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The Theology of Evangelism: The Heart of the Matter
by William J. Abraham
The central task of a theology of evangelism is to
saving souls, make up the relevant minority reports.
provide a clear and credible account of the ministry
In what follows I shall argue that we need to con-
of evangelism which will foster and illuminate re-
strue evangelism as a polymorphous ministry di-
sponsible evangelistic practices by the Christian
rected to initiating people into the kingdom of God.
church and its agents in the modern world.
To date very limited attention has been given
I
to this crucial subject. The chief reason for this is
that evangelism falls between a rock and hard place.
Evangelism is a peculiarly Christian concept. It
The rock is the extraordinary silence on the part of
does not arise naturally in non-Christian contexts,
systematic theologians on the subject of evangelism.
although, of course, it can be stretched for usage in
The hard place is the inability of practical theology
other religious traditions. Even in the Christian tra-
to reach any sustained measure of internal self-criti-
dition it has had a very unstable usage down through
cism. Evangelism as a topic of inquiry falls within
the ages.3 The seeds for evangelistic activity are very
both systematic and practical theology. Within sys-
clearly rooted in the earlier Jewish tradition. Yet the
tematic theology it falls within the domain of
early Christians had no developed theory of evan-
ecclesiology; it is central to any comprehensive analy-
gelism. Moreover, there was something of a divi-
sis of the mission and task of the church. Within prac-
sion of the house when it came to evangelistic prac-
tical theology, it has a space all to itself, although
tice. Evangelism clearly took place within the Jew-
practical theology is in such conceptual disarray that
ish circles that originally gave birth to Christianity,
this does not count for much.1 Given the ambiva-
but the shift into Gentile circles was accompanied
lent status of evangelism as a subject of inquiry within
by deep reluctance and enormous tension. The pic-
theology, evangelism as a ministry of the church can
ture of the early Christians marching out to evange-
become everything and anything. The challenge is
lize the Roman empire in order to fulfill the great
to mesh these two concerns into one coherent enter-
commission is a myth. It took determined leader-
prise. The task is this: we need to spell out an ac-
ship by figures like Stephen and Paul to carry the
count of evangelism which will be both serviceable
day on the issue. The apostle Peter, if Luke is right,
in the actual practice of ministry and viable in its own
needed nothing less than a special divine revelation
right theologically. Beyond that, such an account
to convert him to evangelistic work among the Gen-
must be suitably informed by historical consider-
tiles.4 This whole story has yet to be adequately un-
ations and true to the richness of the Christian gos-
raveled historically.
pel. We need an analysis of evangelism which will
The language used to talk about evangelism is
be at once historically grounded, theologically cred-
of limited value. Clearly the central verb used to
ible, and practically apt.
cover the activity of evangelism, euangelizomai, is best
Despite the conceptual confusion and fog in
translated by our verb, `proclaim'.5 Hence "to evan-
the field, the last twenty years or so have seen an
gelize" basically meant the proclaiming of the good
astonishing birthing of interest in evangelism. As
news of the gospel. Much has been made of this in
part of this development, most mainline churches
the last century or so. Christians from very diverse
have become greatly enamored of church growth,
backgrounds have argued that this provides suffi-
due in part to the fact that this permits its leaders to
cient warrant for construing evangelism today as
set aside the hard theological questions which have
proclamation.6 This only succeeds, however, if the
to be faced. In Evangelical circles Christians in this
exclusive warrant for envisioning evangelism rests
tradition have for almost a century seen themselves
on biblical word studies, and if the only relevant
as the sole owners of evangelism, so much so that
terms related for evangelism focus on proclamation.
many find it difficult to distinguish between evan-
Neither of these assumptions can be sustained. The
gelism and evangelicalism.2 For the most part Evan-
first does not hold because it is not at all clear that it
gelicals have construed evangelism as essentially the
is appropriate to derive a vision of evangelism merely
proclamation of the gospel to unbelievers. In fact
from verbal considerations related to the etymology
church growth and proclamation constitute the two
of `evangelism'. One suspects that even the early
major visions of evangelism currency available to us.
