THE RISE OF EVANGELICALISM—THE AGE OF EDWARDS, WHITEFIELD AND THE WESLEYS

Written by Mark A Noll Reviewed By Brian Talbot

This book is the first title to appear in a new series of five volumes under the general heading of ‘A History of Evangelicalism—People, Movements and Ideas in the English-Speaking World’ and edited by Mark Noll and David Bebbington. Noll, the author of the first work published is well qualified for his task by his previous scholarly publications in this field of study. Here is a coherent multi-national narrative of the origins, development and rapid diffusion of evangelical movements in their first two generations from the 1730s to the 1790s. The majority of the treatment inevitably concentrates on Britain and North America, but important links to Continental Europe and connections, for example, with Africa and Australia are also covered. There is an inevitable priority given to key figures such as Jonathan Edwards, Gilbert Tennent, Theodore Frelinghuysen and Samuel Davies in America; John and Charles Wesley, George Whitfield, John Newton and Selina, Countess of Huntingdon in England; Howell Harris and Daniel Rowlands in Wales, together with William McCulloch and John Erskine in Scotland, but many lesser known figures such as the Moravians Nicholas von Zinzendorf and August Spangenberg also feature. The parameters of the series are the commonly acknowledged boundaries of the movement first identified by David Bebbington, in which this Christian movement was noted for its emphasis on conversion, the authority of the Scriptures, activism and the centrality of the cross.

The opening chapters put this movement in its political, ecclesiastic and spiritual context, and explain that there were clear antecedents to this movement in other spiritual streams that prepared the way for the emergence of Evangelicalism. The breadth of the discussion here includes references to developments in Roman Catholic and Orthodox thought in Europe, in addition to the rise of Hassidic Judaism and the emergence of more rationalist thinkers such as Descartes, Spinoza, Voltaire and Rousseau, although naturally the primary focus is on Protestantism and those within its ranks that shared characteristics recognised as Evangelical.

The main body of the work draws attention to the different Revivals through which this movement advanced and the international networks which spread the message quickly and effectively amongst people receptive to the new developments. The clear discussions of the importance of the Moravian influences on the early Methodists, together with an awareness of differences in theological emphases between them sets the stage for the parting of the ways that became inevitable The developments within Methodism, still fully within the Anglican fold, and the renewal of Calvinistic bodies especially in Scotland, Wales and New England is helpfully addressed with useful attention to significant individuals in each movement. The more challenging issue of ‘Explanations’ is sensitively handled balancing the spiritual and wider social factors. An awareness of the wider flow of history together with intellectual and psychological explanations presents a coherent picture of the period. Further chapters cover developments between 1745 and 1770 and diversification between 1770 and 1795. This work also draws attention to the social status of different Evangelical figures and their contributions to the debate, for example, over slavery, though spirituality is not neglected with judicious coverage of the importance of hymnody to Evangelicalism.

This book was a pleasure to read, a good introduction to this series, leading this reviewer to hope that it is not too long before the other four volumes appear.


Brian Talbot

Cumbernauld