Dictionary:
e·van·gel·ism (ĭ-văn'jə-lĭz'əm) ![]() |
- Zealous preaching and dissemination of the gospel, as through missionary work.
- Militant zeal for a cause.
evangelistically e·van'gel·is'ti·cal·ly adv.
Dictionary:
e·van·gel·ism (ĭ-văn'jə-lĭz'əm) ![]() |
| WordNet: evangelism |
The noun has one meaning:
Meaning #1:
zealous preaching and advocacy of the gospel
| Quotes About: Evangelism |
Quotes:
"God is definitely out of the closet."
- Marianne Williamson
"Nothing makes one so vain as being told that one is a sinner."
- Oscar Wilde
"In full view of his television audience, he preached a new religion -- or a new form of Christianity -- based on faith in financial miracles and in a Heaven here on earth with a water slide and luxury hotels. It was a religion of celebrity and showmanship and fun, which made a mockery of all puritanical standards and all canons of good taste. Its standard was excess, and its doctrines were tolerance and freedom from accountability."
- Source Unknown
"Being an extrovert isn't essential to evangelism--obedience and love are."
- Rebecca M. Pippert
"Our business is to present the Christian faith clothed in modern terms, not to propagate modern thought clothed in Christian terms. Confusion here is fatal."
- J. I. Packer
"In soliciting donations from his flock, a preacher may promise eternal life in a celestial city whose streets are paved with gold, and that's none of the law's business. But if he promises an annual free stay in a luxury hotel on Earth, he'd better have the rooms available."
- Charlotte Observer
See more famous quotes about Evangelism
| Wikipedia: Evangelism |
| It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Evangelization. (Discuss) |
| The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (March 2009) |
| This article's tone or style may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. Specific concerns may be found on the talk page. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for suggestions. (March 2009) |
| This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2008) |
Evangelism is the practice of attempting to convert people to a religion. The term is used most often in reference to Christianity and Islam, since those two religions mandate that their followers make efforts to recruit as many people as possible into their faith. However, the term may be used for the practice of attempting to convert people to any religion, even if that religion does not specifically require that its followers engage in evangelism. For this reason, there are "evangelists" in Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and other religions, even though those religions are not "evangelical" by nature. The term is sometimes used as a metaphor in a non-religious context as well.
The intention of most Christian evangelism is to convert those who do not follow the Christian God to Christianity for the purpose of effecting eternal salvation. Evangelism is done in obedience to the Great Commission, a command from Jesus to his disciples to proselytise, according to accounts in the New Testament. Christians who specialise in evangelism are known as evangelists, whether they are in their home communities or acting as missionaries in the field. Some Christian traditions consider evangelists to be in a leadership position, and they may be found preaching to large meetings, and in governance roles. Christian groups who actively encourage evangelism are sometimes known as evangelistic or evangelist.
The communication of Christian faith to new geographical areas and cultures is often referred to as evangelization, or specifically, world evangelization.
Contents |
The word evangelist comes from the Koine Greek word εὐαγγέλιον (transliterated as "euangelion") via Latin "Evangelium", as used in the canonical titles of the four Gospels, authored by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (also known as the Four Evangelists). The Greek word εὐαγγέλιον originally meant a reward for good news given to the messenger (εὔ = "good", ἀγγέλλω = "I bring a message"; the word angel is of the same root) and later "good news".
The verb form of euangelion, euangelizo (transliterated "evangelism"), was used rarely in Greek literature outside the New Testament, making its meaning more difficult to ascertain. Parallel texts of the Gospels of Luke and Mark reveal a synonymous relationship between the verb euangelizo and a Greek verb "kerusso" which means "to proclaim"[1].
Our modern word "Gospel" comes from the Old English word "Godspell." In Old English, "god" with a long "o" meant "good," and "spell" meant "word" (we carry this meaning also in our word "spelling"). So in other words, "Godspell" meant "good word," specifically the good tidings concerning Jesus Christ.
While evangelism is usually regarded as converting non-Christians to Christianity, this is not always the proper usage of the word. If converting to Christianity includes services or material benefits it is called proselytism.[2]
On the other hand, converting Christians (e.g., Orthodox) who are not churchgoers to another Christian denomination is commonly seen as evangelism, not proselytism.[citation needed]
Catholic missionary work in Russia is commonly seen as evangelism, not proselytism. Archbishop Kondrusiewicz openly stated "that proselytism is absolutely unacceptable and cannot constitute a strategy for the development of our structures either in Russia or in any other country in the world."[3] Especially regarding claims by Orthodox church that spreading the faith and receiving converts amounts to proselytism[4] Catholic church CDF issued document called "Doctrinal Note on some aspects of evangelisation" [5] which states that evangelism is "an inalienable right and duty, an expression of religious liberty ...", document added that "The incorporation of new members into the Church is not the expansion of a power group, but rather entrance into the network of friendship with Christ which connects heaven and earth, different continents and age. It is entrance into the gift of communion with Christ ...."
According to the Christian Bible, during his last days on earth Jesus commanded his disciples as follows:
19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Other translations render the phrase “make disciples of all nations” in the above quotation as “teach all nations.” Jesus is also quoted in the Gospel of Mark saying
Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature"
These are two main passages of the New Testament from God that commands everyone who believes in Christ to preach the Gospel.
For the first many centuries, Christian evangelism consisted of preaching or tracts. Men such as many of the original apostles, traveled to distant lands proclaiming the gospel and planting churches and are often considered the first Christian Evangelists.
While both of these methods are still widely employed, modern technology and shifts in cultural values have cause radical shifts in the kinds of evangelistic ministry being performed today. Following the example of corporate advertising campaigns and popular entertainment such as concerts, sporting exhibitions and television programs, Christian evangelism is taking on many new forms in an attempt to buck old-fashioned stereotypes regarding Christians and their message.