Christians would have been wary of this, for they
Converting people to God, making disciples, and
were not intentionally developing a theory of evan-
gelism in their writings. The second assumption does
aftermath. The Reformers had next to no interest in
not hold because, not only do we have references to
evangelism. Either they believed that this work was
evangelistic activity, we also learn of workers in evan-
purely the responsibility of the first apostles, or they
gelism, namely `evangelists'. The best way to con-
held that it had already been done. Either way, the
strue these workers is to see them as second genera-
center of attention lay in the reforming of the church
tion apostles.7 They represent those who did simi-
from its varied corruptions. In the western church it
lar work to the apostles, that is, proclaimed the gos-
was the Roman Catholics and Pietists who first came
pel and established converts in the faith in Christian
to see that confining the work of evangelism to an-
communities, but they were naturally distinguished
tiquity was both unbiblical and unrealistic. The debt
from the apostles in that they did not have that
we owe to the Pietists in recovering the ministry of
unique relationship to the risen Lord which was cen-
evangelism in the modern period is incalculable. A
tral to the work of the twelve and Paul. If we focus
crucial conduit for their approach to evangelism is
on this evidence, then it would be very misleading
visible in the life and work of John Wesley, one of the
to restrict the work of evangelism in the early church
greatest evangelists in the history of the church. The
to the activity of proclamation.
Moravians helped Wesley to find a deep assurance
This is confirmed by the later history of evan-
of his own salvation and then provided him with both
gelism across the centuries, even though that history
the stimulus and the initial model to work out the
is far from uniform. It is clear that in the patristic
kind of evangelistic ministry which would be effec-
period evangelism included the formation of Chris-
tive in his day and generation. What is especially
tians; it was not confined merely to proclamation.
significant is the creativity displayed by Wesley and
This is borne out by the actual work of evangelists
his co-workers. He reluctantly launched forth into
when they traveled into new territory.8 It is also con-
field preaching and carefully experimented with vari-
firmed by the extensive use of individual and corpo-
ous sorts of small groups until he found a way to
rate spiritual direction focused on the incorporation
form the kind of Christian disciples who would act
of converts into the church and into the life of faith.
as salt and light in the world. All this was done, on
Especially interesting with respect to corporate spiri-
the one hand, out of a deep theological appropria-
tual direction is the development of the
tion of biblical and patristic sources, and on the other
catechumenate. Considerable care was taken to en-
hand, out of a deep humility which forced him to
sure that seekers really knew the gospel for them-
depend constantly on the daily inspiration and guid-
selves and to see that they were well grounded in
ance of the Holy Spirit.
the basic content and practices of the faith. This was
Wesley's legacy in evangelism was ambivalent
a slow process, but it was absolutely essential if com-
in the extreme. His anthropocentric focus and his
mitment was to be substantial and long-lasting. Not
tendency to depend rather naively on the narrow
surprisingly, when Christianity became the official
epistemologies of the Enlightenment left many of his
religion of the Roman Empire this delicate compo-
later followers and admirers unprotected from the
nent in the work of evangelism became eroded. It
acids of modernity. One wing reduced his rich con-
was well nigh impossible for the Church to cope with
tribution to a focus on social action which is currently
the hordes of uninstructed pagans who were
embodied in various schemes for social liberation.
shepherded en masse into the faith.
Influenced by Marxist suspicions of piety, there is
Even then, one can still see vestiges of this di-
virtually no interest in evangelism in this domain.9
mension of evangelism in the medieval period in the
The more conservative wing of Wesley's followers
work to convert the heathen tribes of northern Eu-
developed his legacy into various schemes for re-
rope. It would have been totally impractical and
vival. Initially these kept intact the Wesleyan im-
spiritually dangerous to restrict the work of evange-
pulse to reform of the nation, but this did not last; in
lism to proclamation. It was absolutely essential that
time, it gave birth to the tumultuous Pentecostal and
converts be baptized and minimally established in
Charismatic movements which are only now receiv-
the faith. Exactly the same is true for the great burst
ing the historical and theological attention they de-
of missionary activity which arose in the nineteenth
serve. The net result has been that evangelism has
century. With all its faults, this constitutes a brilliant
lost its moorings. It has been disconnected both in-
episode in the history of evangelism; it bears ample
tellectually and institutionally from the life of the
testimony to the need to see evangelism as includ-
church with disastrous results all around. Evange-
ing the early phases of Christian initiation.
