A new survey finds that many Americans can't define the term "evangelical Christian." The survey -- conducted by Ellison Research -- finds that although evangelical is a term heard often in news reports and the culture, many Americans struggle to define the term. Thirty-six percent of Americans said they had no idea what an evangelical Christian is; and nine percent said evangelicals were a specific type of Christian, such as non-denominational, born-again, or Protestant. The study also found that only six percent define evangelicals by worldview or political persuasion. Ron Sellers, president of Ellison Research, was surprised by the animosity many hold for evangelicals. “We were not asking people what they think about evangelicals. We were simply asking them to define evangelicals -- and yet people used terms like idiots, nut cases, delusional, illiterate, simpleton, screaming loons," he lists. "We were told by one person that they're much more conservative in their beliefs and they tend to be less intelligent than the more moderate Christians.”
According to Webster’s online dictionary, “evangelical” means: “of, relating to, or being in agreement with the Christian gospel especially as it is presented in the four Gospels… emphasizing salvation by faith in the atoning death of Jesus Christ through personal conversion, the authority of Scripture, and the importance of preaching as contrasted with ritual… marked by militant or crusading zeal.”
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