"Evangelical Christians......Americans in the large urban centres rarely encounter."
What? The largest and most influential of evangelical churches in America are ALL in major urban centers. This is some secular New Yorker who's so narrow and provincial...who thinks since he knows no evangelicals, it must be something odd out in hicksville.
The funny thing is that he probably knows several and has no idea because they don't fit his preconceived notions. i.e. they don't walk around with Bible in hand calling down fire and brimstone on the wicked.