lism has been reduced to forms of social action among
The missing link between the medieval and
liberals and reduced to manipulative schemes of con-
modern period is, of course, the Reformation and its
version among conservatives. To be sure, this is ex-
2
aggerated and oversimplified, but the work of bind-
ize, and then to purely realized visions of the king-
ing up the wounds of our fathers and mothers in
dom which dissolve any future dimension into a
evangelism has scarcely begun.
timeless, Platonic eternity. In the end we cannot
avoid a contested historical and theological judg-
The last decade or so has seen the beginnings
ment. The claim of the Church is that God has come
of a really deep conversation. The origins of this are
to us uniquely to establish his rule in and through
manifold. The collapse of Christendom in Europe,
Jesus Christ; what began there by the work of the
the intellectual and social failure of Communism, the
Holy Spirit continues in the world today through the
internal disintegration of the Enlightenment obses-
work of that same Spirit; in God's own time, that
sion with science and epistemology, the burgeoning
work will be brought to a fitting consummation. This
experiments in ecclesial renewal represented by the
is the heart of the gospel.10
Charismatic movement, the surprising emergence of
To construe the gospel in this fashion in the
post-Christian forms of religion from within Chris-
contemporary situation is to invite immediate chal-
tianity, all these and more have created space for a
lenge about its viability in the modern world. This
serious debate about evangelism. As yet the points
is entirely natural, for Christians are deeply divided
of convergence are few and far between. It is clear,
on both the content of the faith and on the norms to
for example, that evangelism must attend to the ar-
which we should appeal to settle disputes about its
rival of the kingdom of God as absolutely constitu-
credibility. Christians, in other words, are in conflict
tive of the gospel. It is also clear that evangelism is
about the status of their primary narrative.
constitutive of apostolic identity. Any church which
On one end of the spectrum are those who con-
fails to reckon with this has missed a crucial compo-
sider this classical rendering of the gospel narrative
nent of apostolic Christianity, whatever else it may
as strictly incomprehensible to the modern unbe-
claim about its apostolic pedigree. Beyond that, it is
liever. Contemporary proclamation of this narrative,
obvious that serious renewal in evangelism will en-
therefore, requires its translation into the idiom of a
tail extensive conversation on deeply contested theo-
favored philosophical tradition, such as, say, existen-
logical and practical issues. It will also entail a fresh
tialism or process metaphysics. This became some-
encounter with the gospel embodied in the rich ca-
thing of a theological orthodoxy in the post-war gen-
nonical traditions of the church.
eration.11 Failure to reach agreement on the chosen
philosophical idiom has undermined much of the
II
enthusiasm for this option. It is also clear that this
option owes much to a ready acceptance of crucial
Any such encounter is likely to yield the following
epistemological constraints imposed by the leading
platitude: whatever the gospel is, it centers on the
philosophers of the Enlightenment.
inauguration of the kingdom of God in Jesus Christ,
It has also been rapidly supplanted among the
crucified and risen from the dead. Hence the gospel
cultural elites of the Christian tradition by a very dif-
is not first and foremost about a network of moral
ferent way of construing the incomprehensibility of
injunctions, nor about this or that kind of religious
the narrative. I refer, of course, to the tendency to
experience, nor about the arrival of the church, nor
interpret the account of the gospel outlined above as
about some scheme of political liberation, nor about
the product of patriarchal and hierarchical social
some magic formula to gain health and wealth, nor
forces which mask the intention to enslave and op-
about a quick and easy way to find celestial fire-in-
press. In this hermeneutical trajectory, the general
surance. It is constituted by those extraordinary
strategy is to derive certain minimal moral concerns
events in and through Jesus of Nazareth through
in the gospel stones and then construct from these a
which God acted in history by his Holy Spirit to es-
new narrative of political liberation.l2 It is clear that
tablish his rule in the world.
this option owes much to the political aspirations of
We owe this rediscovery to a revolutionary shift
the Enlightenment in both its liberal and socialist
in New Testament studies brought about by Johannes
forms.
Weiss and Albert Schweitzer. Not surprisingly, it has
Others see in both these options an inevitable
taken time to assimilate what the arrival of the king-
reduction of the gospel to suit the intellectual require-
dom means. Materially, Weiss and Schweitzer have
ments and unredeemed prejudices of the outsider.
not been the best of guides in this complex territory.
