What is an Evangelical? (Feat. Dr. Mark Noll)

[@phickle]

Really enjoyed this video Matt. As a Catholic, I've always seen Protestantism as this vast stew of differing beliefs but honestly had no clue what differentiates Baptist, Methodist, etc. or even what terms like Evangelical meant. Very informative!

[@davidoslin7760]

Dan, the older I get and the more I dig into the details of the various denominations and churches and their core beliefs, the more convinced I am that Jesus has got this. Suspect he may "scold" some of us now and then, but our focus should always be on our source for everything ... JESUS!

[@ravissary79]

Most of our differences wash out pretty fast when doing kingdom work. When I worked in YWAM and did street ministry the divisions pretty much instantly disappeared.

[@nigelwylie01]

@@ravissary79 there is a very interesting book on just this subject produced to explore the limits of exactly what you accurately describe. It is: ‘Finding The Right Hills To Die On: The case for theological triage’ by Gavin Ortlund, published by Crossway and The Gospel Coalition. I thought it was a terrible title, but actually an important book, because when we are out, working together with other believers (of different flavours!) we can function effectively as a team, but are also constantly discerning if the others are similar enough to us to work with. This book attempts to do that discernment on a conscious level. I found it valuable.

[@ravissary79]

@@nigelwylie01 that sounds like a good resource. Thank you. Though to me it dosn't feel like an overly complex task when you're deliberate about it. As someone who's historically been the guy who has to be right snout everything, understanding biblical authority and being UNDER it, goes s long way toward learning how to agreeably disagree with people while learning from them and submitting to God as you work with them. It's a hard thing but so much more valuable and edifying than one might assume on first blush.

[@harktheheral]

@@nigelwylie01 The title and idea alone is obviously Calvinistic Baptist in orientation - "minor in the minors" type language, which has been the bane of confessional strains of Reformation Christianity for centuries. From the Heidelburg Disputation to the Lausanne Statement, traditional Anglicans, Presbyterians, and Lutherans have been opposing Zwingli and enthusiast approaches. It is no surprise that such an idea is published by Crossway out of The Gospel Coalition (Calvinistic Baptists). This isn't to throw stones at TGC or SBC, nor at the book itself, but it's an evangelical bugaboo that they think lessens division when it fact it highlights the divide between magisterial theology and ministerial reason.

[@actsapologist1991]

I always figured it meant: "Friendlier Baptists with Worship Bands."

[@HolyKhaaaaan]

Are you a Confessional Lutheran by any chance?

[@actsapologist1991]

@@HolyKhaaaaan No, sir. Catholic.

[@kevinsweeney1986]

That is literally what it is

[@innovationhq8230]

Worship bands are heretical and it's being a friend of the world. People should seek out churches that strictly hold to the regulative principle of worship and reject everything God has not commanded for his worship.

[@XSquibX]

@@innovationhq8230 Do you think hymns are bad too...??? O.o

[@tigerboy1966]

"Ecumenism of the trench". I hadn't heard that term before, but I like it. Don't panic Evangelicals, us Catholics have got your back!

[@XSquibX]

Many Christians are becoming more open to hearing what other denominational beliefs have to say... which is very good. It's good to work through differences and see how big of a deal they are. Makes you think things through personally, instead of only listening through the instruction of your pastor or priest. You're not gonna get Protestants back under Rome though. That's one rift I don't see healing any time soon. Many Protestants are more friendly with Catholics than in the past... but most still have an extremely negative view of the pope, even though most church denominations or groups have some sort of leader. They just aren't treated the same way the pope is. *clarification* I'm saying this from a Baptist perspective and with what I see living on the US east coast.

[@ohmightywez]

@@XSquibX That’s ok. Most devout Catholics are also not down with the current pope. I am speaking as a devout Catholic here, who does believe in the seat of Peter and believes that’s why Francis hasn’t made any doctrinal statements.

[@michaelaratnam6517]

As a Catholic from India I was always confused about the use of the term "evangelical" in the western media... I always wondered why only certain denominations called themselves evangelical when every Christian is called to evangelise!!! Got a lot of clarity from your guest!!! Good one!!!

[@XSquibX]

Well, there is a reason why Evangelical and evangelize are such similar words :)

[@michaelaratnam6517]

@Crusading Viking Tamil Nadu

[@michaelaratnam6517]

@Crusading Viking super 👍

[@qwertyTRiG]

Most names for Christian denominations make no sense and really apply to all. Pretty much all Christians believe in the second coming, and yet "Adventism" is one specific expression of Christianity. Most Christian denominations are organised into congregations, and yet "Congregationalism" is one thing. Most Christians think of themselves as orthodox, but not Orthodox. The very word "Catholic" means "universal" and yet isn't.

[@heathermireillekoester7856]

Matt, I was a devout Mormon for 41 years. If you ever want insider's perspective on the Mormon church, I would be honored to share. Your Nuts and Bolts of the Bible series was instrumental in helping me get my head straight after leaving Mormonism.

[@XSquibX]

We're glad to have you here in the body, just as much as he is :)

[@jmjaquinas7298]

Welcome sister! So glad you were able to come free of that. I live in a very Mormon region as well. God bless you!

[@DaleyBwoi]

Would you be interested in talking to Mormons? I have got some Mormons I met online vary friendly good intentioned people fired up for their faith i spoke to them once and think about them ever so often maybe God could use you I can reach them trough Facebook

[@chaplainpaul5326]

Well done. I'd love to hear more about your story.

[@bellycow1357]

I think it would be better to get an insider's perspective from a practicing latter day saint

[@robt2151]

27:38 " ... people around the world for whom the American political situation is almost irrelevant." At last, somebody noticed!

