Evangelicalism: Background

Hey Guys! For my part of the presentation on Evangelicalism I will be giving you guys a definition and background based on our textbook and some sources online.
Here is a quick definition taken from www.dictionary.reference.com:
“Belonging to or designating the Christian churches that emphasize the teachings and authority of the Scriptures, especially of the new testament, in opposition to the institutional authority of the church itself, and that stress as paramount the tenet that salvation is achieved by personal conversion to faith in the atonement of Christ.”
In the Victorian period there was a lot of intellectual discovery going on, and many of these discoveries challenged the perceptions that the Church put forward. Darwinism is one of the, if not the most, prominent examples of intellect that challenged the Church. Darwin’s theories started a conflict with the Church based on the knowledge it supported. His works On the Origin of Species (1859) and The Decent of Man (1871) did not just challenge religious beliefs, but they “rejected the Christian idea that human beings had been created in God’s image” (Black, 512). Darwin’s theories did not put people above other beings, but rather as an advanced stage of evolution. This was an idea that radically challenged the Church, and began religious unrest in the Victorian period.
Evangelicalism was a religious reaction that moved away from the rigid structure of the Church and moved towards the adherence to evangelical doctrines. Evangelicalism is a sect of Christianity that follows the gospels and their teachings and puts more emphasis on an individual’s personal relationship with God, and not on their Church attendance. For Evangelicals, the Gospels were the most important part of learning religion.
In the early 1870’s Evangelicalism was growing in popularity and beginning to change the Establishments of the Church of England, which was Anglican, as well as the religious practices. Evangelicalism was “stressing the importance of an individuals personal relationship with God” as well as the importance “of conversion, of missionary work, and of humanitarian activism” (513). Evangelicalism attracted many working and middle class, as it was not based on a hierarchical organization. With the rise of Evangelicalism there was a clear division of the people into two groups: Anglican Evangelicals that were referred to as Low Church, and Anglo-Evangelicals that were referred to as High Church.
Although Evangelicalism challanged the norms of religious ideologies and practices, it did not however diminish the magnitude of the role of religion during this time. The Victorian period was a period of doubt, but still remained “an age… marked by intense religious feeling” (515). Overall people still strongly identified themselves through their religious identity.
It’s safe to say that no period in history has been without its complexities and conflicting ideas, and that societies are constantly changing.
· Here are some links that may be helpful with further knowledge!
Definition:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/evangelical
Background (I know Wikipedia is frowned upon, but it is seriously helpful, at least when you are just looking for a base knowledge):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelicalism
As well as:
http://www.victorianweb.org/religion/evangel1.html
Sources
Black, Joesph, Leonard Conolly, Kate Flint, Isobel Grundy, Don Lepan, Roy Luizza, Jerme J. McGann, Anne Lake Prescott, Barry V. Qualls, Claire Waters, eds. "Faith and Doubt." The Broadview Anthology of British Literature: Concise Edition. Volume B. Peterborough, ON: Broadview Press, 2008. 512-515. Print.