Evangelical left are those evangelical Christian in the United States who generally function on the left wing of that movement, either politically or theologically, or both. While the evangelical left movement is related to the better known Christian left, those who are part of the latter movement are not always viewed as evangelical.
Typically, members of the evangelical left affirm the primary tenets of evangelical theology, such as the doctrines of Incarnation, atonement, and resurrection, and also see the Bible as a primary authority for the Church. Unlike many evangelicals, however, the evangelical left supports what are often considered "liberal" or "left wing" political policies. They are often, for example, opposed to capital punishment and supportive of gun control. In many cases, they are pacifist or pacifist-oriented. They also often support and utilize modern Biblical criticism, whereas some other evangelicals reject it.
While members of the evangelical left chiefly reside in mainline denominations, they are often heavily influenced by the Anabaptist social tradition.
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