Conservative

The term ‘conservative’ is often used alongside the term ‘evangelical’ and refers to a theological approach that takes the Bible seriously as the inspired and authoritative Word of God. Conservative Evangelicals seek to maintain the historic truths of Christianity. They keep the Bible at the centre of their life and worship. They believe that the Bible is inerrant and infallible, and that we cannot discount anything that the Scriptures say. These terms started to be used in the late 18th and 19th centuries, when many scholars questioned whether the Bible could be trusted: they are described as being more ‘liberal’ in their approach to it. The apostle Paul warns Timothy, in 2 Timothy 4:1-5, that he must be ‘conservative’ in the sense of holding on to what he has learnt and continuing to teach people the truth when others come along with an alternative view. (See Evangelical, Bible)