In fact neither of these options can allow the gospel
We have stumbled through the various texts on the
to be heard in all its radical particularity, beauty, and
kingdom, lurching now to purely futuristic concep-
challenge. They are tone deaf to its richness. In both
tions of the kingdom which have failed to material-
instances, the gospel is suffocated by attractive in-
3
tellectual and political visions which are held as be-
his followers. Once these have been replaced by more
yond intellectual challenge. These visions are threat-
appropriate canons of evaluation, then the Christian
ened at their foundations by the gospel, that is, by
theologian is liberated both to teach the full wealth
eschatological events and actions which cannot be
of Christian conviction and to offer a positive account
accommodated within the webs of conceivability and
of its epistemic status. Basil Mitchell, Richard
credibility out of which they are woven. Few theo-
Swinburne, Diogenes Allen, and William Alston have
logians have seen this more clearly than the early Karl
developed various proposals along this line.14 In this
Barth, although figures as far apart as Soren
case the work of the evangelist is aided and abetted
Kierkegaard and John Henry Newman in the nine-
by sophisticated work in positive apologetics.
teenth century expressed this same insight with as-
The crucial divide for evangelism lies not be-
tute brilliance. In turn the latter are the inspiration
tween those who favor a fideist, or a reliabilist, or an
for two very different ways of resolving the difficulty
evidentialist, or a Reformed approach to the justifi-
before us. Both accept that the gospel narrative will
cation of religious belief. The deep issue is whether
appear on the surface to be incomprehensible or in-
the Christian Church does or does not have genuine
credible to many moderns. The divergence arises
and substantial good news of salvation for the world
from the different strategies deployed to deal with
that can stand in deep continuity with its canonical
this.
traditions. Paul's warnings to the Galatians about
One strategy is simply to accept that the gos-
the substituting of another gospel from that handed
pel is absurd, given the standard canons of Enlight-
over in the tradition are especially pertinent at this
enment epistemologies. The gospel, however, has
juncture.15 Modern revisionist and radical forms of
its own sources and norm. It is derived and founded
the Christian tradition since Schleiermacher have
on divine revelation. On this analysis the evangelist
generally failed on this count. Moreover, evange-
is called to present faithfully the good news of the
lism in any shape or form has rarely survived, not to
kingdom, leaving it to God to supply such additional
speak of flourished, on this kind of soil for long.
witness as is needed to bring conviction and conver-
The crucial schism in the church from this per-
sion. Epistemological theories and systems are sim-
spective stems, then, not from the break between East
ply set aside as secondary or irrelevant.
and West, nor in the break within the West between
Not surprisingly, it has been difficult to hold this
Roman Catholic and Protestant, but in the break at
line indefinitely. Thus Barth's disciples have been
the Enlightenment represented by Schleiermacher. It
driven in one way or another to provide some kind
is this third schism which is decisive.16 In fact, the
of backing for this posture at the level of critical re-
future of evangelism in the West may well depend
flection and epistemology. Others in the neighbor-
on whether the deep wounds sustained from within
hood of this tradition have taken the more radical
and which strike at the very core of the gospel narra-
course of developing a whole system of Reformed
tive itself can ever be healed. In my judgment the
epistemology in order to undercut the Enlightenment
future lies in the hands of those who can reach across
critique of the gospel. Currently philosophers like
the divisions of the last millennium and retrieve with
Alvin Plantinga and Nicholas Wolterstorff are devel-
integrity the extraordinary narrative bequeathed in
oping a brilliant network of epistemic proposals
the canonical traditions of the early ecumenical tra-
which at once make sense of the faith of the ordinary
ditions. Even though this is not the general consen-
believer and equally provide a deep defence of the
sus which one encounters in much academic theol-
content of the classical Christian tradition.13 The
ogy nor the line one hears from the more visible lead-
evangelist, on this analysis, is set free to preach and
ership of the mainline churches, the prospects for this
teach the gospel without first having to provide foun-
happening now are much greater than they were a
dations constructed by this or that philosophy.
generation ago. This is in part made possible by the
The other strategy currently being explored
fact that a deep defense for the gospel narrative can
goes in a different direction. It begins, like the first
now be mounted at an intellectual and philosophi-
strategy, by acknowledging that the gospel cannot
cal level which would have been unthinkable thirty
be defended on the kind of ground staked out by the
years ago. The gospel narrative is a credible narra-
Enlightenment. The gospel narrative is indeed ab-
tive17
surd when judged by the canons of rationalism and
empiricism; Hume is essentially right about this.
