From Awakening to Secession

From Awakening to Secession
Author: Timothy Stunt
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 417
Release: 2000-06-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0567305899

A major study of the impact of the Swiss RTveil (Awakening) on British evangelicals in the 1820s. This book provides an important synthesis of a variety of tendencies and movements which have usually been treated and understood as separate. By resisting the temptation to read back into the 1820s the partisan labels of later decades, Timothy Stunt rediscovers the common ground which was shared by a wide spectrum of Christians who were later seen as mutually hostile. The author considers the influence of the Awakening on radical attitudes to mission and ecclesiastical radicalism in Ireland, pre-Tractarian Oxford, and Scotland. In dealing with the reluctant movement towards secession from the established church, Stunt illuminates and reinterprets the origins of the early Catholic Apostolic Church and the Brethren.

1861

1861
Author: Adam Goodheart
Publisher: Vintage
Total Pages: 498
Release: 2012-02-21
Genre: History
ISBN: 1400032199

A gripping and original account of how the Civil War began and a second American revolution unfolded, setting Abraham Lincoln on the path to greatness and millions of slaves on the road to freedom. An epic of courage and heroism beyond the battlefields, 1861 introduces us to a heretofore little-known cast of Civil War heroes—among them an acrobatic militia colonel, an explorer’s wife, an idealistic band of German immigrants, a regiment of New York City firemen, a community of Virginia slaves, and a young college professor who would one day become president. Their stories take us from the corridors of the White House to the slums of Manhattan, from the waters of the Chesapeake to the deserts of Nevada, from Boston Common to Alcatraz Island, vividly evoking the Union at its moment of ultimate crisis and decision. Hailed as “exhilarating….Inspiring…Irresistible…” by The New York Times Book Review, Adam Goodheart’s bestseller 1861 is an important addition to the Civil War canon. Includes black-and-white photos and illustrations.

An Evangelical Adrift

An Evangelical Adrift
Author: Geertjan Zuijdwegt
Publisher: CUA Press
Total Pages: 378
Release: 2022
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0813235588

An Evangelical Adrift is a theological biography of John Henry Newman (1801-1890) that reconstructs the most formative period in his development: the years between his teenage conversion to evangelicalism in 1816 and the beginning of the Tractarian Movement in 1833. By the early 1830s, Newman had explicitly rejected much of the theology he espoused in the late 1810s and early 1820s, and developed a highly original, deeply personal, and quite radical alternative, whose fundamental notions continued to shape his thought in later life. To date, there is neither a historically accurate nor a theologically sophisticated account of this change: the period in which it occurred is neglected, its significance is overlooked, its nature and content are misrepresented, and its scope is narrowed. Besides being modelled on Newman's own brief treatment of the period in his autobiographical Apologia pro vita sua (1864), later scholarly accounts are burdened by a persistent assumption that Newman's catholic sensibility and anti-liberal convictions were constants throughout his life. This assumption was problematized by Frank Turner's revisionist biography of the Anglican Newman (2002) and the ensuing debate about its reception. Zuijdwegt argues that Turner rightly identified evangelicalism as a key polemical target of the Anglican Newman, but stretched his argument too far by reducing Newman's self-proclaimed lifelong battle against liberalism as a much later gloss on this earlier history. The present study offers a compelling alternative to both mainline and revisionist interpretations. Based on detailed historical and theological analysis of the whole range of primary sources (including much neglected published and unpublished material), it meticulously reconstructs Newman's youthful adoption of, gradual departure from, and theological alternative to evangelicalism. Against most mainline studies, it argues that this was a fundamental transformation, affecting nearly every aspect of Newman's theology. Against Turner and other revisionists, it argues that this change was the product of careful and consistent theological reasoning and reflection, and that anti-liberalism was just as integral to it as anti-evangelicalism.

Heaven on Earth

Heaven on Earth
Author: Martin Spence
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 325
Release: 2015-04-20
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1498270123

In nineteenth-century Britain, a large number of prominent Anglican and Presbyterian Evangelicals rejected the idea that salvation meant "going to heaven when you die." Instead, they proposed that God would establish his kingdom on earth, renewing the creation and reanimating embodied humans to live in a world of science and progress. This book introduces the writings and activities of these women and men, among whom were counted the ardent social reformer Lord Shaftesbury, the highly-respected clergyman Edward Bickersteth, the popular author Charlotte Elizabeth Tonna, and the General Secretary of the Evangelical Alliance, Thomas Rawson Birks. The book shows that the catalyst for such theological revisionism was the end-times doctrine known as "premillennialism." While commonly characterized as a gloomy and sectarian belief, the book argues that premillennialism in Victorian Britain was actually an optimistic and often liberalizing creed. It dissolved older Evangelical assumptions about the dissimilarities between time and eternity, body and soul, heaven and earth. The book demonstrates that, far from being eccentric pessimists, premillennialists were actually pioneers of trends in nineteenth-century Christian theology that stressed the importance of the incarnation, prioritized social justice, and even entertained the idea of universal salvation.

A Victorian Dissenter

A Victorian Dissenter
Author: David E. Seip
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 267
Release: 2018-04-24
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1498243835

This book introduces the reader to Robert Govett (1813-1901), dissenting clergyman and author, who wrote as a scholar of biblical prophecy, primarily on the subject of the "exclusion" of believers in the Millennial Kingdom, an idea of which he conceived. The purpose of the book is threefold: (1) to describe Govett, his life, and his printed work; (2) to analyze Govett's eschatological beliefs, especially those he originated; and (3) to investigate why a respected theologian in England, who had published over 180 books and tracts, disappeared from dissenting print culture early in the twentieth century. Govett's doctrine of exclusion was heavily intertwined with most of his writings. It was a topic that he developed throughout his career. Yet, as the center of dispensationalism shifted to America, Govett's views of the Rapture began to be seen as extreme. The book explains why Govett was eclipsed as the center of the evangelical movement shifted and its theology ossified. Since his death, Govett has been occasionally remembered in scholarship, but with increasing inaccuracies and skepticism. This book seeks to remove the mystery.