[@IDMD8]

I read Dr Noll’s book “The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind” and it helped me so much. As someone who has attended an evangelical church my entire life, I have been so confused on the worsening racism, the anti intellectualism, and the equation of Americanism and Christianity in the evangelical church. His book was so helpful in allowing me to understand the factors that have gone into those changes and the vulnerability of the evangelical movement to those types of trends.

[@saraanic9436]

Matt, this is great content! As a Catholic from Europe, I know little about Evangelicals. For a long time I thought that it meant "Lutheran" (because of my native language). Your videos about different churches are awesome!

[@wanbaclone]

Interviews Mark Noll. Mentions George Marsden. This video checks out. EDIT: Finally sat down to watch the full interview after initially posting months ago. Reading Mark Noll (et al.) is a treat, but listening to him speak really puts his humility front and center. For those in this comments section, if you've never read his classic, "Scandal of the Evangelical Mind," it is required reading for anyone trying to understand Protestant thought (or lack thereof) in America. Matt, thanks for giving us this interview! I also loved the sidebar conversation on the Evangelical Free Church. When I think of American Evangelical, I think of Creedo Baptist nondenom congregations, but if I had to pinpoint a denomination at the heart of American Evangelicalism in the last 40-50 years, I'd pick the E-Free tribe - which is a bit weird if you think about: Noll notes that Lutherans - German and Scandinavian - and Dutch Reformed stayed out of the Evangelical mainstream, but that is not the case with the pietistic Free Church movement! Those immigrants became the vanguard of what I'd like to call "small church" Evangelicalism in the 80s and 90s. Hybels and others may have given us the megachurch variety, but E-Free gave us the small, rural version of the same thing - which seems to be doing well these days and mostly scandal free!

[@ninjason57]

Christians worry about how they view themselves when they should focus more on how God views them.

[@bryanasands]

Thank you so much for posting this video! I'm reading that book and to watch your interaction with Dr. Noll was encouraging!

[@herrdoktorprofessoreldritc3416]

Congratulations on interviewing Dr. Mark Noll, Matt! An enlightening discussion.

[@drogars]

I am incredibly fascinated by this conversation. I want to just sit and talk with Dr. Noll for hours and pick his brain about this and other subjects. I grew up in Utah and watched the Mormon/LDS church desire to be more associated with the term Christian and then eventually decide to move away from the term Mormon. Very fascinating discussion. Thanks for making this Matt.

[@LuciusClevelandensis]

This was one of the most useful discussions I remember hearing in quite some time.

[@BennettSanderson]

Congratulations, Matt. This is a big one even if it doesn't break any records for views.

[@echobase2000]

Mark Noll?!?! Great guest!

[@choombada8324]

Really enjoyed this conversation, thank you for putting this together 👍🙏

[@carlpeterson347]

Enjoyed the video. The interview gave me a much better understanding of the word Evangelical outside of our current political environment. Thanks to you both for clarifying the differences.

[@wataboutya9310]

Great video on a very interesting subject. I am learning more and more by listening to your channel! Thank you!

[@pi4t651]

8:00 Translation for those who don't know the UK political parties: Conservatives: Right wing. Though still way to the left of the Republicans in America. Liberal Democrafts: Left wing socially, centrist economically. Don't tend to get many votes due to a quirk of the UK voting system. Labour: Left wing economically and socially.

[@greenftechn]

I've read several of Mark's books. Thanks for having him on as a guest!

[@nathangale7702]

​ Great conversation, I really appreciate the nuance in his historical approach. In my opinion, Mormons are generally evangelical in the functional sense (strong missionary and socially conservative culture), but not in the American vernacular sense. To me, the main area of disagreement between Mormons and what I'll call the average Evangelical is the emphasis on priesthood authority to have ordinance or sacraments performed and our belief (in general) that these are in fact necessary for salvation. Most of the people I've met who would self-identify as Evangelical would find that extremely problematic and say, with Luther ,that we are saved by faith alone. I would also suggest that the LDS understanding of God the Father is not as problematic as most people believe. Yes, LDS scripture specifically says that God the Father is a physical being just as Jesus Christ is. But the LDS scriptures (particularly the Book of Mormon), are also very clear that God the Father, Jesus the Christ, and the Holy Ghost "are one God." To me, this suggests that there is something about "being God" that goes beyond materialism or immaterialism which is quite coherent with the Orthodox interpretation of the Trinity. After all, the classic explanation of the Nicene creed that I know goes something like this: "The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Spirit is God, but the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, and the Spirit is not the Father." That's not a problem for Mormons, most (if not all) Mormons believe that. In fact, I would go as far as to say that there is nothing in what the Nicene Creed actually says which is really problematic for an LDS interpretation of the Trinity. Certainly I don't have any problem reciting the Nicene Creed with any theological hesitations. Of course, there is lots of historical context around the Nicene Creed and traditional teachings from people like Thomas Aquinas that dig into the true nature of God the Father that go beyond the Nicene Creed. That is where we LDS have to respectfully disagree. But in my opinion, our disagreement is not really with the creed. Also, I should clarify that I use Mormonism and LDS theology differently because the LDS church is only one expression of Mormonism which is much broader than one church.

[@katherinec2759]

You are correct that, on the surface, it appears that the LDS understanding of God seems to align with the Nicene Creed. But if you look at what they actually MEAN by what they say, the LDS understanding is that "The Father is a God, the Son is another God, and the Spirit is a third God." They don't really have an understanding of the depth of the Trinity. They also believe that God was once a man, which is absolutely antithetical to the Bible, and they believe that men can become Gods, which is exactly the lie that Satan gave in Genesis 3. They also believe that Jesus is uniquely God's son because God had intimate relations with Mary to cause Jesus to be born, and that there is a "Heavenly Mother" that God had intimate relations with to father our spirits, which He then sends down to earth... None of that lines up with what the Bible says, which means that even if their surface level theology seems to be close, their actual theology is still just plain wrong.

