David W. Bebbington - Böcker

Historians have sometimes argued, and popular discourse certainly assumes, that evangelicalism and fundamentalism are identical. In the twenty-first century, when Islamic fundamentalism is at the centre of the world's attention, whether or not evangelicalism should be seen as the Christian version of fundamentalism is an important matter for public understanding. The essays that make up this book analyse this central question. Drawing on empirical evidence from many parts of the United Kingdom and from across the course of the twentieth century, the essays show that fundamentalism certainly existed in Britain, that evangelicals did sometimes show tendencies in a fundamentalist direction, but that evangelicalism in Britain cannot simply be equated with fundamentalism.The evangelical movement within Protestantism that arose in the wake of the eighteenth-century revival exerted an immense influence on British society over the two subsequent centuries. Christian fundamentalism, by contrast, had its origins in the United States following the publication of The Fundamentals, a series of pamphlets issued to ministers between 1910 and 1915 that was funded by California oilmen. While there was considerable British participation in writing the series, the term 'fundamentalist' was invented in an exclusively American context when, in 1920, it was coined to describe the conservative critics of theological liberalism. The fundamentalists in Britain formed only a small section of evangelical opinion that declined over time.

This major textbook is a newly researched historical study of Evangelical religion in its British cultural setting from its inception in the time of John Wesley to charismatic renewal today. The Church of England, the Church of Scotland and the variety of Nonconformist denominations and sects in England, Scotland and Wales are discussed, but the book concentrates on the broad patterns of change affecting all the churches. It shows the great impact of the Evangelical movement on nineteenth-century Britain, accounts for its resurgence since the Second World War and argues that developments in the ideas and attitudes of the movement were shaped most by changes in British culture. The contemporary interest in the phenomenon of Fundamentalism, especially in the United States, makes the book especially timely.

This major textbook is a newly researched historical study of Evangelical religion in its British cultural setting from its inception in the time of John Wesley to charismatic renewal today. The Church of England, the Church of Scotland and the variety of Nonconformist denominations and sects in England, Scotland and Wales are discussed, but the book concentrates on the broad patterns of change affecting all the churches. It shows the great impact of the Evangelical movement on nineteenth-century Britain, accounts for its resurgence since the Second World War and argues that developments in the ideas and attitudes of the movement were shaped most by changes in British culture. The contemporary interest in the phenomenon of Fundamentalism, especially in the United States, makes the book especially timely.

In this concise volume, historian David Bebbington offers a summary of various theories of history from ancient times down to the present. Patterns in History provides Christian students of history with a trusted guide in what Mark Noll has described as ""the best evangelical introduction to the history of history writing."" The updated and expanded fourth edition contains a new chapter on postmodern history, making an already important book even more essential. Bebbington begins by asking ""what is history?"" He organizes his answer, and the book, around the interplay between history as the historical process (how it has been understood and interpreted in the past) and historiography (the account of the past written by historians). In six chapters Bebbington describes and evaluates each of what he identifies as the main schools of thought about the nature and meaning of the historical process: cyclical history, Christian history, the idea of progress, historicism, Marxist history, and postmodern history. Bebbington analyzes theories of historiography before returning to the question of meaning in history. He argues that Christianity offers scholarly, as well as religious, answers to questions and contradictions that abound in both areas.By assessing how the Christian philosophy of history parallels, informs, and corrects secular theories, Bebbington suggests a chastened way forward for Christian historians. Even as they must acknowledge and wrestle with the complexities of the human story, Christian historians come to the task with an understanding of history as the realm of providence and purpose. Whether that conviction is implicit or explicit in the historian's writing, it is the distinctive element of faithful historical analysis.