Expecting the End

Expecting the End
Author: Kenneth G. C. Newport
Publisher: Baylor University Press
Total Pages: 327
Release: 2006
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1932792384

Jesus' promise that "the end" draws near has spawned an expectation of that grand event across various religious groups. This volume examines the abiding social issues that surround the continued presence of apocalyptic anticipation by setting them in historical, present-day, and future manifestations. Approaching this fervent expectation from a broad perspective, Gribben and Newport explore the contemporary movements with insightful analysis that provokes discussion and even self-reflection.

Prisoners of Hope?

Prisoners of Hope?
Author: Crawford Gribben
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 229
Release: 2007-09-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1597527378

A fervent millennial hope has often existed at the heart of Protestant evangelicalism. Varieties of eschatology have exercised a profound impact on the movementÕs theology and history. Although millennialism had a respected lineage within conservative Protestantism, it flourished with enormous energy in the early nineteenth century as evangelicals responded to the threat of the American and European revolutions and the cultural pessimism of the Romantic movement. By mid-century, the millennialism that had first been articulated for the defense of Protestant conservatism had paved the way for the subversion of historic theology and church practice, as a growing confidence in biblical inerrancy and the ÒliteralÓ hermeneutic challenged many of the historical assumptions of the evangelical faith. This volume of essays expands on neglected aspects of the impact of the evangelical millennialism in Britain and Ireland between 1800 and 1880, and includes an essay charting recent trends in the study of millennialism.

Divided We Fall

Divided We Fall
Author: David French
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Total Pages: 153
Release: 2020-09-22
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1250201985

David French warns of the potential dangers to the country—and the world—if we don’t summon the courage to reconcile our political differences. Two decades into the 21st Century, the U.S. is less united than at any time in our history since the Civil War. We are more diverse in our beliefs and culture than ever before. But red and blue states, secular and religious groups, liberal and conservative idealists, and Republican and Democratic representatives all have one thing in common: each believes their distinct cultures and liberties are being threatened by an escalating violent opposition. This polarized tribalism, espoused by the loudest, angriest fringe extremists on both the left and the right, dismisses dialogue as appeasement; if left unchecked, it could very well lead to secession. An engaging mix of cutting edge research and fair-minded analysis, Divided We Fall is an unblinking look at the true dimensions and dangers of this widening ideological gap, and what could happen if we don't take steps toward bridging it. French reveals chilling, plausible scenarios of how the United States could fracture into regions that will not only weaken the country but destabilize the world. But our future is not written in stone. By implementing James Madison’s vision of pluralism—that all people have the right to form communities representing their personal values—we can prevent oppressive factions from seizing absolute power and instead maintain everyone’s beliefs and identities across all fifty states. Reestablishing national unity will require the bravery to commit ourselves to embracing qualities of kindness, decency, and grace towards those we disagree with ideologically. French calls on all of us to demonstrate true tolerance so we can heal the American divide. If we want to remain united, we must learn to stand together again.

Oxford's Protestant Spy

Oxford's Protestant Spy
Author: Andrew Atherstone
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 363
Release: 2007-12-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1556354916

Charles Golightly (1807-1885) was a notorious Protestant polemicist. His life was dedicated to resisting the spread of ritualism and liberalism within the Church of England and the University of England. For half of a century he led many memorable campaigns, such as building a martyrs' memorial and attempting to close a theological college. John Henry Newman, Samuel Wilberforce, and Benjamin Jowett were amongst his adversaries. This is the first study of Golightly's controversial career.

The Oxford History of Protestant Dissenting Traditions, Volume III

The Oxford History of Protestant Dissenting Traditions, Volume III
Author: Timothy Larsen
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 509
Release: 2017-04-28
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0191081159

The five-volume Oxford History of Dissenting Protestant Traditions series is governed by a motif of migration ('out-of-England'). It first traces organized church traditions that arose in England as Dissenters distanced themselves from a state church defined by diocesan episcopacy, the Book of Common Prayer, the Thirty-Nine Articles, and royal supremacy, but then follows those traditions as they spread beyond England -and also traces newer traditions that emerged downstream in other parts of the world from earlier forms of Dissent. Secondly, it does the same for the doctrines, church practices, stances toward state and society, attitudes toward Scripture, and characteristic patterns of organization that also originated in earlier English Dissent, but that have often defined a trajectory of influence independent ecclesiastical organizations. The Oxford History of Protestant Dissenting Traditions, Volume III considers the Dissenting traditions of the United Kingdom, the British Empire, and the United States in the nineteenth century. It provides an overview of the historiography on Dissent while making the case for seeing Dissenters in different Anglophone connections as interconnected and conscious of their genealogical connections. The nineteenth century saw the creation of a vast Anglo-world which also brought Anglophone Dissent to its apogee. Featuring contributions from a team of leading scholars, the volume illustrates that in most parts of the world the later nineteenth century was marked by a growing enthusiasm for the moral and educational activism of the state which plays against the idea of Dissent as a static, purely negative identity. This collection shows that Dissent was a political and constitutional identity, which was often only strong where a dominant Church of England existed to dissent against.