[@nathangale7702]

@@katherinec2759 These are mostly things that some (or many) Mormons believe, but they aren't necessarily canonical, and that is something that is important and unfortunately, misunderstood. Part of the problem is that the Mormon canon is so large, and is largely still inadequately explored, even by Mormons themselves. Anyway, what I'm getting at is that when Joseph Smith spoke of men and women becoming gods and godesses, he was not suggesting even an approach to the absolute state of Godhood that the trinity represents. He was closer to describing super men and women, or arch-angels, or something like that. The problem is that the lay-person doesn't usually think much about the difference between the gods and the One True God. Insofar as lay people don't worry too much about this stuff in theologically orthodox Christian churches, I don't get the expectation that the average Mormon would either.

[@katherinec2759]

@@nathangale7702 Except that such things are specifically spelled out in their scriptures. The average Mormon may not understand it, I'll give you that, but you can't say that's not part of their church teaching when it is very clearly spelled out in their scriptures, and referenced by some of their "prophets." (Incidentally, the prophets have been wrong on a multitude of occasions, indicating that God is actually not speaking through them at all.)

[@nathangale7702]

@@katherinec2759 Again, there is a difference between what some Mormons (even prophets) have believed and said, and what is regarded as canonical by the community. Prophets have said many things that are highly controversial, even patently wrong, and that's fine because we know from the Bible that prophets are not infallible. Scriptures are not infallible either, but they are a lot better foundation because they need to be accepted by the community of believers. Specifically, there is nothing in LDS scripture that says "The Father is a God, the Son is another God, and the Spirit is a third God." The Book of Mormon repeatedly states things like "The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one." What gets us in trouble with most other Christians is Doctrine and Covenants 130, "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's," but the Nicene creed doesn't even specifically state that the Father is immaterial, so I don't see the problem. None of this prevents us from agreeing on the most important (and, really, the only theologically sound) statement on the trinity: that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God, but the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Ghost, and the Holy Ghost is not the Father. Also, there is no mention of Heavenly Mother, nor intimate relations between the Father and Mary in LDS scripture. These are all highly controversial things that some Mormons have said; some people accept these ideas, some do not. But when we talk about the theological ideas that you disagree with, let's start with the canonical doctrine, maybe later we can move out to the more adventurous ideas.

[@katherinec2759]

@@nathangale7702 The Bible specifically tells us that if a prophet is wrong even once, "The Lord has not sent him." --Deuteronomy 18:22. Two verses earlier, it goes a step farther: if a prophet presumes to speak in the name of the Lord something that the Lord has not said, they are to be put to death. And while you are correct that the Book of Mormon itself does not address such things, Doctrine and Covenants does, and it is also considered both scripture and canonical.

[@timsohn7057]

I have been talking about this since about 2012 but nobody really listened to me nor had interest. Fast forward 8 years, I feel so happy people are finally talking about this more.

[@cole141000]

When your videos pop up in my notification bar I can’t help but think they’re gonna be 10 minutes even though I’d be disappointed if they were

[@sandscribbler]

That thoughtful discussion was better than I had anticipated (no disrespect intended). Thank you, Matt!

[@thomascurrey3740]

Great video as usual, Matt! I hope the unfortunate political dimension the word "Evangelical" has assumed will draw in viewers from outside the church so they can hear this excellent, thoughtful discussion between you and Dr. Noll.

[@kingofrexdale8598]

This was a treat ! Mark noll was great to listen too, I should check out his books soon

[@thrifty1783]

Excellent discussion.

[@billmartin3561]

Mark Noll is fantastic. I highly recommend his book “Is the Reformation Over” which discusses how far Catholic and Evangelical relations have come in the last 50 years.

[@jenniferlawrence1372]

I really loved the wisdom of Dr. Noll's comments, and was shocked when you didn't say this was part 1. Since I guess you can't make it the "Two and a half hour Bible Hour" I'll have to pick up the book. Looking forward to hearing more from him.

[@NateBragdon]

This reminds me of my church. It is one of the oldest baptist churches in New England, but back in the early 2000's, they dropped the "baptist" name because it was a constant exserize explaining what flavor of baptist you were. The theology and doctrine didn't change, just the name.

[@brodricnoh4073]

As always, great video Matt. You are very respectful towards every group you talk about, and are an uplifting force for all Christian denominations. Thank you for doing the work to educate those willing to learn. It is a shame that people (from all groups) argue so much in the comments of your videos, but it’s great to see the people who are very respectful and kind. Keep up the good work!

[@crowned6368]

Very encouraged by the perspective on hope for unity near the end despite our differences.

[@markesser72]

Matt, thanks for making great content! I absolutely enjoy learning about my brothers and sisters in Christ who have a different expression of faith than I do. Keep up the great work!

[@jamesrogers6297]

I have to say i love the way you approach each interview. As i worship with church of Christ your non confrontational way is very appealing and informative. Thank you. I may not agree with everyone's theology that you interview, i do gain understanding. And many things that bring division in denominationaliam is really not linked to salvation per se. Thanks Matt for doing these videos.

[@billmurphy6272]

I loved the discussion regarding changes within ecumenism. At one point a few years ago, I noticed a news item referencing similar religious freedom lawsuits filed by the Thomas More Law Center and Tyndale House Publishers and I just had to marvel - these two men, Thomas More (Catholic) and William Tyndale (Protestant) wrote tracts attacking one another over their religious differences 500 years ago, but now the organizations that bear their names are in similar positions.

