Evangelism
In Christianity, evangelism or witnessing is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ. It is sometimes associated with Christian missions.
For the similarly named branch of Protestantism, see Evangelicalism. For the post-Vatican II Catholic understanding of "evangelization", see New evangelization. For the 16th-century Italian reform movement, see Spirituali.Christians who specialize in evangelism are often known as evangelists, whether they are in their home communities or living as missionaries in the field, although some Christian traditions refer to such people as missionaries in either case. Some Christian traditions consider evangelists to be in a leadership position; they may be found preaching to large meetings or in governance roles. In addition, Christian groups who encourage evangelism are sometimes known as evangelistic or evangelist.
Controversies[edit]
Some consider evangelism to be proselytising, while others argue it is free speech.[31][32][33] The fact that evangelicals speak about their faith in public is often criticized by the media and it is often associated with proselytism.[32] According to the evangelicals, freedom of religion and freedom of expression allow them to discuss their faith like they would discuss other topics.[33]
Christian films made by American evangelical production companies are also regularly associated with proselytism.[34][35] According to Sarah-Jane Murray, screenwriting teacher at the US Film and Christian Television Commission United, Christian films are works of art, not proselytism.[36] For Hubert de Kerangat, communications manager at SAJE Distribution, a distributor of these American Christian films in France, if Christian films are considered proselytism, all films are a form of proselytism, since films of all genres could each be said to carry a message.[37]