EVANGELICALISM81relieve suffering and so on. Ethics is
sometimes studied or carried out with
respect to particular traditions (one can
practice Buddhist ethics or Christian
ethics). Significant questions in philoso-
phy of religion concern the foundation
of ethics and methodology. Can ethics as
a practice be normative if naturalism is
true? If theism is true, how does this
impact ethics? Philosophy of religion
includes work in ethical theory as well as
in applied ethics, with attention to reli-
gious values that are in play with medical
practices, politics, environmental prac-
tices, sexual ethics, and so on.
EUCHARIST. From the Greek for
“thanksgiving,” the Eucharist is the central
Christian rite of sharing consecrated bread
and wine in remembrance of Christ’s life,
passion, death, and resurrection. It is also
called the Mass, Holy Communion, or the
Lord’s Supper. Christian theologians have
advanced different accounts of the conse-
crated bread and wine. Sacramental real-
ists affirm that Christ is truly present in
these elements or in the elements plus the
full Eucharistic rite as a whole. See also
TRANSUBSTANTIATION.
EUDAIMONIA. Greek for “happiness,
well-being, or success.” A central claim of
Aristotle and those influenced by him is
that human flourishing (eudaimonia) is a
fundamental good. Eudaimonian ethics
are often a part of natural law, a theory
that goodness consists in the fulfillment
of nature. On this view, there is such a
thing as human nature and a set of goods
and excellences that comprise a fulfilled
human being.EUTHYPHRO PROBLEM / DILEMMA.
Is X right because the gods approve of
X? Or do the gods approve of X because X
is right? This question emerges in Plato’s
dialogue Euthyphro. Plato himself seems
to hold that the gods love the good
because it is good.EVANGELICALISM. The term “Evan-
gelical” has been used of Protestant
churches since the Reformation, reflect-
ing these churches’ claims to base their
teaching pre-eminently on the Gospel
(evangelion being Greek for Gospel). In
Germany and Switzerland, “Evangelical”
(evangelisch) has been used of Lutheran
churches in contradistinction to Calvinist
bodies. However, since 1945 all Protestant
churches in Germany have been desig-
nated as part of the Evangelical Church
in Germany. The evangelical wing of
the Anglicanism is that which most iden-
tifies with Protestant teaching, including
emphases on verbal inspiration and
sole authority of scripture, personal con-
version and salvation by faith, substitu-
tionary atonement, and evangelism and
revival. In this respect it is part of a pan-
denominational, global evangelicalism
which has roots in the Methodist revivals