III
However, the problem lies not in the gospel but in
the narrow conception of reason and experience
Staking out the essentials of the gospel narrative,
embodied in the norms of its critics, like Hume and
however, is a necessary but not sufficient condition
4
of arriving at a viable conception of evangelism. We
by the religious entrepreneur who can simply take
now need to think through the connection between
to the road and engage in this crucial ministry with-
evangelism and the evangel. How are the two to be
out accountability to the body of Christ. To be sure,
linked? If the gospel centers on the arrival of the
there are lots of local churches who welcome this kind
kingdom of God in Jesus Christ, how are we to con-
of evangelism. It allows them to ignore evangelism
strue the relation between evangelism and the king-
entirely as a constitutive element in the mission of
dom of God? This is a pivotal matter.
the church, for it can hand this responsibility to the
The favored position for some time has been to
itinerating evangelist, or it can keep evangelism to
insist that the natural connection is through some
those seasons of the year in which it focuses on the
kind of speech act. Thus evangelism has again and
proclamation of the gospel. However, this is not the
again been construed as the proclamation of the gos-
really deep problem here. The deep problem is that
pel. In some cases this has been extended to include
this way of construing evangelism has generally been
teaching the gospel or persuading someone to be-
used to cut evangelism loose from the life of the
lieve the gospel. In other cases it has been expanded
Christian community precisely because the respon-
to the proclamation of the gospel in word and deed.18
sibility of the evangelist has stopped once the proc-
In this instance it becomes natural for the actions of
lamation has ceased. On this analysis, the evange-
the church, say, in education, medical work, social
list need not belong to a church; indeed if he does
action, and the like, to be construed every bit as much
not like the church in which he was brought to faith,
as evangelism as does the verbal proclamation of the
he can invent his own on the spot. Nor need the
gospel. Moreover, it is surely this conception of evan-
evangelist be accountable to the canonical traditions
gelism that lies behind the enormous efforts currently
of the church; indeed if she does not like the canoni-
being made to evangelize the world through radio
cal narrative of the gospel, then she can invent her
and television. The warrant for the widely held con-
own narrative at will. Nor need the evangelist take
viction that the world can be evangelized through
any responsibility for the spiritual welfare of the
television is the claim that communication is of the
seeker or convert; this can be conveniently left to oth-
essence of evangelism. Evangelism is just the verbal
ers, say, in the field of Christian education. In all,
proclamation of the gospel; hence in our situation
restricting evangelism to proclamation helps keep
the obvious tool for this is television.19
intact unhealthy evangelistic practices which should
We have already seen that the attempt to base
long ago have been abandoned. In a culture
this on purely etymological considerations is precari-
mesmerised by the power of the mass media, the
ous in the extreme. However, even if the argument
church must recognise both the radical limits and the
about the origins of the term `evangelism' were to
dangers of proclamation in our current situation.
hold, that is, even if `evangelize' originally meant
Secondly, restricting evangelism in this man-
simply to `proclaim', this would not settle the mat-
ner cannot do the job that needs to be done in an
ter. We also have to ask if this is the best way to
increasingly pluralist and post-Christian culture.
construe evangelism in our situation today. We must
Evangelism needs to be expanded to include the early
explore how far it is appropriate to consider evange-
phases of Christian initiation. The gospel must be
lism in these terms in our context. In my judgment
handed over in such a way that those who receive it
it is imperative that we enrich our conception of evan-
may be able to own it for themselves in a deep way
gelism to the point where we move beyond mere
and have some sense of what they are embracing.
proclamation to include within it the initial ground-
Proclamation is but one part of the process which
ing of all believers in the kingdom of God. If we
will make this possible. It will also require teaching
make this shift, then, in fact, we actually come much
and persuasion, spiritual direction, an introduction
closer to what evangelists, ancient and modern, have
to the spiritual disciplines and the sacraments of the
actually done, but, even then, the argument is not
gospel, initiation into the basics of the Christian moral
advanced on purely historical grounds. The primary
and doctrinal tradition, some orientation on the kinds
considerations circle around the needs of our cur-
of religious experiences which may accompany en-
rent situation in our modern western culture. Here I
try into the kingdom of God, and the like. Without
shall be brief and make three points, one negative
these the new believer will not be able to survive
and two more positive.
spiritually, morally, or intellectually in the modern
First, continuing to think of evangelism in terms
world. In short, an evangelistic church will take re-
of mere proclamation fosters the practice of discon-
sponsibility for the initial formation of Christian dis-
necting evangelism from the life of the local church.
ciples as an integral component of its evangelism.