[@kpkelsey]

I have no desire to have the label of Evangelical because of the political connotations. That part of the church is not me, not at all. It bothers me so much that I really question whether or not I should attend an Evangelical church. I love the people in my church until the topic of politics kicks in. It's not all, but it's a LARGE percentage of good people who have decided that Christians must "prove" their faith by voting for someone who shall not be mentioned. I am heartbroken.

[@johnsnow2264]

What an interesting video. He's such an academic, it makes the conversation really interesting. I like seeing these conversations with theological academics/experts.

[@echobase2000]

I appreciate that he delineates between white evangelicals and Bible believing African Americans - the difference is more political than theological

[@MattWhitmanTMBH]

I thought that was particularly poignant as well.

[@chrisyoung5929]

From outside the US we see your politics, religion and skin colour bigotry as one big mass. Kamala Harris is elected and the important bit is not what she does or her policies but that she had ancestors from this place or that so her skin color is slightly different. The claim at the inauguration was not "she will be the first VP to bring in policy X" but "She is the first Asian..." If you have the much shouted separation of church and state why swear on a Bible? Sorry but the simple fact that you separate which Christian group you are in by skin colour is part of your issue. In stead of "I want to be in this group because they believe Y like me" It is "This group has my skin tone so this is were I belong". What a sad state of affairs.

[@chrisyoung5929]

@@somercet1 It is funny that you said that about me going to African Americans, not going around to say Irish Americans of Italian Americans or.... Still those groups are not the ones that need to band together for protection from the Police and politicians.

[@darganism4338]

​@@chrisyoung5929 I think you raise excellent points, in re: how our churches have come to be so segregated (see the TMBH videos with Daylan Woodall last February for some great discussion on it, and definitely Jemar Tisby's books which Dr. Noll referenced here). White evangelicals in the US particularly struggle to get on the same page and acknowledge these problems, as that requires admitting some of the racial wrongness inherent in several denominations' origins, but those conversations are happening more and more often, and positive change is taking place in the Church at large (though painfully slowly). Continuously referring to someone's ethnicity, as with VP Harris, still happens because America's history of racism and barring people of color from full access to public life have caused these landmarks to be very long in coming. In other words, the fact we now have elected a woman of color as Vice President is newsworthy simply because we ONLY NOW have done so. That is a flaw in the culture at large, which has sometimes been propped up by religious institutions but it is not primarily a religious issue. The question of Bible usage in politics is slightly different but adjacent. Essentially there is a great deal of separation between Church and State, ensured by the Constitution, but religious expression is still protected for individual public servants. The swearing into office on a Bible actually comes down the the elected person's choice; legally it could be just about any book or symbol. I believe John Quincy Adams and Teddy Roosevelt chose not to use a Bible, but most US presidents have done, each per his own tradition (most recently, Joe Biden used his old family Bible because he's a practicing Catholic). Christianity and American politics are not nearly as congruent or intertwined as many represent, and the US is a more secular society than many evangelicals tend to acknowledge.

[@nathangale7702]

Don't forget the very important cultural differences. In my experience, predominantly African American congregations emphasize different aspects of the Protestant, Gospel message than predominantly white congregations.

[@2CPropertiesTeams]

Well done! I love it when you talk to everyone. Don’t stop now!

[@MichaelSteeves]

I've always seen it as Evangelicals are focused on sowing the seed of Christianity, while mainline Churches are more focused on living kingdom values. Of course it has developed into far more nuanced and political.

[@ravissary79]

Isn't sowing a kingdom value? Indeed if you're devaluing sowing you're likely missing a huge facet in kingdom living.

[@Athanasius242]

When are you going to do a Presbyterian church?

[@men.276]

My priest made a good point. He said there is a problem when someone says Jesus Christ is my personal Lord and Savior. He told me Jesus Christ is OUR Lord and Saviour and that all the way back to the Israelites God always saves a whole people. IMO I think that's where the danger is when you remove Christ from community and claim Him as your own- that is the fundamental cause of Schism and why there are so many denominations claiming and interpreting what Christ said. It always begins with one man ie. Luther, Calvin, Wesley, Joseph Smith and more recent Chuck Smith etc. One of the beauties of the Catholic Church is the one thing that started the divisions in the first place and that is having a Pope and Magistirium.

[@jenniferbyron5474]

Despite being raised Catholic, it was the Church of LDS that introduced me to Bible study, which consequently led me to Evangelical Christianity. I'm not a member of the Church of LDS, rather I am non- denominational, but I do credit them with developing my faith and relationship with God. Very interesting video! X

[@brockburgi994]

I’m glad that God lead you out of the LDS church. However, I think it would be really essential to read the Gospels again, because the Mormon church is a non-Christian cult that is totally different from any actual Christian denomination. In fact, it’s so different it’s not considered Christianity.

[@jenniferbyron5474]

@@brockburgi994 Thank you for your advice. I was never a member of the LDS church and when I do Bible study, I only ever use online Protestant resources to help me with my understanding. Fortunately my little experience with the LDS church did not lead me to Mormonism but instead led me to Protestantism 😊 I completely disagree with the teachings of the LDS church so don't worry!

[@jenniferbyron5474]

@Victoria Stod He really does work in mysterious ways! He is amazing!😊

[@HaleStorm49]

@@brockburgi994Its what Christianity looks like when practiced as Christ intended.

[@ScottKorin]

Phil Vischer has a great video on the history of Evangelicalism.