Dramas such as Heaven's Gates, Hell's Flames have gained enormous popularity since the 1980’s. These drama’s typically depict fictional characters who die and learn whether they will go to Heaven or Hell. Other entertainment-based Christian evangelism events include sporting exhibitions, where-in professional athletes entertain crowds. At some point a gospel presentation is usually given.
In the 1970’s, The Power Team spawned an entire genre of Christian entertainment based on strong-man exploits mixed with a Christian message and usually accompanied by an opportunity to respond with a prayer for salvation.
The Christian Music industry has also played a significant role in modern evangelism. Rock concerts in which the artist exhorts non-believing attendees to pray a prayer for salvation have become common.
Several businesses have been started in the church marketing and evangelism industry. Outreach Media Group was founded in 1996 by Scott Evans. They are the largest provider of outreach products and services in North America.[citation needed] The company has six divisions under the umbrella of Outreach, Inc. offering services ranging from marketing products to evangelism training, a magazine about evangelism, evangelism-focused events and websites.
Sometimes, the regular minister of a church is called a preacher in a way that other groups would typically use the term pastor. The evangelist in some churches is one that travels from town to town and from church to church, spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Many Christians of various theological perspectives would call themselves 'evangelists' because they are spreaders of the gospel. Many churches believe one of their major functions is to function as evangelists to spread the evangelist belief that Jesus is savior of humanity.
The title of evangelist is often associated with those who lead large meetings like those of Billy Graham, possibly in tents or existing church buildings, or those who address the public in street corner preaching, which targets listeners who happen to pass nearby. It can also be done in small groups or even on a one-to-one basis, but actually it is simply one who spreads the gospel. Increasingly, the Web enables anyone to become an Internet evangelist and resources such as Internet Evangelism Day exist to equip them.
The term is also used in a non-religious sense to describe an individual who takes up a cause and convinces others to it (see technology evangelist). Guy Kawasaki, an author and venture capitalist, describes evangelists as individuals who promote a particular product. At Apple Computer, he was part of a team of Apple evangelists that convinced programmers to develop software on the Macintosh Platform.
Though there is some controversy concerning missionary activity and possible implications of "cultural imperialism", Christian D. T. Niles characterised evangelism as "… one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread."
The Bible urges believers to speak the Gospel clearly, fearlessly, graciously, and respectfully whenever an opportunity presents itself (see Colossians 4:2-6, Ephesians 6:19-20, and I Peter 3:15).
Modern TV "evangelists" have been prone to scandal, such as Jimmy Swaggart who became a subject of inquiry by his own church[6] Six well-known American tele-vangelism came under investigation in 2007 by the U.S. congress for concerning their ministries' expenditures, when they received complaints from individuals and members of their congregations. Other TV evangelists are: Reverend Billy Graham, Bishop T.D James and Kirk Franklin.[7]
| This section requires expansion. |
Throughout most of its history, Christianity has been spread evangelistically, though the extent of evangelism has varied significantly between Christian communities and denominations. Evangelism and apostolic ministry often go hand in hand. As mentioned earlier, evangelism comes from the Ancient Greek εὐαγγέλιον (evangelion) meaning good news, often translated gospel; thus an evangelist is one who shares the "good news". An ἀπόστολος (apostolos) is literally "one who goes" and refers to the missionary calling. Since missionaries often travel to areas or people groups where Jesus is not yet known, they frequently take on an evangelistic role. But the apostolic or missionary calling is not necessarily the same (and it is a misnomer and misinterpretation to equate them), as there are many who serve in missionary, church planting, and ministry development roles who have an apostolic calling or serve in an apostolic role but whose primary duty is not evangelism.
| Look up evangelism, evangelist, ευαγγελιον, evangelical, or evangelization in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
http://www.outreach.com/print/ArticleA.asp?article_name=a-aboutus&sid=4A3EC9802CA8E17F&N=41 Outreach, Inc outreach and evangelism tools and resources
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
| Translations: Evangelism |
Dansk (Danish)
n. - udbredelse af evangeliet, missioneren, evangelikalisme
Nederlands (Dutch)
het prediken van het evangelie, hernieuwen van/maken van de verbintenis met Christus, geloofsijver
Français (French)
n. - évangélisme, évangélisation
Deutsch (German)
n. - Evangelisation, Bekehrungseifer
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (θρησκ.) κήρυγμα του Ευαγγελίου
Italiano (Italian)
evangelismo
Português (Portuguese)
n. - protestantismo (m) (Rel.)
Español (Spanish)
n. - evangelismo, evangelización
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - lågkyrklighet, förkunnelse, missionering
中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
福音传道, 福音主义
中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 福音傳道, 福音主義
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 福音伝道, 福音主義
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) التبشير بالإنجيل
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - הטפה של הבשורה הנוצרית, אוונגליזם, הטפה קנאית לעיקרון או לתורה מסוימים
If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.
To select your translation preferences click here.
| Kawasaki, Guy (Quotes By) | |
| evangelicism | |
| Pippert, Rebecca M. (Quotes By) |
| Tv evangelism influenses US Politics? Read answer... | |
| Where is Mission College of Evangelism? Read answer... | |
| How important is evangelism to a christian? Read answer... |
| What dose lay evangelism mean? | |
| Did evangelism start in Jerusalem? | |
| Who will help to make the movie on evangelism? |
Copyrights:
![]() | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() |
![]() | Quotes About. Copyright © 2005 QuotationsBook.com. All rights reserved. Read more |
![]() | Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Evangelism". Read more | |
![]() | Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved. Read more |
Mentioned in