Madam, - It was good to read the article "Born again with a better image" (Weekend, February 4th). I would go further and say that evangelicalism is neither American nor right-wing. Its roots are European, and historically it has far more associations with the left than the right. Recent trends in America are an aberration.
In past centuries, many social reforms were initiated by evangelicals, notably the abolition of slavery. Today's neo-liberalism, with its love of cheap casual labour and an unrestrained free market, is a repeat of its 19th-century version. Evangelicals were at the forefront of movements counteracting this.
Even though "evangelical" appears as a denomination in every Saturday's church notices, it is more helpful to think of it as a wing, or strand of opinion, of the whole church. Christianity is the religion of the prodigal son - we are accepted because the Father is merciful. But human nature drifts towards the religion of the older brother, and every church needs an evangelical wing to keep reminding it of the heart of the gospel. - Yours, etc,
ALAN FRENCH, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin.