Definition

1. Verb (transitive):

   • To convert someone to Christianity: To actively seek to bring someone to adopt the Christian faith, often through preaching and teaching.
   • To preach the gospel (to someone): To proclaim the teachings of the Christian gospel to others.

2. Verb (intransitive):

   • To preach the gospel: To engage in the activity of spreading the Christian message.

Usage and Examples

• Transitive Verb:
  • The early disciples traveled far to evangelize new communities.
  • Their goal was to evangelize the local population.
• Intransitive Verb:
  • He felt called to evangelize in remote areas.
  • They would go into the city square to evangelize.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• The term often implies a proactive, zealous, or missionary effort to spread a religious message.
• It can be used in a broader, secular context to mean to advocate for a cause with fervor or zeal, though this is an extended metaphorical use.
  • She evangelized about the benefits of the new software to everyone in the office.

Variants and Related Words

• Evangelism (n): The act or practice of evangelizing.
  • He was dedicated to the work of evangelism.
• Evangelist (n): A person who evangelizes; specifically, one of the writers of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) or a preacher of the gospel.
  • Billy Graham was a famous evangelist.
• Evangelical (adj): Pertaining to the Christian gospel or evangelism; also used to describe a tradition within Protestant Christianity emphasizing personal conversion and biblical authority.
  • She belongs to an evangelical church.

Synonyms

• Proselytize: To convert or attempt to convert someone from one religion, belief, or opinion to another.
• Preach: To deliver a sermon or religious message; to advocate for a principle or belief earnestly.
• Convert: To change someone's religious faith or beliefs.

Phrasal Verbs / Common Constructions

• To evangelize to [someone/group]: To direct evangelistic efforts toward a specific audience.
  • The church plans to evangelize to the university students.

Idioms and Fixed Phrases

• While there are no common idioms with "evangelize" itself, the concept is central to phrases like:
  • The Great Commission: A biblical term (from Matthew 28:19-20) that commands Christians to evangelize and make disciples worldwide. It is the theological foundation for evangelism.

    • Their missionary work was motivated by the Great Commission.

Verb

1. convert to Christianity
   • The missionaries evangelized the Pacific Islanders
2. preach the gospel (to)