The term “evangelical Christian” has become an extremely loaded term in our modern society. In recent years the number of people who identify as evangelical Christians has increased dramatically, making their presence impossible to ignore (Sweeney, 3). Their strong political and social views have placed them at the center of a considerable amount of controversy in the past and present. This article will explore the history and meaning behind the evangelical Christian movement, particularly in the United States, and shed light on how it evolved from a religious reform to a controversial entity. To examine the role that evangelical Christianity has played throughout American history in the present day we must define what the term actually means. Etymologically, the word 'evangelical' comes from the Greek word 'euangelion' which literally means 'good news', or in a broader sense 'gospel' (Sweeney, 17). The term evangelical does not refer to a specific denomination of Christianity, but rather is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide variety of Protestant Christians who adhere to evangelical beliefs. Because evangelicals are nondenominational, or perhaps more correctly multidenominational, there is no constitution or formal guidelines for faith and practice. This also means that there is no fixed definition of what it means to be evangelical. While there is no single definition, there are two widely agreed upon definitions that most evangelicals believe to be correct. The first comes from theologian Alister McGrath who states that “evangelicalism is founded on a set of six dominant beliefs… [which] can be stated as follows:1. The supreme authority of Scripture as the source of God's knowledge and guidance...... middle of paper ......als.Np, nd Web. October 29, 2009. Jesus Camp. Dir. Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing. 2006. Magnolia Pictures. Kincheloe, Joe L. Christotainment. Boulder: Westview Press, 2009. Print.Luo, Michael. "Evangelicals Debate What 'Evangelical' Means." The New York Times.NP, nd Web. October 29, 2009. .Smidt, Corwin. “Evangelicals in Contemporary American Politics: Differentiating Between Fundamentalist and Nonfundamentalist Evangelicals.” Western PoliticalQuarterly 41.3 (1988): 601-620. JSTOR. Network. December 5, 2009..Sweeney, Douglas A. The American Evangelical Story. Np: Baker Academic, 2005. Print.Zoba, Wendy Murray. The Beliefnet guide to evangelical Christianity. Np: Doubleday, 2005. Print.