Baptists through the Centuries provides a clear introduction to the history and theology of this influential and international people. David Bebbington, a leading Baptist historian, surveys the main developments in Baptist life and thought from the seventeenth century to the present.The Baptist movement took root and grew well beyond its British and American origins. Bebbington persuasively demonstrates how Baptists continually adapted to the cultures and societies in which they lived, generating ever more diversity within an already multifaceted group. Bebbington's survey also examines the challenging social, political, and intellectual issues in Baptist history attitudes on race, women's roles in the church, religious liberty, missions, and theological commitments.The second edition of this proven textbook extends the scope with chapters on three parts of the world where Baptists have become particularly numerous: Latin America (where Brazilian Baptists number over 2 million), Nigeria (where Baptists are at their strongest outside North America, numbering roughly 5 million), and the Naga Hills in India (where Baptists form over 80 percent of the population). Each chapter also highlights regional issues that have presented new challenges and opportunities to Baptists: holistic mission in Latin America, the experience of charismatic renewal and the encounter with Islam in Nigeria, and the demands of peacemaking in the Naga Hills.Through this new edition, Bebbington orients readers and expands their knowledge of the Baptist community as it continues to flourish around the world.

In this concise volume, historian David Bebbington offers a summary of various theories of history from ancient times down to the present. Patterns in History provides Christian students of history with a trusted guide in what Mark Noll has described as ""the best evangelical introduction to the history of history writing."" The updated and expanded fourth edition contains a new chapter on postmodern history, making an already important book even more essential. Bebbington begins by asking ""what is history?"" He organizes his answer, and the book, around the interplay between history as the historical process (how it has been understood and interpreted in the past) and historiography (the account of the past written by historians). In six chapters Bebbington describes and evaluates each of what he identifies as the main schools of thought about the nature and meaning of the historical process: cyclical history, Christian history, the idea of progress, historicism, Marxist history, and postmodern history. Bebbington analyzes theories of historiography before returning to the question of meaning in history. He argues that Christianity offers scholarly, as well as religious, answers to questions and contradictions that abound in both areas.By assessing how the Christian philosophy of history parallels, informs, and corrects secular theories, Bebbington suggests a chastened way forward for Christian historians. Even as they must acknowledge and wrestle with the complexities of the human story, Christian historians come to the task with an understanding of history as the realm of providence and purpose. Whether that conviction is implicit or explicit in the historian's writing, it is the distinctive element of faithful historical analysis.

David Bebbington is well known for his characterization of the Evangelical movement in terms of the four leading emphases of Bible, cross, conversion, and activism. This quadrilateral was expounded in his classic 1989 book Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730s to the 1980s. Bebbington developed many of the themes in that book in articles published from the 1980s to the present, but until now most of those articles have remained little known. The present collection of thirty-two essays makes readily available these important explorations of key aspects in the history of Evangelicalism.The Evangelical movement arose in the eighteenth century in Britain and America as a revitalization of Protestantism. Sharing much with the Puritans who preceded them, the Evangelicals nevertheless adopted a fresh stance by making revival rather than reformation their priority. Coming from diverse denominations, they formed a zealous united front. Over subsequent centuries they grew in number and carried their message throughout the world, giving rise to many of the churches in the global South that have come to the forefront in world Christianity. The essays in this work deal chiefly with Britain, though a few place the British movement in a world setting. Because Evangelicals on both sides of the Atlantic interacted, reading much of the same literature and visiting each other, there was a great deal of common ground between the British and American movements. Hence many of the topics covered here relate to developments mirrored in the American churches over the last three centuries.The two volumes of The Evangelical Quadrilateral address different aspects of the Evangelical movement. The first volume deals with issues in the movement as a whole, and the second volume examines features of particular denominational bodies within Evangelicalism. Each volume contains an introductory essay reviewing recent literature in the field, and then a series of related essays.Volume 1, Characterizing the British Gospel Movement, begins with an overview of the nature of the movement. The essays cover such representative areas as the affinity of early Evangelicalism with the Enlightenment, the impact of Americans Jonathan Edwards and Dwight L. Moody, the advent hope and the experience of conversion as key doctrines of Evangelicalism, the growth of academic historical studies of and by Evangelicals, Evangelical attitudes to science, and widespread trends in the movement and its shifting patterns of public worship in the twenty-first century. The first volume also provides detail on many of the main features that British Evangelicals displayed in common.

