The Encyclopedia of World Religions

138 S Eucharist

“Evangelical” comes from the Greek word for GOSPEL or “good news,” euangelion. It means “based on the gospel.” During the R EFORMATION Martin L UTHER and his followers preferred to call themselves Evangeli cal rather than Lutheran. Many Lutherans today still use the term, for example, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Lutherans like this term because they emphasize the “gospel” or “good news” of SALVATION by GRACE through FAITH : that G OD saves people freely if they accept his gift. But in the English language Evangelical Chris tianity generally does not refer to L UTHERANISM . It refers to a very different kind of Protestant Chris tianity. This form began in England and North America during the 18th century. It is associated with a personal experience of conversion, revival meetings, and intense missionary activity. Evan gelical Christianity in this sense was the dominant religion in the United States after the Revolution ary War. EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANITY Most Christians believe that God acts in the world through the Holy Spirit. Evangelical Christianity began from a distinctive view of how the Spirit acts. Orthodox, Catholic, and most Protestant churches have traditionally taught that the Spirit acts especially in SACRAMENTS and, for Protestants, in preaching “the Word.” Evangelical Christians taught that the Spirit acts in the human heart. They emphasized a personal, emotionally power ful experience of conversion. As a result, they are popularly called “born again” Christians. They also taught that after Christians are saved, they should strive for “sanctification” and moral perfection. One moral demand was extremely important in the history of Evangelical Christianity: not drinking alcohol. It led eventually to the legal prohibition of alcohol in the United States from 1920 to 1933. John W ESLEY (1703–91), who founded the Methodists, played an important role in the rise of Evangelical Christianity in England. In the United States, Evangelical Christianity began dur ing the First Great Awakening. This was a revival

ethics by the good intentions of parties, or only by consequences? Thinking about ethics is an important part of religion. Ethics are where the ideals of a religion intersect with the crucial problems of society and of everyone’s everyday life. Many ethical issues today, such as abortion, war, public honesty, “mercy killing,” and others, are not easy to debate. But religions must deal with them or risk being irrelevant. Eucharist The central RITUAL of C HRISTIANITY ; also known as the Lord’s Supper or Holy Commu nion. The name “Eucharist” comes from the Greek verb “to give thanks,” from the traditional PRAYER of the priest in performing the ritual. J ESUS established the Eucharist during his last meal with his disciples. He distributed bread and wine among them and asked them to do likewise in remembering him. Christians follow these instruc tions in different ways. In E ASTERN O RTHODOX C HRIS TIANITY and R OMAN C ATHOLICISM , the Eucharist is the focal point of regular WORSHIP : the Holy L ITURGY and the Mass, respectively. Anabaptist churches— the M ENNONITE , A MISH , and Brethren—celebrate it only twice a year in the context of a communal meal. Not all churches use wine, and some use specially made wafers instead of bread. During the Middle Ages it became customary for Roman Cath olic laypeople to eat only the bread; the wine was reserved for priests. In Orthodox churches, bread and wine are often taken together. Christians have also differed on—indeed, fought over—what the Eucharist means. For example, Roman Catholics believe that the bread and wine actually become Jesus’s body and blood. Many Protestants believe that they are only symbols. Evangelical Christianity Kind of Protestant C HRISTIANITY . Evangelical Christianity has been especially prominent in the United States, while MISSIONARIES have also spread the movement throughout the world.