[@BreadofLifeChannel]

I'm an evangelical by definition, but I'm thinking of ditching the label because of the negative political connotation that comes with it.

[@Joshtheigbo]

Ditch it bro please

[@ravissary79]

Yes, ditch it, never ever let people know that you vote your conscience, you're a not-see if you do. It's gross, bad, mean, oppressive and fascistic to not advocate for profound evil in public. Or you could call out the hypocrisy of the tolerant for their intolerance of actually talking through why you support things you think really good and oppose things you think are evil. Ew, icky, rights.

[@BreadofLifeChannel]

​@@ravissary79 Hi! Thanks for your response. I am happy to proclaim publicly that abortion is murder and is a great evil. But right now, there are some things and people that evangelicals have broadly jumped on board with that I can't support.

[@ravissary79]

@@BreadofLifeChannel I suppose I can understand that... but it's such a broad label that's pretty much a given.

[@JamesTSmirk87]

Awesome guest. The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind was a big help to me at a time when I really needed it.

[@bandie9101]

i'm struggling how to translate 'evangelical' to Hungarian, since the most obvious translation 'evangélikus' in fact means 'lutheran'…

[@tintinismybelgian]

Google translate gives "evangéliumi " as an option. Does that word work? Or how about "biblia-hívő"?

[@bandie9101]

@@tintinismybelgian neither sounds natural to me considering the description given in this video. as others pointed out, both terms describes more-or-less the whole Christendom. probably worth to "invent" the term 'evangélikális' for this purpose.

[@crazydoglady2954]

I think it's evangelikál. We have an Evangelikál Egyesület.

[@sr7312]

I suspect that phenomenon is common to a number of Eastern and Central European languages. The Lutherans were the first evangelicals.

[@tintinismybelgian]

@@sr7312 If I'm not mistaken, according to the guy in the video, the Franciscans were the first (or among the first) evangelicals, and they arose in the 13th century.

[@JaskoonerSingh]

That was an amazing talk. I thought Dr Noll started off very defensives and was trying to hide things but he really did unpack the meaning of the word Evangelical in the modern American context.

[@ashtonlambert7673]

Do an episode in the Mormon church I’m curious

[@MisterTipp]

Wooo Mark Noll! I really enjoyed his turning points book!

[@-Pawss]

Hey guys, I have a question... I’m 25 years old. I have possible Huntington’s Disease. I was raised in the church but I slipped away around age 6ish. I am an agnostic. My boyfriend is a believer and I promised him I’d look more into the Bible. We do read and study the Bible daily. My brain is shrinking, it is very very small. I don’t have a lot left. I found this KZbin channel and the way Matt goes about explaining and the visuals help me understand so much. “Preachers preaching” makes me not excited to read or study the Bible. That type of talk doesn’t hold my attention. As I’m reading along I did notice Its hard for me to understand what’s happening. The Bible seems so random. Can anyone suggest a video or KZbin channel of an explanation? I don’t exactly know what I’m having trouble with.. like Genesis goes from the beginning, to the fall, to the flood, to so many names and stuff really quick it’s hard for me to grasp because of my brain dying. Thank everyone so much and thank you Matt for making this KZbin channel. You really make it easy to learn and pay attention. I sincerely mean it.

[@DrFundies]

The Bible Project

[@DrFundies]

They have alot of animated videos with narration, it might help if you are having trouble understanding or focusing when reading the Bible.

[@DrFundies]

I prayed for you

[@blueskiesandgreenpasturesp3848]

Don't stress your brain. All you need to know is that if you believe that Jesus died for your sins and ask him to forgive you, you will be saved. We are all saved by faith , not how well we understand the Bible. But also ask God to help you if you do read the Bible. If you accept Jesus, and the authority of God's Word the Bible, the Holy Spirit will help you understand the message.

[@brucemurray121]

The question should be, are you a Christ honoring Christion or not? After all it is going to be the only item that will be of any consequences. Having said that, the Evangelical question is still out there and is very real. This is a very informative video. Thank you for the time and effort that you put into the production and presentation.

[@chadgreen9067]

"When I say 'evangelical' I want people to think about a divine grace in Christ rescuing sinners aware of their need of a Savior. [but] If I say 'evangelical' and you hear "I'm a supporter of a certain political group" there's a fundamental breakdown in communication. If the one word is tasked with bearing that burden, it's too much for that one word". AGREED! Let's let it go and unite around the first sentence. Who's got a new word?

[@selimword25]

This is the content I crave.

[@johnnywishbone932]

Jesus loves me. I don't need any other words than that. I love your channel! ✝️❤️

[@robertnewell4054]

Dig deeper brother. This is a child’s view on Christianity. Part of true worship is having our mind & intellect engaged. Matthew 24:24 King James Version 24 *For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect*

[@MNskins11]

As does the Father, and His son Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit demands unity. If there are to be “tribes”, they must stand united under one church. The Church of Jesus Christ. And tho that Church stands before us beaten and scandalized by the wolves that have penetrated its doors, it’s still the only church that qualifies as the international universal bride of Christ.

[@thevirtualtraveler]

Re the intro: When someone asks "what is an Evangelical?" My immediate thought is, Evangelical = people who evangelize. IE People who "share the Good News". IE People who work to convert others to their religion/ beliefs.

[@stephenbouchelle7706]

As an historian, Noll says it is not his job to tell people what they must think. I wish more religious people took the same approach and left religion out of politics. As long as people think it is a duty to have others adopt their beliefs (“save them”), it will be an intrusion that will work its way into politics and abrogation of individual rights.