David Bebbington is well known for his characterization of the Evangelical movement in terms of the four leading emphases of Bible, cross, conversion, and activism. This quadrilateral was expounded in his classic 1989 book Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730s to the 1980s. Bebbington developed many of the themes in that book in articles published from the 1980s to the present, but until now most of those articles have remained little known. The present collection of thirty-two essays makes readily available these important explorations of key aspects in the history of Evangelicalism.The Evangelical movement arose in the eighteenth century in Britain and America as a revitalization of Protestantism. Sharing much with the Puritans who preceded them, the Evangelicals nevertheless adopted a fresh stance by making revival rather than reformation their priority. Coming from diverse denominations, they formed a zealous united front. Over subsequent centuries they grew in number and carried their message throughout the world, giving rise to many of the churches in the global South that have come to the forefront in world Christianity. The essays in this work deal chiefly with Britain, though a few place the British movement in a world setting. Because Evangelicals on both sides of the Atlantic interacted, reading much of the same literature and visiting each other, there was a great deal of common ground between the British and American movements. Hence many of the topics covered here relate to developments mirrored in the American churches over the last three centuries. The two volumes of The Evangelical Quadrilateral address different aspects of the Evangelical movement. The first volume deals with issues in the movement as a whole, and the second volume examines features of particular denominational bodies within Evangelicalism. Each volume contains an introductory essay reviewing recent literature in the field, and then a series of related essays.Volume 2, The Denominational Mosaic of the British Gospel Movement, turns to the movement's component parts. The essays cover such representative areas as the Islington Conference's influence in setting out the public stance of Anglican Evangelicals, the doctrine and spirituality of the Methodists, the Baptists in Britain in light of Nathan Hatch's thesis about the democratization of American Christianity, the role of the (so-called Plymouth) Brethren in world Evangelicalism, and the charismatic renewal that transformed church life in the postwar world. This second volume therefore brings out the wide range of denominations in the Evangelical mosaic.

David Bebbington is well known for his characterization of the Evangelical movement in terms of the four leading emphases of Bible, cross, conversion, and activism. This quadrilateral was expounded in his classic 1989 book Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730s to the 1980s. Bebbington developed many of the themes in that book in articles published from the 1980s to the present, but until now most of those articles have remained little known. The present collection of thirty-two essays makes readily available these important explorations of key aspects in the history of Evangelicalism.The Evangelical movement arose in the eighteenth century in Britain and America as a revitalization of Protestantism. Sharing much with the Puritans who preceded them, the Evangelicals nevertheless adopted a fresh stance by making revival rather than reformation their priority. Coming from diverse denominations, they formed a zealous united front. Over subsequent centuries they grew in number and carried their message throughout the world, giving rise to many of the churches in the global South that have come to the forefront in world Christianity. The essays in this work deal chiefly with Britain, though a few place the British movement in a world setting. Because Evangelicals on both sides of the Atlantic interacted, reading much of the same literature and visiting each other, there was a great deal of common ground between the British and American movements. Hence many of the topics covered here relate to developments mirrored in the American churches over the last three centuries.The two volumes of The Evangelical Quadrilateral address different aspects of the Evangelical movement. The first volume deals with issues in the movement as a whole, and the second volume examines features of particular denominational bodies within Evangelicalism. Each volume contains an introductory essay reviewing recent literature in the field, and then a series of related essays.Volume 1, Characterizing the British Gospel Movement, begins with an overview of the nature of the movement. The essays cover such representative areas as the affinity of early Evangelicalism with the Enlightenment, the impact of Americans Jonathan Edwards and Dwight L. Moody, the advent hope and the experience of conversion as key doctrines of Evangelicalism, the growth of academic historical studies of and by Evangelicals, Evangelical attitudes to science, and widespread trends in the movement and its shifting patterns of public worship in the twenty-first century. The first volume also provides detail on many of the main features that British Evangelicals displayed in common.

