A B737-NG RECEIVED AN EGPWS TERRAIN WARNING 3 NM EAST OF ABQ ON A 3 DEG GLIDE PATH TO RWY 26.

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TO ASSIST WITH THE PLANNED VISUAL APCH TO RWY 26 AT ABQ; AN RNAV FIX FOR RWY 26 WAS ESTABLISHED. IN ADDITION; A 3 MI FIX TO THE E ON RWY CTRLINE WAS ALSO ESTABLISHED. A 3 DEG SLOPE WAS SELECTED TO THE RWY TO ENSURE STABILIZED APCH CRITERIA WOULD BE MET. WHILE ON A L DOWNWIND; A VISUAL APCH CLRNC WAS RECEIVED AND LNAV WAS ENGAGED TO THE PROGRAMMED 3 MI FIX. WITH THE AUTOPLT ENGAGED; THE ACFT TURNED AND PROCEEDED TO THIS FIX. VERT SPD WAS SELECTED TO COMMAND A DSCNT OF APPROX 1000 FPM. THIS WAS THE REQUIRED DSCNT PER THE FMC TO MAINTAIN THE 3 DEG PROFILE. TERRAIN WAS SELECTED ON BOTH PLT'S NAV DISPLAYS. AS THE ACFT PROCEEDED ON THE PROGRAMMED PATH; TERRAIN WAS MONITORED VIA OUTSIDE VISUAL REF AND ALSO VIA TERRAIN DISPLAYS ON THE NAV DISPLAYS. ALTHOUGH HIGH TERRAIN WAS PRESENT; THIS WAS WELL OFF THE INTENDED FLT PATH. THE RNAV GENERATED FLT PATH FLOWN WAS OVER TERRAIN THAT WAS DEPICTED AS GREEN ON THE NAV DISPLAYS. WHILE ON THE INTENDED FLT PATH AND WITH PROJECTED TERRAIN CLRNC; A TERRAIN CAUTION WAS ISSUED VIA THE EGPWS. THE DSCNT WAS DISCONTINUED IN RESPONSE TO THIS ADVISORY. A MOMENT LATER; THE EGPWS ISSUED A TERRAIN WARNING AND THE REQUIRED AVOIDANCE MANEUVER WAS INITIATED WITH CONTINUED VISUAL CONTACT WITH TERRAIN. AFTER A BRIEF CLB; THE ADVISORIES CEASED AND THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO A STABILIZED DSCNT. THE ACFT WAS CONFIGURED FOR LNDG AND CONTINUED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. A FLT PATH THAT WOULD REMAIN CLOSER TO THE LNDG RWY WOULD RESULT IN MORE TERRAIN CLRNC. ALSO; KNOWLEDGE OF EGPWS SENSITIVITY WOULD RESULT IN AN EVEN MORE CONSERVATIVE FLT PROFILE RESULTING IN MORE TERRAIN SEPARATION AND AVOIDING TERRAIN CAUTIONS/ADVISORIES.