Evangelicalismhasrapidlybecomeoneofthemostsignificantreligiousmovementsinthemodernworld.AnumbrellatermthatencompassesmanyProtestantdenominationsthatsharecoretenetsofChristianity,evangelicalismisforemostdefinedbyitsdisciples’considerationoftheBibleastheultimatemoralandhistoricalauthority,thedesiretoevangelizeorspreadthefaith,andthevalueofreligiousconversionknownasbeing“bornagain.“AstheEvangelicalmovementhasgrownrapidly,sohasitsinfluenceonthepoliticalstage.EvangelicalsaffectelectionsupanddowntheAmericasandacrossAfrica,provokegovernmentsthroughoutAsia,fillupsomeofthelargestchurchbuildings,andpossessthelargestcongregationsofanyreligionintheworld.Yetevangelicalsarewildlydiverse-fromCanadianBaptiststoNigerianAnglicans,fromSouthSeaMethodiststoKoreanPresbyterians,andfromhousechurchesinBeijingtomegachurchesinSa繭Paulo.ThisVeryShortIntroductiontellstheevangelicalstoryfromthepreacher-ledrevivalsoftheeighteenthcentury,throughthefrontiercampmeetingsofthenineteenth,tothemassurbanralliesofthetwentiethandtheglobalmegachurchesofthetwenty-first.Morethanjustasketchofwhereevangelicalshavecomefrom,thisvolumeaimstoclearlyexaminetheheartofevangelicalphenomenon.Istheresucha(single)thingasevangelicalism?Whatisitsbasiccharacter?Wherearetheevangelicalsgoing?Andwhatintheworlddotheywant?