David Bebbington is well known for his characterization of the Evangelical movement in terms of the four leading emphases of Bible, cross, conversion, and activism. This quadrilateral was expounded in his classic 1989 book Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730s to the 1980s. Bebbington developed many of the themes in that book in articles published from the 1980s to the present, but until now most of those articles have remained little known. The present collection of thirty-two essays makes readily available these important explorations of key aspects in the history of Evangelicalism.The Evangelical movement arose in the eighteenth century in Britain and America as a revitalization of Protestantism. Sharing much with the Puritans who preceded them, the Evangelicals nevertheless adopted a fresh stance by making revival rather than reformation their priority. Coming from diverse denominations, they formed a zealous united front. Over subsequent centuries they grew in number and carried their message throughout the world, giving rise to many of the churches in the global South that have come to the forefront in world Christianity. The essays in this work deal chiefly with Britain, though a few place the British movement in a world setting. Because Evangelicals on both sides of the Atlantic interacted, reading much of the same literature and visiting each other, there was a great deal of common ground between the British and American movements. Hence many of the topics covered here relate to developments mirrored in the American churches over the last three centuries. The two volumes of The Evangelical Quadrilateral address different aspects of the Evangelical movement. The first volume deals with issues in the movement as a whole, and the second volume examines features of particular denominational bodies within Evangelicalism. Each volume contains an introductory essay reviewing recent literature in the field, and then a series of related essays.Volume 2, The Denominational Mosaic of the British Gospel Movement, turns to the movement's component parts. The essays cover such representative areas as the Islington Conference's influence in setting out the public stance of Anglican Evangelicals, the doctrine and spirituality of the Methodists, the Baptists in Britain in light of Nathan Hatch's thesis about the democratization of American Christianity, the role of the (so-called Plymouth) Brethren in world Evangelicalism, and the charismatic renewal that transformed church life in the postwar world. This second volume therefore brings out the wide range of denominations in the Evangelical mosaic.

The shift of the center of gravity in world Christianity from the Global North to the Global South was arguably the most important development in the faith during the twentieth century. One of the most salient dimensions within that broader evolution was the rise of evangelical Protestantism in Latin America, once a Roman Catholic stronghold. In the early twenty-first century a high percentage of Latin America was Pentecostal, but there had also been significant growth of other denominations, including Methodists and Baptists. By 2019 an estimated 19 percent of the population of Latin America identified as evangelicals.The Gospel in Latin America includes a broad range of studies in the history of Latin American evangelicalism from experts in the field. Five chapters address issues affecting the whole of Latin America, including the relationship of evangelicalism to demography and the rise of the political ideology of Dominionism. A further five concentrate on developments in specific nations such as evangelical intellectual life in Brazil and the forging of evangelical identity in Argentina. Pentecostalism is included, but space is given to the full range of religious groups. Politics is not omitted, but the volume's main concern is the core religious priorities of the movement associated with the spread of the gospel.

The shift of the center of gravity in world Christianity from the Global North to the Global South was arguably the most important development in the faith during the twentieth century. One of the most salient dimensions within that broader evolution was the rise of evangelical Protestantism in Latin America, once a Roman Catholic stronghold. In the early twenty-first century a high percentage of Latin America was Pentecostal, but there had also been significant growth of other denominations, including Methodists and Baptists. By 2019 an estimated 19 percent of the population of Latin America identified as evangelicals.The Gospel in Latin America includes a broad range of studies in the history of Latin American evangelicalism from experts in the field. Five chapters address issues affecting the whole of Latin America, including the relationship of evangelicalism to demography and the rise of the political ideology of Dominionism. A further five concentrate on developments in specific nations such as evangelical intellectual life in Brazil and the forging of evangelical identity in Argentina. Pentecostalism is included, but space is given to the full range of religious groups. Politics is not omitted, but the volume's main concern is the core religious priorities of the movement associated with the spread of the gospel.

