Denominational plurality with common identity

What it is: Evangelicalism brings together people and churches from distinct denominational traditions that share common emphases.

How the religion understands it: This common identity does not eliminate differences about sacraments, church government, spiritual gifts, eschatology, and ethics. Even so, many evangelicals recognize mutual affinity around the gospel, the Bible, and mission.

Context: Congresses, alliances, publishers, schools, missions, and cooperative networks helped consolidate this transdenominational character.

Supportive

Bebbington Quadrilateral

evangelicalism,bebbington,history,identity

Classic academic formulation of the marks of evangelicalism.

Reference: Historiographical formulation by David Bebbington.
Content: The model summarizes evangelicalism through conversionism, biblicism, crucicentrism, and activism.
Use in debate: It is very useful for describing the movement academically without reducing it to a single denomination.

John 17:20-21

bible,unity,evangelicalism,church

Unity among believers.

Reference: John 17:20-21.
Content: Jesus prays for the unity of those who will believe in him.
Use in debate: It is relevant for the transdenominational character of evangelicalism and for networks of evangelical cooperation.

Neutral

The Augsburg Confession

confession,protestantism,lutheranism,reformation

Foundational document of Lutheranism and the magisterial Reformation.

Reference: Augsburg Confession, 1530.
Content: The document summarizes Lutheran and Reformation doctrinal positions on several central themes.
Use in debate: It is important as an example of Protestant confessional diversity already in the sixteenth century.

Westminster Confession 25.2

confession,westminster,church,protestantism

Text on the visible Church and its scope.

Reference: Westminster Confession, chapter 25, section 2.
Content: The text describes the visible Church in Reformed confessional terms.
Use in debate: It helps show the confessional and denominational self-organization of historic Protestantism.