Evangelical Identity and Missional Drive: A Study of Young Norwegian Evangelicals
In: Mission StudiesSearch for other papers by Martin Jakobsen in
Current site
Google Scholar
Search for other papers by Roald Zeiffert in
Current site
Google Scholar
Abstract
This article investigates what we term the missional drive of young Norwegian evangelicals, understood as a combination of evangelistic practice, perceived importance of sharing faith, and motivational orientation toward such engagement. We do so by drawing on a quantitative survey conducted among young Norwegian evangelicals, as well as theological reasoning. When looking at the reasons the respondents give in support of their faith, three groups appear. The Intellectual focuses on reason, arguments, and science; the Traditionalist focuses on tradition, culture, and upbringing; the Existential focuses on personal experience and the Bible. We show how these groups differ in their Christian practices and how they view and approach evangelization. Furthermore, we argue that the tight connection between evangelical identity and missional drive among the respondents provides a reason for a definition of evangelical theology with a stronger connection to evangelisation than what is typically found in the academic literature.
Purchase
Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Institutional Login
Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials
Personal login
Log in with your brill.com account
-
Andersen, John Daniel L. (2022). “On Religious Emotions and Their Theological Value: How to Understand the Positive Significance of Christian Affections for Doctrine and Practice?” Scandinavian Journal for Leadership and Theology 9:45–40.
-
Bebbington, David (1989). Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730s to the 1980s. London: Routledge.
-
Bebbington, David (2019). “The Evangelical Quadrilateral: A Response.” In Evangelicals: Who They Have Been, Are Now, and Could Be edited by Mark A. Noll, David Bebbington, and George M. Marsden, 175–188. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
-
Carson, Donald A. (1990). “Evangelicals, Ecumenism and the Church.” In Evangelical Affirmations edited by Kenneth S. Kantzer and Carl F. H. Henry, 347–385. Grand Rapids, MI: Academie Books.
-
Davage, David (2025). “Lausannedeklarationen 50 år senare.” HYBRID – mellan akademi, kyrka & samhälle 3(3):v–xii.
-
Ehmann, Matthias (2024). “The Study of Evangelicalism: Limits and Potential of Emic and Etic Perspectives on a Growing Field of Research.” European Journal of Theology 33(2):275–292.
-
Engelsviken, Tormod (2014). “The Role of the Lausanne Movement in Modern Christian Mission.” In The Lausanne Movement: A Range of Perspectives edited by Lars Dahle, Margunn Serigstad Dahle, and Knud Jørgensen, 26–44. Fortress Press. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/j.ctv1ddcs3p.
-
Franke, John R. (2018). “Missional Theology: Living God’s Love.” In Evangelical Theological Method: Five Views edited by Stanley E. Porter, 52–72. Spectrum Multiview Book Series. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press.
-
Halldorf, Joel (2020). Pentecostal Politics in a Secular World: The Life and Leadership of Lewi Pethrus. Cham: Springer International Publishing. http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-030-47051-7.
-
Hinkelmann, Frank, and Pieter J Lalleman, eds (2025). Evangelicalism in Europe: Unity in Diversity. Langham Publishing.
-
Hodne, Hans (2025). “Kjønnsidentitet og kjønnsmangfold i skolen – hva tenker muslimske foreldre?: Gender Identity and Gender Diversity in Schools – What Do Muslim Parents Think?” Norsk pedagogisk tidsskrift 109(2):103–115.
-
Hoffmann, John P. (1998). “Confidence in Religious Institutions and Secularization: Trends and Implications.” Review of Religious Research 39(4):321.
-
Laget and Nordic Navigation (2019). Lagets Studentundersøkelse. NKSS. Oslo. https://nkss.no/studentundersokelsen/.
-
Lalleman, Hetty (2025). “Evangelicals and the Authority of Scripture.” In Evangelicalism in Europe: Unity in Diversity ed. by Frank Hinkelmann and Pieter J Lalleman. Langham Publishing.
-
Larsen, Timothy (2007). “Defining and Locating Evangelicalism.” In The Cambridge Companion to Evangelical Theology edited by Timothy Larsen and Daniel J. Treier. Cambridge Companions to Religion. Cambridge/New York: Cambridge University Press.
-
Lemos, Carlos, and Ivan Puga-Gonzalez (2021). “Belief in God, Confidence in the Church and Secularization in Scandinavia.” Available at https://secularismandnonreligion.org/articles/10.5334/snr.143.
-
Luther, Martin (1963). Luther’s Works, vol. 40. Saint Louis, Missouri: Concordia Publishing House.
-
McGrath, Alister E. (1996). A Passion for Truth: The Intellectual Coherence of Evangelicalism. Leicester: Apollos.
-
Mohler, R. Albert (2011). “Confessional Evangelicalism.” In Four Views on the Spectrum of Evangelicalism edited by Kevin T. Bauder, Andrew David Naselli, and Collin Hansen. Counterpoints. Bible & Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
-
Noll, Mark A., David Bebbington, and George M. Marsden, eds (2019). “Evangelicals: Who They Have Been, Are Now, and Could Be.” Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
-
Porter, Stanley E., ed. (2018). Evangelical Theological Method: Five Views. Spectrum Multiview Book Series. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
-
Rogers, Andrew P., Helen Collins, and Israel Olofinjana (2025). “Disclosing God in Action: The State of British Evangelicalism.” Religions 16(7):835.
-
Smith, Mark (2008). “Introduction.” In British Evangelical Identities Past and Present. 1: Aspects of the History and Sociology of Evangelicalism in Britain and Ireland ed. Mark Smith, 1–17. Milton Keynes: Paternoster.
-
Stott, John (2013). Evangelical Truth: A Personal Plea for Unity, Integrity and Faithfulness. Carlisle: Langham Global Library.
-
Vanhoozer, Kevin J. (2005). The Drama of Doctrine: A Canonical-Linguistic Approach to Christian Theology. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.
-
Ward, William Reginald (2014). Evangelicalism, Piety and Politics: The Selected Writings of W. R. Ward ed. by Andrew Chandler. New York, NY: Routledge.
-
Zeiffert, Roald (2023a). “ ‘Jeg Har På En Måte Alltid Gått Der’: Betydningen Av Personlig Omvendelse Blant Unge i Lavkirkelige Bevegelser.” Scandinavian Journal for Leadership and Theology 10, available at https://sjlt-journal.com/index.php/sjlt/article/view/113.
-
Zeiffert, Roald (2023b). “Unge Evangelikale i Norge.” Dissertation at the University of Agder.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 69 | 69 | 69 |
| Full Text Views | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Evangelical Identity and Missional Drive: A Study of Young Norwegian Evangelicals
In: Mission StudiesSearch for other papers by Martin Jakobsen in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Roald Zeiffert in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
This article investigates what we term the missional drive of young Norwegian evangelicals, understood as a combination of evangelistic practice, perceived importance of sharing faith, and motivational orientation toward such engagement. We do so by drawing on a quantitative survey conducted among young Norwegian evangelicals, as well as theological reasoning. When looking at the reasons the respondents give in support of their faith, three groups appear. The Intellectual focuses on reason, arguments, and science; the Traditionalist focuses on tradition, culture, and upbringing; the Existential focuses on personal experience and the Bible. We show how these groups differ in their Christian practices and how they view and approach evangelization. Furthermore, we argue that the tight connection between evangelical identity and missional drive among the respondents provides a reason for a definition of evangelical theology with a stronger connection to evangelisation than what is typically found in the academic literature.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 69 | 69 | 69 |
| Full Text Views | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 10 | 10 | 10 |