It nurtures the illusion that evangelism can be done 5
Thirdly, the wisdom of this strategy is borne
rooted and grounded in the life of the local Christian
out by a very significant recent study of spiritual
congregation. Finally, it expects that evangelism will
development in England. In that study careful at-
naturally result in the growth of local churches, but
tention was given to about five hundred people who
this is neither the goal nor focus of the ministry per
had come to faith in recent years. The most perti-
se. The focus is the coming of God's kingdom in Jesus
nent piece of information to the issue in hand is that
Christ and the goal is to see people grounded in that
the majority of people studied came to faith over a
kingdom here and now. In short, evangelism is sim-
relatively lengthy period of time.
ply the initial formation of genuine disciples of the
Lord Jesus Christ.
The gradual process is the way in which the
majority of people discover God and the av-
IV
erage time taken is about four years: models
of evangelism which can help people along
In conclusion it is worth reflecting briefly on the
the pathway are needed.20
implications of our argument for recent discussions
about the mission of the church. For almost a cen-
Most "up-front" methods of evangelizing
tury there has been a noisy debate about how to con-
assume that the person will make a sudden
ceive of the overall task of the church. Much of the
decision to follow Christ. They may be asked
energy spent on this had been devoted to the rela-
to indicate this by raising a hand, making
tive merits of evangelism, conceived as the verbal
their confession, taking a booklet or whatever
proclamation of the gospel, over against social ac-
is the preferred method of the evangelist. The
tion. The basic assumption has been that mission
fact is that most people come to God much
will consist exclusively of either gospel proclamation,
more gradually. Methods of evangelism
or social action, or some combination of the two in
which fit this pattern are urgently needed.
which one will be weighed as of equal or of inferior
The nurture group and the catechumenate are
status to the other.23 Those who stress the impor-
the best known at present, but others may
tance of proclamation invariably point out that in the
need to be devised. The use of one-to-one
divine scheme of things eternal salvation must nec-
conversations akin to some form of spiritual
essarily be construed as more important than tem-
direction may be one possibility. Another
poral affairs; those who stress social action invari-
may be a series of church services where
ably stress the radical importance of God's deep in-
people are introduced to the Christian faith
volvement in Christ in the temporal scheme of things.
over a period of time and given opportunity
Independent observers of this debate must
to respond at each stage. Even more urgently
surely wonder if this way of framing the issue be-
needed are means of helping non-churchgo-
gins to do justice to the richness of God's involve-
ers to discover God outside the church build-
ment in the world. For example, it trades on a strange
ing in ways which enable a gradual re-
silence about God's care for the natural order. Car-
sponse.21
ing for the good creation God has given us cannot be
subsumed under either proclamation or social action,
A useful way to capture this vision of evange-
yet this is surely an important task of the church in
lism is to construe evangelism as directed fundamen-
the modern world. Moreover, it is surely unduly re-
tally toward initiation into the kingdom of God.
strictive to reduce the many things the church is
Achieving this will require both the activity of proc-
called to do to proclamation and social action. It does
lamation and the work of catechesis. More compre-
not begin to touch the wider responsibility of the
hensively we might say that the ministry of evange-
church to shape the whole tenor of a culture, some-
lism will include effective evangelistic preaching, the
thing which cannot be limited to mere social action.
active gossiping of the gospel in appropriate ways
Nor does it touch on the many responsibilities that
by all Christians everywhere, and the intentional
the church must shoulder in the ongoing training,
grounding of new converts in the basics of the Chris-
education, and nurture of its members. Worse still,
tian faith.22 This in fact comes close to what evange-
this debate is silent on a simple and primary task of
lism looked like in the early church.
