The past generation has seen tremendous breadth and depth of scholarship on the 18th-century North Atlantic evangelical awakening, from deep in central Europe to the American frontier. There have been many debates about the origin, character, and significance of evangelical religion during this period. Here are some of the books that best introduce the general reader to early evangelicalism. All of these books are a pleasure to read, and all of the authors are experts in their fields.
A masterful survey of the whole transatlantic movement. Mark Noll has (as usual) taken the best of the secondary literature and summed it up in a readable narrative with a wide perspective.
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The Inextinguishable Blaze: Spiritual Renewal and Advance in the Eighteenth Century A. Skevington Wood |
A classic account of the evangelical awakenings of the period that covers the ground in a brilliantly written and lucid narrative.
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Wesley and the People Called Methodists Richard P. Heitzenrater |
A balanced and expert introduction to the biography of John Wesley and the rise and progress of Methodism. Rich in detail and explanation.
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Jonathan Edwards: A Life George M. Marsden |
A prize-winning biography of Edwards that richly places him in his historical context, offering a great introduction to Edwards' thought and his times.
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An up-to-date survey of the rise of the evangelical movement in America and the persistence of revival in New England, the Middle Colonies, and the South throughout the 18th century.
By Bruce Hindmarsh, professor of spiritual theology at Regent College in Vancouver and author of The Evangelical Conversion Narrative: Spiritual Autobiography in Early Modern England
Copyright © 2009 by the author or Christianity Today/Christian History & Biography magazine. Click here for reprint information on Christian History & Biography.
