Rite and Reason Evangelical Christians in the US have become highly politicised, but in Ireland they remain predominantly a gospel people, writes the Rev Robert Dunlop.
Evangelical Christians have been part of Irish society for many generations. Not infrequently a hidden people, they are often treated as a curiosity.
They are not what they are sometimes perceived to be, a North American import. In fact, the traffic went the other way - their forebears from Europe planted evangelicalism on the opposite side of the Atlantic.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, they represented a substantial stream of Irish Protestantism which narrowed to a trickle in the 20th century. More recently the stream has started to widen and be replenished from within - and by the international community who are settling in existing churches and forming new congregations. More than a few incomers are evangelical Christians.
With roots in the Protestant Reformation, and more specifically in the evangelical revival of the 18th century, the movement both gathered momentum and lost ground as time went on. Charges of "souperism" and proselytism, now known to be greatly exaggerated, during and after the Famine, gave them a bad press. Against all odds, they managed to survive and carve out a small but significant place for themselves.
They can still count Church of Ireland bishops, Presbyterian moderators and Methodist presidents amongst their number in addition to religious minorities such as Baptists, Pentecostals, Christian Brethren and a whole range of independent churches.
They are now more relaxed and confident of their place in society and thinking deeply about how to engage with the changing social and religious climate. No longer identifiable solely as the children of the Reformation, they draw their members from a variety of sources.
Some worship and sing in Irish, affirm and reflect their native culture, vote for radical politicians, play Celtic music and support Gaelic games.
The recently formed Evangelical Alliance caters for a wide spectrum of churches, groups and organisations, all sheltering and co-operating under the evangelical umbrella. This offers an opportunity for more mingling with the historic churches and engaging with the institutions and agencies of contemporary society.
Historically, evangelicals were firmly rooted within the reformed family of churches and were able to maintain a distinct identity stressing biblical religion, personal faith, enthusiastic worship and upright living. In addition, it was natural to tap into the great tradition of faith-sharing and holistic caring. They can call up from their own ranks the example of enthusiasts such as William Wilberforce and Thomas Barnardo who championed social justice and humanitarian relief.
As a sort of "bottom line", whatever accommodation some of their number may make with ecumenism or political activity, there are the "givens" which are special to them. In a rapidly changing climate, they can be expected to continue to use the Bible seriously, to press for an experiential spiritual life committed to Christ, lively worship which is neither trapped in pompous ceremony nor lost in superficial spontaneity.
They are, above all, Gospel people who feel passionately about living out and passing on the faith of the New Testament. More than anyone else, they have given Christendom a major part of its hymnology - few can sing God's praises like an evangelical congregation.
There is evidence of a move to self-assessment within the movement, expressed strongly by George Carey, former archbishop of Canterbury. He sees himself as someone "whose heart beats in time with the evangelical love of Jesus and a deep devotion to the biblical tradition but whose head cannot go along with something which is too constricting intellectually, too narrow academically and too stifling spiritually". He is not alone in these sentiments.
A broad spectrum exists across the evangelical landscape ranging from fundamentalist separatism to inclusive collaboration. With the arrival of evangelical Catholics, an outgrowth of the charismatic renewal, new tints are coming into the rainbow.
While not likely to become mainstream, evangelical Christians should not be consigned to a sectional backwater but seen as a flowing rivulet of renewal and spiritual enthusiasm. Instead of seeing themselves as a body whose number is up, they desire to think of themselves as Irish followers of Christ whose time has come.
Rev Robert Dunlop recently retired as Baptist minister at Brannockstown, Co Kildare. He is editor of Evangelicals in Ireland - an Introduction, published by Columba Press at €14.99