21st Century Evangelicals

This publication is an excellent addition to the research on the evangelical community already published by the EA. It is academically grounded, accessible and easy to read with a wealth of interesting, helpful and useful information for policymakers and Christian leaders.

When a number of surveys have taken place on either a similar subject or using the same sample of respondents, it is always good to evaluate not just each individual study but all the studies taken as a whole. That is what this book does and so gives a wider, larger overview of the group in question – in this case evangelicals on the database of the Evangelical Alliance ... This book very usefully looks in detail at key issues tangent on the church today – theological considerations, family and social life, gender, UK politics and worldwide issues – which can only help strategic reflection in deciding what actions should be taken to enhance church growth and the spread of the gospel.

Evangelicals – like all Christians – are called to be in the world but not of it. The extensive data contained in the book will reveal how they set about this challenge, bearing in mind that they do not all do the same thing. In short, the detail matters and exists in abundance in these insightful essays, all of which repay very careful reading.

Here is a thorough and thoughtful attempt to paint a picture of the evangelical world, its impact on and contribution to the wider church and society as a whole. The research produces many fascinating insights which will inform the way evangelicals understand themselves and their movement. It raises questions and concerns about trends and will therefore be a useful resource in fashioning the way the evangelical tradition develops for the future.

These reflections simplify the complexities inherent in surveys of this nature that cover different aspects of evangelical Christianity in the UK. Presenting a good blend of academic insights in easy-to-understand language, this book is an invaluable resource to pastors and gospel ministers in understanding the state of Christianity and ministry in the twenty-first-century United Kingdom.

As a local pastor-leader caught up with the daily challenges of the pastoral tasks, it is a privilege to read the latest objective survey on a whole spectrum of important subjects affecting society and church.