16.030-05:00Comments on Eyes Open Wide: What Is An "Evangelical"?Doulos Christouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04575598875038475380noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25253203.post-62176546607942943732009-03-25T21:17:00.000-05:002009-03-25T21:17:00.000-05:00Really important thoughts in the article you menti...Really important thoughts in the article you mentioned, Inda:<BR/><BR/>"This is why J. I. Packer, on his 80th birthday, said that <B>the greatest challenge of evangelicalism is to re-catechize our churches</B>. More than ever, Christians need to be able to speak intelligently and courageously about the hope that lies within."<BR/><BR/>"<B>Personal faith is of course vital, but it is not sufficient.</B> And yes, doctrine has often been taught so that it comes across as dry and dusty. But as Dorothy Sayers noted, once we grasp what Christian doctrines teach, <B>"The Dogma is the Drama."</B><BR/><BR/>"The greatest challenge for serious Christians today is not re-inventing Christianity, but <B>rediscovering its core teachings</B>."<BR/><BR/>Amen.Doulos Christouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04575598875038475380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25253203.post-71125361891419325672009-03-24T15:53:00.000-05:002009-03-24T15:53:00.000-05:00This is true and your point is well taken...On ano...This is true and your point is well taken...<BR/><BR/>On another note, I don't know if you saw this on CT's Website today but it is a good article with some scary numbers included. <BR/><BR/>http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/april/10.72.html<BR/><BR/>The verse in scripture that says many will do things in my name but I do not know them comes to mind. There is much to be said for the fact that calling yourself a Christian does not make you one, calling yourself evangelical does not make you so. I think I understand your point but your reply stated it much more clearly than your blog did.Indafoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04047641874884880389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25253203.post-55864517249218164732009-03-24T14:00:00.000-05:002009-03-24T14:00:00.000-05:00Inda,I'm not concerned about the label... I'm conc...Inda,<BR/><BR/>I'm not concerned about the label... I'm concerned about what is being taught under it. And the label, by the way, is attached to us whether we want to re-label ourselves or not.<BR/><BR/>Say, what do you think our brother Jude is encouraging in Jude 3?Doulos Christouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04575598875038475380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25253203.post-17967570650072230292009-03-24T13:12:00.000-05:002009-03-24T13:12:00.000-05:00Ok... so why not call yourself something other th...Ok... so why not call yourself something other than an Evangelical? What's so important about that word/title? I was watching an interesting show as I was flipping channels and it was a meeting of Human Secularists. They were debating if envangelising was a good idea and if so should they use the term. If a title looses meaning and it no longer fits, use something different. I prefer to call myself a "Christ Follower" It leaves out all the denominational baggage and the baggage that even comes with the word evangelical and brings people to the central issue, Christ.<BR/><BR/>This does not strike me as a major loss...Indafoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04047641874884880389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25253203.post-48248038899572274862009-03-15T17:25:00.000-05:002009-03-15T17:25:00.000-05:00Good post, dude. Found your site and I'm glad to ...Good post, dude. Found your site and I'm glad to hear someone else saying what I think (it's kind of obvious, though).<BR/><BR/>Along the same lines, you should read this article from http://www.monergism.com/updates/reformation_essentials_by_mich.php Here's a quote to start:<BR/><BR/>"In May, 1989, a conference jointly sponsored by the National Association of Evangelicals and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School was held at the Trinity campus in Illinois. Dubbed a consultation on Evangelical Affirmations, the meeting revealed more than it settled. In the published addresses (Zondervan, 1990), Carl F. H. Henry, the dean of American evangelicalism, sets the tone for book with his opening line: "The term 'evangelical' has taken on conflicting nuances in the twentieth century. Wittingly or unwittingly, evangelical constituencies no less than their critics have contributed to this confusion and misunderstanding." He warned that "evangelical" was being understood, not according to Scriptural teaching and "the theological 'ought,'" but according to the sociological and empirical "is." In other words, Henry was disturbed that evangelicalism is increasingly being defined by its most recent trends rather than by its normative theological identity. Author after author (presumably, speaker after speaker) echoed the same fears that before long <B>"evangelical" will be useless as any meaningful identification</B>."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25253203.post-52179861885367572172009-03-15T12:18:00.001-05:002009-03-15T12:18:00.001-05:00Thanks David... I want to assure you that I've NEV...Thanks David... I want to assure you that I've NEVER felt ill when listening to you preach! :)<BR/><BR/>Everybody - if you don't know Pastor David, get to know him over at http://www.shilohguy.blogspot.com/Doulos Christouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04575598875038475380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25253203.post-27193008609496299602009-03-15T00:14:00.000-05:002009-03-15T00:14:00.000-05:00Wes,I understand very well what you experienced wh...Wes,<BR/><BR/>I understand very well what you experienced when you were preaching at PGM! I've had similar things happen to me. Not the least of which may have been the night I was preaching at a meeting in India out in a village. When I sat down one of my fellow pastors leaned over and commented on how well I carried on while a group of our Indian brothers were casting a demon out of a young man on the near front left of the the platform. Huh?Shiloh Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00516285675816569740noreply@blogger.com