Protestantism

===Evangelical===
The word ''evangelical'' ({{lang-de|evangelisch}}), which refers to [[the gospel]], was widely used for those involved in the religious movement in the German-speaking area beginning in 1517.<ref>{{cite book |last=MacCulloch |first=Diarmaid |title=The Reformation: A History |location=New York |publisher=Penguin |year=2003 |author-link=Diarmaid MacCulloch |page=xx|title-link=The Reformation: A History}}</ref> ''Evangelical'' is still preferred among some of the historical Protestant denominations in the Lutheran, Calvinist, and United (Lutheran and Reformed) Protestant traditions in Europe, and those with strong ties to them. Above all the term is used by Protestant bodies in the [[German-speaking Europe|German-speaking area]], such as the [[Protestant Church in Germany]]. Thus, the [[German language|German]] word ''{{lang|de|evangelisch}}'' means Protestant, while the German ''{{lang|de|evangelikal}}'', refers to churches shaped by [[Evangelicalism]]. The English word ''evangelical'' usually refers to [[evangelical Protestant]] churches, and therefore to a certain part of Protestantism rather than to Protestantism as a whole. The English word traces its roots back to the [[Puritans]] in England, where Evangelicalism originated, and then was brought to the United States.

Martin Luther always disliked the term ''Lutheran'', preferring the term ''evangelical'', which was derived from ''euangelion'', a Greek word meaning "good news", i.e. "[[The Gospel|gospel]]".<ref name=OOE796>Espín, Orlando O. and Nickoloff, James B. ''An introductory dictionary of theology and religious studies''. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, p. 796.</ref> The followers of [[John Calvin]], [[Huldrych Zwingli]], and other theologians linked to the [[Reformed tradition]] also began to use that term. To distinguish the two evangelical groups, others began to refer to the two groups as ''Evangelical Lutheran'' and ''Evangelical Reformed''. The word also pertains in the same way to some other mainline groups, for example ''Evangelical Methodist''. As time passed by, the word ''evangelical'' was dropped. Lutherans themselves began to use the term ''Lutheran'' in the middle of the 16th century, in order to distinguish themselves from other groups such as the [[Philippists]] and [[Calvinists]].