the church in rendering adequate praise and wor-
In order to forestall possible misunderstand-
ship to the living God. Is not our first response to
ing, note that this proposal assumes that no evange-
the gospel to gather together and celebrate all the
lism is possible without the concurrent activity of the
wondrous things that God has done in the inaugu-
Holy Spirit. It also insists that evangelism must be
ration of his kingdom in our midst? Is not this a pri-
6
mary task of the church? And would not taking it
proposed here will not only drive the church to get
seriously heal us of our moralistic ego-centrism in
ahead with such actions as proclamation and initial
both our evangelism and our social action?
catechesis, it will also drive us all to welcome God's
This is not the place to resolve the issues these
merciful justice to roll across all of creation, society,
comments and questions raise. My point is more
and human history.
modest. The pertinent problem to identify is that
this debate leaves out a crucial missing link between
William J. Abraham is the McCreless Professor of
proclamation and social action. It assumes that new
Evangelism and Professor of Philosophy of Religion
believers can move naturally from hearing the gos-
at Southern Methodist University's Perkins School
pel to social action. This is psychological and spiri-
of Theology. This was a talk given to the Society of
tual nonsense. A concrete example will make this
Christian Philosophers in April of 1994.
clear. I began my ministry in a housing estate in
Belfast which at that time had the worst murder rate
1 For an account of the place of evangelism in the-
in Western Europe. Terrorism, then as now, was
ology as a whole see my "Athens, Aldersgate, and SMU:
clearly one of the most serious social problems we
The Place of Evangelism in the Theological Encyclopedia,"
encountered. In these circumstances to construe the
in Journal for the Academy of Evangelism in Theological Edu-
mission of the church exclusively in terms of procla-
cation XL ( 1990), pp. 64-75.
2 Thus speaking of Evangelicals in the Church of
mation and social action sounds initially attractive,
England in the eighteenth century, the distinguished
but it would have been cruel in the extreme to ac-
French historian, Henri Daniel-Rops, writes: "The move-
cept this option. It omits the crucial need for adequate
ment was called Evangelism, and it subsequently exer-
grounding in the faith. Certainly we can ask no less
cised a very real influence." See his The Church in the Eigh-
than that the new convert or believer pray for the
teenth Century, trans. by John Warrington (New York:
coming of the kingdom of God here on earth as it is
Doubleday, 1960), p. 226.
in heaven. An important principle then applies: the
3 For an older but still useful overview of the his-
more we ask of the convert in social action, the more
tory of evangelism see K. S. Latourette, "Pre-nineteenth
we must grapple with providing those intellectual,
Century Evangelism: Its Outstanding Characteristics," and
moral, and spiritual resources which will make pos-
"Distinctive Features of the Protestant Missionary Meth-
ods Of The Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries," in The
sible such discipleship. My argument here is that
International Missionary Council, Evangelism (London:
evangelism should be so envisioned as to make this
Oxford University Press, 1939), PP. 1-31.
an integral part of its meaning. This deep shift in
4 Acts 10.
perspective, were it to be adopted and implemented,
5 David Barret provides an exhaustive account of
would render obsolete the natural tendency to see
the history of the concept in his Evangelize! A Historical
evangelism and social action as somehow at odds or
Survey of the Concept (Birmingham, Ala: New Hope, 1987).
in competition with one another. It might also open
He begins by trying to restrict evangelism to proclama-
up fresh ways to construe the wider and manifold
tion, but in the end fails to sustain this analysis.
mission of the church.
6 Especially noteworthy is David Lowes Watson,
Finally, it permits us to see why social action is
"The Church as Journalist: Evangelism in the Context of
the Local Church in the United States," International Re-
indeed an integral part of the overall mission of the
view of Missions 72 (1983), pp. 56-74.
church. Faithfulness to the gospel entails a deep ac-
7 See Alastair Campbell, "`Do the Work of an Evan-
ceptance of the kingdom of God now and in the fu-
gelist,'" Evangelical Quarterly 64 (1992), pp. 117-129.
ture. For the individual this clearly means that he or
8 Eusebius is an important witness to this. See Eccle-
she have the chance to start all over again, to be "born
siastical History, 5. 10. 2.