Religious freedom as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights remains a perennial concern across the globe. Over the centuries many evangelicals have not enjoyed this right in practice, but they have generally advocated its acceptance, especially to allow the spread of the gospel. Not always, however, have they supported freedom for religious groups besides themselves, and sometimes they have endorsed discrimination against other bodies. The Gospel and Religious Freedom explores the complex relationship in theory and practice between evangelicals and religious freedom, covering periods from the eighteenth century to the present. The volume includes studies of the intellectual lineage of asserting the free exercise of religion, of evangelicals in the United States who endorsed religious liberty in the early twentieth century, and of recent American evangelical political pressure on behalf of freedom of religion at home and abroad. Other contributions address the evangelical defense of the cause in British territories in the age of William Wilberforce, the apparent threat to religious liberty by Roman Catholics throughout the world, an evangelical attempt to restrain Muslim laws in Nigeria, and the persecution of believers by Communists in Eastern Europe and China.Evangelical Christians emerge as preeminently concerned with evangelism, but in other respects they are diverse in their responses to challenges in various global regions. This volume is designed to demonstrate something of the significance of the evangelical movement in the history of the modern world.

Religious freedom as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights remains a perennial concern across the globe. Over the centuries many evangelicals have not enjoyed this right in practice, but they have generally advocated its acceptance, especially to allow the spread of the gospel. Not always, however, have they supported freedom for religious groups besides themselves, and sometimes they have endorsed discrimination against other bodies. The Gospel and Religious Freedom explores the complex relationship in theory and practice between evangelicals and religious freedom, covering periods from the eighteenth century to the present. The volume includes studies of the intellectual lineage of asserting the free exercise of religion, of evangelicals in the United States who endorsed religious liberty in the early twentieth century, and of recent American evangelical political pressure on behalf of freedom of religion at home and abroad. Other contributions address the evangelical defense of the cause in British territories in the age of William Wilberforce, the apparent threat to religious liberty by Roman Catholics throughout the world, an evangelical attempt to restrain Muslim laws in Nigeria, and the persecution of believers by Communists in Eastern Europe and China.Evangelical Christians emerge as preeminently concerned with evangelism, but in other respects they are diverse in their responses to challenges in various global regions. This volume is designed to demonstrate something of the significance of the evangelical movement in the history of the modern world.

Los Bautistas a través de los siglos ofrece una clara introducción a la historia y la teología de este pueblo influyente e internacional. David W. Bebbington, un destacado historiador bautista, analiza los principales desarrollos en la vida y el pensamiento bautistas desde el siglo XVII hasta el presente. La segunda edición de este probado libro de texto amplía el alcance con capítulos sobre tres partes del mundo donde los bautistas se han vuelto particularmente numerosos: América Latina, Nigeria, y las colinas de Naga en la India. Cada capítulo también destaca temas regionales que han presentado nuevos desafíos y oportunidades para los bautistas: la misión holística en América Latina, la experiencia de renovación carismática y el encuentro con el Islam en Nigeria, y las demandas de pacificación en las colinas de Naga. A través de esta nueva edición, Bebbington orienta a los lectores y amplía su conocimiento de la comunidad bautista a medida que continúa floreciendo en todo el mundo.

From the dawn of their movement in the eighteenth century, evangelicals composed narratives of the revivals that were drawing in large numbers of new converts. As evangelicals continued to write about the achievements of their heroes at home and abroad, tensions between their theological purposes and the historical nature of their writings began to emerge, particularly as history developed into a professional academic discipline. Words praising the Lord's doings in the past might seem out of place in scholarly discourse. Non-evangelicals, recognizing the importance of the movement, added to the problem by discussing it without reference to divine involvement. Theology and history found themselves opposed to one another in accounts of the evangelical past. Was the evangelical movement to be seen as an expression of divine activity or of human culture? If it was to be seen as both, how was its Christian content related to its contexts? The Gospel in the Past brings together eleven scholars of evangelical theology and history seeking to answer questions such as these within evangelical historiography. Part 1 focuses on the historiography of selected evangelical themes and topics, such as eschatology, evangelical women, and responses to C. S. Lewis. Part 2 focuses on evangelical historiography within particular countries, such as Wales and Australia, and within particular denominations, such as Anglicanism.Each of the essays touches to a greater or lesser extent on the contrast between traditional evangelical approaches to history and more recent ones shaped by the expectations of the academy. Engaging both sides of this lively divide, The Gospel in the Past is an accessible guide to the historiography of the evangelical movement with a focus on analyzing and beginning to resolve some of the tensions within the discipline.

