Evangelicalism
In the words of Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, confessional evangelicalism refers to "that movement of Christian believers who seek a constant convictional continuity with the theological formulas of the Protestant Reformation". While approving of the evangelical distinctions proposed by Bebbington, confessional evangelicals believe that authentic evangelicalism requires more concrete definition in order to protect the movement from theological liberalism and from heresy. According to confessional evangelicals, subscription to the ecumenical creeds and to the Reformation-era confessions of faith (such as the confessions of the Reformed churches) provides such protection. Confessional evangelicals are represented by conservative Presbyterian churches (emphasizing the Westminster Confession), certain Baptist churches that emphasize historic Baptist confessions such as the Second London Confession, evangelical Anglicans who emphasize the Thirty-Nine Articles (such as in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, Australia), and some confessional Lutherans with pietistic convictions.
Free grace theology
The more recent view of Zane Hodges and the Grace Evangelical Society considers it to be theological legalism to require belief in these aspects of Jesus Christ's person and work for eternal life since this would exceed the requirement of the saving message to simply believe in Jesus for everlasting life. Seeking support mainly from passages in the Gospel of John that speak of Jesus guaranteeing everlasting life to all who believe in him for it (3:16; 5:24; 6:47; 11:25-27). This view leans heavily on the Gospel of John for support, since it is considered to be the only evangelistic book of the Bible which says it was written to bring people to belief in Jesus Christ for eternal life (20:30-31).