[@soldierofchrist4ever]

Did you say that George Marsden, is part of a new book?!! *Quickly types in books name, adds it to the buy list, sits down, un-pauses video, and listens ever so intently* Mark Knoll, is a great historian-author in his own right, but man, Fundamentalism And American Culture, is a book (by Marsden) that I find myself coming back to again and again. Obviously, I highly recommend! Grace, and peace. *Edit* Ha ha, yes! 19:00 in, and the book I talked about above, was mentioned. Brother, this is such a great, and interesting video thank you so much. *Second Edit* Just finished the video. The only thing that concerns me is that Jemar Tisby, seems to have contributed a chapter in the book. I say this because, anyone even remotely familiar with Twitter would know that Jemar Tisby, is constantly spewing his views on there, and they're not only biased, but out right hateful.

[@Jere616]

Here's an expression to explore, "People who love Jesus."

[@lorrimang]

I don't think it's enough. I knew a lady who 'loved Jesus', was quite active religiously, but was 'grace alone' and liberally fornicating. Emotional love vs self-sacrificial love.

[@Jere616]

@@lorrimang Jesus says only those who obey him love him. That's really what bothers me about saying so easily about people that they love Jesus. I don't think they're using that criteria to testify such a thing about themselves or others. Case in point, that lady who liberally fornicates could not in any way be said to love Jesus, unless of course she repents.

[@lesleyalbjerg2831]

This is a great discussion. I'm EFCA like you. However since the Lutherans took on the name ELCA - we have lost our distinction. I hate to admit, but it was one of my relatives who was instrumental in the merger of the Lutheran churches taking on the name, "Evangelical Lutheran Church of America."

[@kpmac2971]

Wow! Awesome discussion. Please do more on this topic.

[@Moscoviya2009]

This video got me really curious about the Unitarian Church and Unitarians who call themselves "Evangelical" (based on the theological definition). I hope TMBH can find an opportunity to interview Unitarian Christians who call themselves Evangelical. As always, Thank you Matt and TMBH for awesome work!!!

[@hei7586]

And then it's different in other countries. In Germany we needed to (re-) import the word evangelical, to distinguish between "evangelisch" and "evangelikal", which word didn't exist before.

[@SFGJP]

Man; Matt is a great question-asker.

[@BennettSanderson]

I'm sure he is. Matt is too. :-)

[@ksalguero10]

Thank you for this, came out knowing a lot more than I came in

[@JoshuaBSunderland]

Man, if only I was on Wheaton campus! Can't wait to go back from online to in-person

[@Guguchina]

Thank you for this video. I never understood much of what these terms meant, especially being not from the US. Even people talking about the politics, I have little idea of what they mean by that.

[@housecry]

Thank you, Matt. This was helpful. Maybe you can invite him again?

[@mikeonthecomputer]

"Sitting here thinking about the Mormon thing, thinking how does that work?" Latter-day Saint and big fan of your channel here, Matt. I think it'll be a great opportunity for you to visit a Latter-day Saints church, talk with the bishop and/or missionaries, do a full hour or more video about the beliefs and structure of it all. Just as you've done for other Christian denominations and I love your work from them, I have learned a great deal from you!

[@ann-marieb2593]

I would find it surprising that he would visit with the Mormon church. No Christian denomination that I know of will will say Mormons are Christian. The denial of the triune God ties a pretty bow on the not a Christian discussion. Same goes with the Jehovah Witness. I pray for my Mormon friends that the truth will be revealed to them.

[@dtroy15]

Agreed. And a video on the creeds of orthodox christianity and their associated purity tests would also be interesting. I find it puzzling that protestantism places so much emphasis on creeds like the nicene-constantinopolitan creed while at the same time writing out catholicism and it's influence on the same documents. How, for example, can one accept the nicene creed as an inspired and influential protestant document without acknowledging that it specifically advocates the authority of the catholic (universal) church? It borders on the bizarre that protestant christianity places so much emphasis on adherence to the creeds and all of their nuance - after writing catholicism out of them.

[@erichammett2893]

I don’t think most Bishops (or missionaries) are up to the task of this depth of discussion. They have very clear jobs that don’t include doctorates of divinity or church history. I think the best person for Matt to meet with would be Jared Halverson who is a PhD candidate at Vanderbilt and has a KZbin channel called unshaken. Jared has engaged in a great deal of high level interfaith discussion and is well spoken and engaging.

[@wtylerb]

@@erichammett2893 I agree with you. Religion professors at BYU would be other great options too.

[@HolyKhaaaaan]

um hate to break it to you friend but Joseph Smith taught that Elohim is a physical being. Like a human being, but stronger. Like Zeus. Sorry, but... Jews and Christians understand God to be someone much bigger than that. LDS are a little too local and earth-focused to be Christian. Compare and contrast Thomas Aquinas' five arguments for God's existence with your theology and you'll see what I mean.

[@gmac8586]

This is a problem of the American media. Instead of using the label Evangelical, they should use right-wing Christian, because this is what they mean but they are confusing the term. President Jimmy Carter is also an Evangelical Christian after all.

[@news_internationale2035]

But other denominations can be right wing.

[@AndrewKendall71]

It's definitely loaded, more troublingly so than "Christian," which I don't think should be looked at sideways by believers in the same way. But, I tend to think of the essentials to avoid the confusion that comes from how complex things get over time. So, I think of it as that group of orthodox protestants who emphasize highly the sharing of the gospel (not that others don't, but that seeing people born again through personal testimony is *the* core "fruit" borne in the life of the believer). I don't know if that's fair - I certainly don't mean it derogatorily. But it's a struggle for me to go beyond that today, even with the history discussed here which I appreciate.

[@thebruce0]

"Hm. I suspect the same." Well spoken :)

[@johnmascola3403]

I had to watch this video Twice. I am not Evangelical Protestant, I'm a Catholic. So, I'm taking this from seeing inside the bubble. This needs to be said. Yes, The Evangelical movement, if not Protestantism, overall is going through the Worst identity crisis in her history. The average person on the street in twenty-first century America could not even care less about the religious idealism of the Evangelical movement. The average person today would see the movement as a voting bloc and nothing else. If anything, if Protestantism overall is to survive unto the Twenty-second century; it needs to return to the ideas of Jan Huss, Martin Luther, Thomas Cranmer and other early reformers which points directly to Christ and the sole means of Human salvation. Not to the innovations of "Modern" American Evangelicalism which has morphed into the problems within Protestantism which we see today. Once again, We ask ourselves, "What is Evangelicalism?" Today, it's in the mind of the beholder.

[@TragedysHalo]

Is Dr. Mark also a professional blinker?! That's very distracting lol Another great educational video, Matt! Thanks for all you do! God bless you & your ministry!

[@mrmorganmusic]

Oooo, do a piece on Unitarianism!

[@johanneswk]

Could you do an interview with the Old Catholics? Would be really interesting!

[@HolyKhaaaaan]

Speaking of ex-Catholics, I wonder if Matt would have time to speak with prime Bishop Mikovsky of the PNCC.

[@johanneswk]

For sure too, might be even more interesting! They used to be in the Union of Utrecht with the old Catholics till 2008 but separated mostly because of LGBHT and ordaining women.

[@sr7312]

@@HolyKhaaaaan That's pejorative. The PNCC is recognized as Catholic in the same manner as newer groups such as the Society of St. Pius X.

[@darrylclark563]

By “old Catholics” are you referring to Sedevacantists?

[@jameswright2875]

@@darrylclark563 Old Catholic is a specific form of Sedevantacist

[@johntobey1558]

Mark Noll was my History Professor at Wheaton College Wheaton, Illinois. We most certainly do not always vote tge sane ways. Many voted fir Jimmy Carter and for Bill Clinton.

[@quinnjohnson9750]

For me "evangelical" is an umbrella term that consist of non-denominational Christians, certain Baptist, and Pentecostals/Charismatics. They emerged out of the revivals of the religious revivals of the 1950-60s and became mainstream during the 1990s and early 2000s. To me they make up a vague sense of early Methodist-Wesleyan theology in that one needs to be born again and also the fundamentalists' ideas that the Bible should be taken literally and is true and never in error (which as a postmodern progressive spiritual rather then religious "Christian" universalist I find silly as I think of the Bible as a man made book of people trying to figure out who or what God is. For those wondering I am in the progressive wing within the UMC) along with the ideas that God wants the Christian to build up a Puritan style theocracy on earth (or at least in the culture of society) and are also in denial of science (i.e. doesn't believe in climate change and denies evolution i.e. they are young earth creationist) and they are obsessed with the ends times and think about brining about the end of the world by trying to rebuild the Jewish temple in Jerusalem to bring about the rapture and return of Jesus.

[@eviewesner6231]

I'm so excited that he mentioned Jamar Tisby!!! I'd love if you & destin could talk with him!!!

[@danvan2683]

I grew up as a believing Mormon and a few years ago experienced a rebirth like period defining what I actually believed and where I'd put a stake in the ground, the faith that was once for all given to those who believe smacked me outside my family and community, my focus is now how to articulate what's worth defending and why, people come to my home looking to hook my kids with things they don't really believe when we get into it, it's interesting when an honest moment comes along how simple the problem of existence is solved by the sacrificial life and death of the Jewish messiah, sprinkle many nation's indeed, even me in Utah as a manipulative ignorant Mormon before this awakening, it's hard to admit the simplicity and not add our own complexity's to the works performed by the lord, it's hard to label myself and the obvious answer is my apostasy from mormonism right into the arms of god. (Hope that's coherent)

[@HolyKhaaaaan]

God bless you for coming to be grateful for the sacrifice of Our Lord. I encourage you to get a sense of the depth of what you have entered in on. Mormonism is a very shallow thing in comparison of Christianity, or even Judaism. You don't need to understand it all. I just want you to know life is very complicated, but it's all right because God wants your ultimate happiness.

[@danvan2683]

@@HolyKhaaaaan I agree, shallow and based on contradictory presuppositions to what history demonstrates, it's interesting how modern systems attack the diety and identity of our Lord as well as confuse our standing before God, mormonism is wrong on alot of foundational ideas that shape their modern Faith.

[@nathangale7702]

@@HolyKhaaaaan I don't think it's a good idea to call any serious religious tradition "shallow." Certain Mormons and many aspects of Mormonism that get a lot of attention are shallow, but Mormonism is too broad and complicated to be considered shallow in my view. If you're interested, I recommend the book Americanist Approaches to the Book of Mormon to get an idea for the complex nature of Mormonism.

[@robertnewell4054]

Noll’s “THE SCANDAL OF THE EVANGELICAL MIND” is must reading. A bit academic, but accessible to all.

[@joeythemonk007]

Very informative.

[@TK-qu1ht]

Interesting interview. Thanx. IMO Noll, at 27:30, in his analysis reveal much about his own ways of thinking. I think Francis Schaeffer would describe Noll as an Evangelical Disaster. I've been at all this since the late 1960’s here in the USA. TK from The Black Hills of South Dakota. I hope I can be a part of your on-going conversation about this.

