Evangelical Catholics?

[All Along The Watchtower]

So it appears that the phrase "Evangelical Catholic" can mean several different things:

1. Latin-Rite Catholics or some of the other particular churches
2. Roman Catholics who exhibit the major traits of evangelicalism
3. Protestant churches that retain many Catholic traits like the Anglican Church, the United Methodist Church, etc. (though I would imagine-correct me if I'm wrong-that this third definition is less commonly used)

My question, then: What purpose do phrases like "Evangelical Catholic" or "Evangelical Protestant" serve, really? Aren't all Christians called to evangelize anyway?

[Free Speech Enjoyer]

My question, then: What purpose do phrases like "Evangelical Catholic" or "Evangelical Protestant" serve, really? Aren't all Christians called to evangelize anyway?

That's how I've understood it.  But too many Christians that call themselves 'evangelical' are more focused on preaching the bad news rather than the Good News.

[afleitch]

My question, then: What purpose do phrases like "Evangelical Catholic" or "Evangelical Protestant" serve, really? Aren't all Christians called to evangelize anyway?

That's how I've understood it.  But too many Christians that call themselves 'evangelical' are more focused on preaching the bad news rather than the Good News.

And if I may be flippant as the old adage says ; 'No news is good news'

[falling apart like the ashes of American flags]

This just kind of shows that "evangelical" is kind of a silly term, as all Christian churches and denominations evangelize.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

This just kind of shows that "evangelical" is kind of a silly term, as all Christian churches and denominations evangelize.

IIRC, there was an 18th century English sect that didn't evangelize because they held that if they did so and the person rejected the gospel as they saw it, their fate in the afterlife would be worse, whereas if they would have accepted it, then God would credit it to that person anyway.  Needless to say, if my memory is correct, there's a self-evident reason why that sect doesn't exist any longer.

[Јas]

This just kind of shows that "evangelical" is kind of a silly term, as all Christian churches and denominations evangelize.

I'm open to correction but IIRC, the Amish disavow evangelisation.

[falling apart like the ashes of American flags]

OK amended statement:

This just kind of shows that "evangelical" is kind of a silly term, as >99% of Christian churches and denominations evangelize.

[Frodo]

You might want to take a look at a similar thread. 

[angus]

Evangelical, capitalized, can have specific connotations.  In Germany, the brand of monotheism that we call Lutheran is called Evangelische.  Ever seen the movie Sophie Scholl?  It's in German but has English subtitles.  My German is rusty, but I like to leave the sound up to see if the subtitles are faithful to the original script.  After she gets arrested and the jackboots are collecting her information, they ask her for her name, religion, etc.  She says, "Evangelische" but the subtitle reads "Protestant."  I'd have subtitled it Lutheran, I think, if it were for US consumption, but maybe it was subtitled for British consumption. 

Catholic, capitalized, can have specific connotation as well.  Usually Roman or Eastern Orthodox is implied, but Episcopalian and Anglican can be inferred in specific circumstances, such as the line in the Apostles Creed that refers to the "Catholic Church."

I first heard the phrase "evangelical catholic" in Guatemala in 2001.  I only heard it pronounced and didn't see it written, and in my mind I took it as a common noun, not a proper noun.  I interpreted it as a reference to Guatemalan nominal Roman Catholics who had been evangelized by protestant evangelizers.  I saw lots of them down at Lago Atitlan submersing fully clothed.  Not very Roman of them, then again I think that the Latin American bishops are given wide latitude by Rome.  I've witnessed bus drivers pouring a little firewater on the ground as an offering to the ancient spirits like Pachamama to protect them on hazardous journeys, even as they droves buses emblazoned with JesuCristo, nuestro Salvador across the windshield.