Through Gates of Splendor

Through Gates of Splendor is written from the context of 20th-century evangelical Christianity, and the book’s cultural and philosophical assumptions stem from that worldview. Mid-century American evangelicalism was a broad movement that included many different Protestant Christian denominations, all united through an overarching commitment to the primacy of the Bible and the necessity of a faith-commitment to Jesus Christ in order to experience God’s salvation and the promise of eternal life. A prominent example of this movement was the ministry of Billy Graham, who preached to crowds of many thousands around the world, encouraging them to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. The foundational premise of the evangelical movement is that the biblical gospel message is universally true: that Jesus was the Son of God, that he came into the world to die for humanity’s sins and rise to life again, and that through faith in his sacrifice, one could experience salvation from one’s sins and everlasting life in heaven. Since the result of accepting the gospel message was believed to be the greatest possible good—eternal life—the dissemination of the gospel was the paramount goal for evangelical Christians. The logic of evangelical theology dictates that the supreme act of love for another person is to seek their salvation, if they are willing, and, conversely, choosing not to share the gospel message is an act of cruelty that precludes the other person from the possibility of receiving everlasting life.