Evangelism is, according to OUP:
the spreading of the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness.
Is there a word that means
the spreading of <non-specific political, moral, or religious ideology> by public preaching or personal witness?
Evangelism specifically applies to Christianity. What word could be used to describe the intentional and forceful spreading of a generalized ideology?
You can say Proselytism
the policy of attempting to convert people's religious or political beliefs. Carrying out attempts to instill beliefs can be called proselytization
The verb is proselytize
to induce someone to convert to one's faith to recruit someone to join one's party, institution, or cause
Merriam-Webster says:
Proselytize comes from the noun proselyte, meaning “a new convert,” which in turn ultimately comes from the Greek prosēlytos, meaning “stranger” or “newcomer.” When proselytize entered English in the 17th century, it had a distinctly religious connotation and meant simply “to recruit religious converts.” This meaning is still common, but today one can also proselytize in a broader sense—recruiting converts to one’s political party or pet cause, for example.
Advocacy is an activity by an individual or group that aims to influence decisions within political, economic, and social institutions
The noun is Advocate
one who supports or promotes the interests of a cause or group
The words Evangelist and Evangelism are by this point thoroughly divorced from being Christian only. Jobs are advertised for "evangelists" to promote products major companies like Google, Unreal, and Microsoft talk of salespeople as "tech-evangelists" for their products - and that's their actual official job title.
Therefore you can use evangelist for any religion, you just need to specify what they're evangelising.
Propaganda:
dissemination of information—facts, arguments, rumours, half-truths, or lies—to influence public opinion. Propaganda is the more or less systematic effort to manipulate other people’s beliefs, attitudes, or actions. (Britannica)
Wikipedia says:
Propaganda can be found in news and journalism, government, advertising, entertainment, education, and activism and is often associated with material which is prepared by governments as part of war efforts, political campaigns, health campaigns, revolutionaries, big businesses, ultra-religious organizations, the media, and certain individuals such as soapboxers.
In the 20th century, the English term propaganda was often associated with a manipulative approach, but historically, propaganda has been a neutral descriptive term of any material that promotes certain opinions or ideologies.
However, do note that some dictionaries include in the definitions of evangelism usages that are not limited to religion. Collins for example gives this definition:
any zealous effort in propagandizing for a cause.
In Propaganda and Persuasion, the authors Garth Jowett and Victoria O'Donnell explain:
Besides being associated with unethical, harmful, and unfair tactics, propaganda is also commonly defined as “organized persuasion” (DeVito, 1986, p. 239). Persuasion differs from propaganda... but the term is often used as a catch-all for suspicious rhetoric. Sproule (1994) references propaganda as organized mass persuasion with covert intent and poor or nonexistent reasoning:
Propaganda represents the work of large organizations or groups to win over the public for special interests through a massive orchestration of attractive conclusions packaged to conceal both their persuasive purpose and lack of sound supporting reasons (p. 8).
Promulgating / Promulgation
As per the dictionary:
promulgate | ˈpräməlˌɡāt |
verb [with object]
• promote or make widely known (an idea or cause): these objectives have to be promulgated within the organization.
• put (a law or decree) into effect by official proclamation: in January 1852 the new Constitution was promulgated.
DERIVATIVES
promulgation | ˌpräm(ə)lˈɡāSH(ə)n | noun
promulgator | ˈpräməlˌɡādər | noun
This word is less common today than it once was, but it certainly applies where religious overtones would be inappropriate.
Maybe Brainwashing it’s not exactly the same but almost meant to convince or teach people a way of thinking and it can apply to secular topics
Use evangelicalism (meaning 5 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evangelical). No need to go looking for a different word, when the one you’ve already got is just fine.
Evangelicalism is not totally divorced from religion, but they are at least separated. Given context, most people will understand that you aren’t trying to, for instance, get people to become Christian in order to own an Apple phone, but are instead, just recommending an Apple phone.
To answer the "forceful" part of your request, perhaps "conversion by force" or "conversion by the sword" would suit your case?
It has been used to describe the forced conversion of people to Islam, as well the actions of other violent religious sects, but could as easily be used for a non-religious ideology.
It is the sort of term I think of when I consider remote workers being forced to return to the office full-time, often with very little rationale. Saying that they were converted by force or coercion from remote work is close enough to its traditional usage that you would be understood.
Two different questions here:
What is an another word for evangelization that doesn't specify the religion? Answer: It's contained within your question: preaching.
What is a word for the forceful conversion of people to a specific religion: That would be described as forced conversion or forced religious conversion. More succinctly, it is coercion.
Your title doesn't match your question so I would change it to "What word could be used to describe the intentional and forceful spreading of a generalized ideology?"
How about broadcasting a message (to the public)?
"the transmission of programs or information by radio or television."