again from above," to be baptised, to be initiated into
9 James Cone's comment is especially interesting:
the church, and the like. Entry into the kingdom has
"Black theology must counsel blacks to beware of the
its own inimitable grammar and content for the in-
Wesley brothers and their concern for personal salvation,
dividual. However, the coming of the kingdom has
the "warm heart" and all the rest. What blacks do not
also got its own unique blessings and challenges for
need are warm hearts. Our attention must be elsewhere -
political, social, and economic freedom!" See A Black The-
society as a whole. Nineteenth century revivalists
ology of Liberation (Maryknoll: Orbis, 1991), p. 206. For an
and twentieth century liberals were absolutely right
exception to this general observation see John W. De
to insist on this and grapple with what this meant
Gruchy, "No Other Gospel Is Liberation Theology a Re-
for the social and political issues of the day. Anyone
duction of the Gospel?" in Christian D. Kettler and Todd
who takes the kingdom of God seriously must do
H. Speidel, eds., Incarnational Ministry: The Presence of Christ
so. In short anyone who takes the gospel seriously
in Church. Family, and Society (Colorado Springs: Helmers
must do so. So thinking of evangelism in the way
and Howard, 1990), pp. 176-190.
7
10 I have argued for this account of the gospel in
Evidential Value of Religious Experience (Oxford: Clarendon
The Logic of Evangelism (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989),
Press, 1989).
chap. 2.
15 Gal. 1: 6-9.
11 I am confining my observations to the scene in
16 I owe this way of expressing the matter to Dr.
North America. English theologians, given a characteris-
Andrew Walker in private conversation.
tically more practical turn of mind, seem more content to
17 For my own contribution to this debate see An
settle for some kind of moralistic theism. For a recent ex-
Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion (Englewoods Cliffs:
ample of see David Jenkins, "Evangelization and Culture,"
Prentice-Hall, 1985), and "Cumulative Case Arguments
Theology 94 (1991), pp. 5-10.
for Christian Theism," in William J. Abraham and Steven
12 Influential examples of this can be found in Rose-
W. Holtzer, The Rationality of Religious Belief (Oxford:
mary Radford Reuther, Sexism and God-talk, Toward a Femi-
Clarendon Press, 1987), pp. 17-38.
nist Theology (Boston: Beacon Press, 1983) and James Cone,
18 For example the influential missiologist David J.
op cit.. For an especially insightful evaluation of these
Bosch writes, "It (evangelism) consists in word and deed,
kinds of proposals see Ellen Charry, "Literature as Scrip-
proclamation and presence, explanation and example." See
ture: Privileged Reading in Current Religious Reflection,"
his "Evangelism: Theological Currents and Cross-cur-
Soundings 54(1991), pp. 65-99. For my own analysis of the
rents," International Bulletin of Missionary Research ( 1987),
issues see "The State of Christian Theology in North
pp. 101, emphasis as in original.
America," The Great Ideas Today (Chicago: Encyclopaedia
19 For a splendid analysis of so-called television
Britannica, Inc., 1991), pp. 242-286.
evangelism, see Steve Bruce Pray TV Televangelism in
13 For a useful overview see Kelly James Clark, Re-
America (New York: Routledge, 1990).
turn to Reason (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990). The first
20 John Finney, Finding Faith Today. How does it Hap-
two volumes of a three volume work in this domain by
pen? (Swindon: British and Foreign Bible Society, 1992), p.
Alvin Plantinga are available in Warrant: The Current De-
25.
bate (New York: Oxford, 1993), and Warrant And Proper
21 Idem.. Finney's suggestions also fit the data that
Function (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993).
Thomas Albin has gleaned from the diaries of early Meth-
14 See Basil Mitchell, The Justification of Religious
odists. On Albin's analysis, it took on average about two
Belief (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1973 ), Richard
years for early Methodists to move from showing interest
Swinburne, The Existence of God (Oxford: Clarendon Press,
in the gospel to where they had a measure of assurance
1979), Diogenes Allen, Christian Belief in a Postmodern World
for themselves. Some took up to four years. See his pro-
(Louisville: Westminster / John Knox Press, 1989), and
posed Ph.D. dissertation to be submitted to the Univer-
William Alston, Perceiving God (Ithica Cornell University
sity of Cambridge.
Press, 1992). This material is the tip of a deep iceberg which
22 For an expanded account of this proposal see The
is only now beginning to have an impact on systematic
Logic of Evangelism, chap. 8.
theology. Also worth noting is Caroline Franks Davis, The
23 For a convenient summary see Bosch, op. cit.
©1994 by William J. Abraham
Reprinted by permission of the author.
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