[@aladyknight]

Since the 1980’s “Mormon” children have been singing, “I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know who I am. I know God’s plan. I’ll follow him in faith. I believe in the Savior, Jesus Christ. I’ll honor his name. I’ll do what is right; I’ll follow his light. His truth I will proclaim.” The idea that they all the sudden have changed their name isn’t accurate. We were nicknamed Mormon by enemies, much like the puritans and quakers, and we embraced the name since the original name given to us in 1830 was a mouthful. You may be learning more of us and thus seeing us called by our proper name, but as a great granddaughter of “Mormon” pioneers we always knew who we were.

[@davidoslin7760]

Personally, I don't like branding and labelling and splitting hairs demographically. I consider myself simply to be a follower of Jesus, but how can any of us not be evangelical in light of Matthew 28:18-19. I think we have our orders straight from our Lord and our God and soon coming King.

[@patrickcooney1725]

I'll never have an exact answer in words, but I tell ya, I know one when I see one

[@rogermetzger7335]

Beginning in the 1950s, I began to try to explain that Christian denominations exist for some other reasons (having to do with traditions that developed in various parts of the world) but that most of the major families of denominations exist because the Lord has called some people to emphasize one or more Bible doctrines and the same Lord has called other people to emphasize one or more other Bible doctrines. With regard to what has come to be called the evangelical vs. mainline divide, I think of the Lord has having called some people to emphasize the inerrancy of the Bible, faith as the conduit or vehicle of God’s grace, profession of faith in Jesus and the importance of evangelism AND I think of that same Lord as having called some other people to emphasize that, while there may well be people he cannot allow into heaven or the new Earth, his decision in that regard might be made with regard to whether people are intellectually honest, have made progress along a personal spiritual journey and the transformation of a person’s motives from selfishness to selflessness - not merely on the basis of a profession of faith. The older I get the more I’m disgusted by dogmatism (and I think evangelicals are more often perceived as dogmatic) but mainline Christians can get just as dogmatic about people being less-than-Christian who don’t subscribe to their ideas about how Christians “should” be involved in “social justice” issues. I find both kinds of dogmatism equally disquieting. Dr. Noll is right that it seems to be easier to get people to follow dogmatic religious leaders (the same might be said about it being easier to get people to follow dogmatic political leaders) but if Jesus pronounced a blessing on peacemakers, I wonder whether it might easier for the Lord to select for his heaven or new Earth the people who at least try to minimize both dogmatism and the castigation of people on the other side of the theological (or political) fence. I can consider someone a Christian who makes a profession of faith (unless he claims to be without sin or gives me reason to think he doesn’t consider himself a sinner) and I see no reason to not treat that person as as Christian. At the same time, I see nothing wrong with religious organizations (local, regional, national or international) having doctrinal and behavioral criteria for voting membership and holding elected offices in the organization. In order for this arrangement to make sense from a biblical perspective, it becomes important to use the word “church” to refer only to all of the Christians worldwide and to all of the Christians in the vicinity of a village, town or city AND to avoid using the word “Church” to refer to any religious organization or denomination or building. Organization is a tool of the church but believers constitute the church. We do go to church. We are the church. If the theological extremists want to go off into their own little corners and enjoy telling themselves how wrong everyone else is, let them. It seems to me that the gospel will “go to all the world” much quicker if or when significant numbers of Christians are willing to stand up against extremism at BOTH ends of the theological (or and political) spectrum. One way to do that might be to create an organization that pays pastors and evangelists but, instead of requiring that they subscribe to a given creed or/and that they teach all of the doctrines of such a creed, make a list of doctrines the pastors and evangelists are NOT allowed to teach while they are being paid by that organization. Start by prohibiting the preaching of ANY political doctrines - with the possible exception of the doctrine that Christians should not encourage any political (taxpayer funded) entity or agency to promote or oppose any beliefs or practices or enforce any prohibitions that are based on any person or group’s concept of the highest powers of the universe.

[@henrysan8789]

You should interview Trent Horn and discuss Catholicism. I'm sure he would love to do it.

[@brendaboykin3281]

Thanx, Matt🌹🌹🌹

[@YetiMama]

Great video. I had no idea what the definition was.

[@wesleyrm76]

As always, Mormons are just happy you mentioned is. :)

[@madcow9421]

Alex Lancaster you need to watch it again because he included them not excluded them

[@ThomasGirdwoodMusic]

My grandfather was a Stone-Campbell church planter (started 20+ new churches in MI). My father baptized me when I was very young. At 25, I became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am a Christian - but not because someone on the internet did or did not say I am.

[@ThomasGirdwoodMusic]

@Alex Lancaster I hate to argue with you but, you actually didn't have to say that.

[@saltypancreas5866]

Evangelical ties also have a very strong link to Zionism

[@lawrencegoodwin6687]

Hey Matt, when you say, "Individualism" is it a good thing or a bad then?

[@ChristianTravelers]

Yes, all Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod churches must have "evangelical" in their names. However, with regard to the necessity of a conversion experience, WELS would not consider that as a necessity. As far as politically, as WELS is very conservative theologically, it follows that the majority probably votes conservative, although not at the levels expressed by Dr. Noll.

[@joshpeterson1999]

Interesting. I was literally just wondering this question a few days ago.

[@kadda1212]

An evangelical used to be someone who had a moment of being "born again" and have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. But fubdamentalism has taken such a hold of evangelicalism, that basically that meaning always swings along. So, to make clear that one still believes in the personal relationship with Christ, but maybe not in Biblical inerrancy á la fundamentalism one has to say they are neoevangelical or postevangelical.

[@ravissary79]

Considering how inerrancy is defined nowadays it's pretty odd when Christians deny inerrancy.

[@SusanaSharp1]

Loved this thank you!

[@tb8351]

beautiful, hey do you know who gary habermas is?