ABSTRACT
Using seven broad themes this chapter argues that it is possible to delineate a distinctive evangelical approach to spirituality. A stress on personal conversion, assurance of salvation, the centrality of the Bible, a life of prayer, and a theology of the cross, it suggests, were given practical expression in a Christian discipleship that prioritized personal holiness and mission both at home and overseas. Outlining the various ways in which these were expressed over time, the chapter also argues that in more recent times the development of Pentecostalism and a renewed interest in the notion of spirituality itself has inspired the renewal of contemporary evangelicalism in various ways. Evangelicals insisted that salvation is not by 'works' but by 'grace', yet they also pursued personal holiness, emphasizing that the gospel must make a difference to the way life is lived. Evangelical spirituality has often been expressed through energetic activism.
