Thorne 1
Evaluating Evangelicalism from a Biblical Perspective
By Dr. James Thorne
Professor of Biblical Studies
Crichton College, Memphis, Tennessee
53
rd
Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, 2001
In a previous paper, "Defining Evangelicalism,"
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I made the observation that the question
of the Biblical nature of what we call today "evangelicalism" must be reserved for a separate
study. This is that study. I may owe this effort to the Presidential address of Dr. Wayne Grudem
at the 1999 convention of the Evangelical Theological Society. The very title of the address
raises a serious issue: "Do We Act As If We Really Believe that `The Bible Alone, and the Bible
in Its Entirety, Is the Word of God Written?'"
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In keeping with my commitment to the Lord Jesus
Christ, I find it necessary and salutary to evaluate my ideas and thoughts by the Word of God.
This means that I must evaluate evangelicalism from a Biblical perspective.
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The core characteristics of evangelicalism come from a working definition of
evangelicalism as a result of my study "Defining Evangelicalism":
Evangelicalism is a broad movement representing core characteristics of personal
conversion, the sufficiency of Scripture, the centrality of the crucifixion, the
evangelistic mandate and cultural engagement.
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This paper will provide a brief definition of each characteristic of evangelicalism taken
from my study. My method will be to measure each statement of an evangelical characteristic by
the voices of Scripture. This demands some explanation. My process will be to listen to Moses,