As I was reading Good News People the news broke, with a mixed reception, concerning the setting up of the UK version of The Gospel Coalition. This review also appears at the start of en’s 40th anniversary year.
This made me ponder who it is that might best speak on behalf of British Evangelicalism? That is if we can speak of British Evangelicalism in the singular! There are many welcome signs of interconnectedness between different Evangelical groups in the UK, but there are still areas of exclusivism, isolation and fragmentation. We also live at a time when anecdotal evidence from many churches and hard data from the Bible Society and the Evangelical Alliance suggest that the church in Britain is experiencing a “quiet revival”.
Gavin Calver and Phil Knox write as the key figures on the staff of the Evangelical Alliance (EA) in Britain. Gavin is the third generation of his family to have served with EA. Formed in 1846 the EA is the oldest pan-Evangelical movement in the UK. The book does contain a few hints that it would be good to join EA!
A quarter of a century ago I was involved in ACUTE (Alliance Commission for Unity and Truth among Evangelicals), led by Dr David Hilborn. I enjoyed working with a wide range of people who were serious about theology and committed to working harmoniously with other Evangelicals. I appreciated the generous heart of EA in those days and its energy and dynamism. I see the same generosity, energy and dynamism in this book.
The authors seek to provide a route map through Evangelicalism past and present and offer some tentative pointers to how Evangelicalism might develop in the future.
The book is in two parts.
1. What we believe
This section looks at the core of Evangelical belief and identity. The authors begin with a reflection on what people hear when they hear the word “evangelical”, and tackle some potential misunderstandings. They suggest that Evangelicals might be better described as good news people. This definition arises out of a desire to define Evangelicals not so much in conceptual terms but from the Biblical announcement of the gospel story that introduces us to the person of Jesus. The authors go on to use David Bebbington’s quadrilateral, that argues that Evangelicals are marked by four features. They are Bibliocentric, Cruciocentric, Conversionist and Activist.
This has become a generally agreed way of defining Evangelicals. It is not a perfect definition, but it is a useful starting point.
In a pause section, “Selah”, the authors identify five postures that Evangelicals should adopt during this current season:
We need to be brave and kind.
We need to be culturally relevant without selling out.
We need to be hopeful and realistic.
We need to go for decisions and make disciples.
We need to be united and diverse.
These five postures seek to hold in creative tension what could be binary choices to be either one thing or the other.
Not all en readers will like the word “decision” because of its easy believism connotations, but do suspend judgement –it is worth reading on, holding in tension urgency in evangelism and seriousness in discipleship.
2. How should we live?
In the second part of the book the authors look at these five postures and unpack their implications.
In the conclusion the authors make a clear distinction between Evangelicalism and what they call Experi-angelicalism.
“As followers of Jesus, we are compelled to construct our view of God, ourselves and the world from what He says, not primarily from our feelings. If the call of the gospel is to be Evangelical, the relentless beckoning of our world is to be Experi-angelical.”
“We need to hold our nerve theologically and go for it with the gospel.”
This book is well-written and engaging; each chapter concludes with suggestions for taking things further and a list of recommended reading. There are also further resources for small group studies at www. goodnewspeople.church
These well-produced resources contain a video, notes and questions for each small group session.
Evangelicalism in Europe
While reading this book I also read Evangelicalism in Europe, which comprehensively explores the landscape of European Evangelicalism.
It is written in three parts: Evangelical Theology; Evangelicalism in Various Countries; Sociological Analyses.
As with Good News People, this book also begins with Bebbington’s quadrilateral, but reflects upon it more critically to see if it can be expanded to make it cover more ground. As with all multi-author volumes, there are some chapters that are less helpful than others.
The snapshot chapters on the role of Evangelicalism in a variety of countries are invaluable. A standout chapter is “The Elephant in the Room: Sexual Ethics and the Boundaries of Evangelicalism” written by David Sandifer. There are also timely chapters on the threat and attraction of the Orthodox Church, Post-Evangelicalism and Nationalism.
Coming back to Good News People, Gavin Calver and Phil Knox are to be congratulated for packing so much into this book and seeking to stimulate Evangelicals to think about who they are and to do something about it. I like the idea of “Hopeful Evangelicals.” Part of the motivation for such hope is the desire to build bridges rather than barriers. Where there is hope there is life.
GOOD NEWS PEOPLE:
Hopeful evangelicals yesterday, today
and tomorrow.
By Gavin Calver and Phil Knox
IVP. 203 pages. £11.99
ISBN 978 1 789 745 665
EVANGELICALISM IN EUROPE:
Unity in Diversity
Edited by Frank Hinkelmann and Pieter J. Halleman
Langham Publishing. 472 pages. £29.99
ISBN 978 1 786 411 235