In 1966, Michael R. Watts completed his Oxford dissertation on the life of John Clifford (1836–1923). Although Watts intended for the work to be published, he passed away unexpectedly and the dissertation remained uncirculated. While conducting research in Oxford, Joel C. Gregory discovered Watts' bound carbon-paper copy. Baylor's Truett Theological Seminary and Baylor University Press have partnered to bring this long-hidden manuscript, John Clifford and Radical Nonconformity, to light.A contemporary of distinguished Baptist ministers such as Charles Spurgeon and Alexander Maclaren, John Clifford forged his way as a pastor, national leader, evangelist, and social activist. Clifford's greatest influence on Baptist life flourished in the midst of controversy. His adoption of Christian socialism and his involvement in the Downgrade controversy became landmarks during his career. Clifford's socialism was marked by a deep care for the impoverished lower classes in England, and his role in helping to preserve the Baptist Union following Spurgeon's resignation created an impactful and lasting legacy that is recounted here in Watts' dissertation.While three biographies of Clifford were published during his lifetime and one shortly after his death, the publication of Watts' dissertation provides new insights into Clifford's life and theology and includes contemporaneous material on Clifford from periodicals such as the Freeman, the General Baptist Magazine, and the Westbourne Park Record. Watts advances an account of Clifford's public life from 1858 to 1923, analyzes key works from 1870 to 1883, and surveys the history of Watts' church from 1886 until his death. The resulting work is a comprehensive and fresh recounting of the life of one of the most influential Baptist preachers in the denomination's history.

From the dawn of their movement in the eighteenth century, evangelicals composed narratives of the revivals that were drawing in large numbers of new converts. As evangelicals continued to write about the achievements of their heroes at home and abroad, tensions between their theological purposes and the historical nature of their writings began to emerge, particularly as history developed into a professional academic discipline. Words praising the Lord's doings in the past might seem out of place in scholarly discourse. Non-evangelicals, recognizing the importance of the movement, added to the problem by discussing it without reference to divine involvement. Theology and history found themselves opposed to one another in accounts of the evangelical past. Was the evangelical movement to be seen as an expression of divine activity or of human culture? If it was to be seen as both, how was its Christian content related to its contexts? The Gospel in the Past brings together eleven scholars of evangelical theology and history seeking to answer questions such as these within evangelical historiography. Part 1 focuses on the historiography of selected evangelical themes and topics, such as eschatology, evangelical women, and responses to C. S. Lewis. Part 2 focuses on evangelical historiography within particular countries, such as Wales and Australia, and within particular denominations, such as Anglicanism.Each of the essays touches to a greater or lesser extent on the contrast between traditional evangelical approaches to history and more recent ones shaped by the expectations of the academy. Engaging both sides of this lively divide, The Gospel in the Past is an accessible guide to the historiography of the evangelical movement with a focus on analyzing and beginning to resolve some of the tensions within the discipline.

Why are there all these different Christian churches?Many studies have appeared over the past two centuries on the proliferation of denominations in the Anglophone world. David Bebbington builds on this trajectory and offers a distinctive approach to the question of Christian diversity. Denominations differs from other writings in the field because of its approach. Instead of a straightforward survey of the state of the contemporary church, Bebbington presents a historical analysis of how the various families of churches have come to be as they are. He also stresses how the delivery of the Christian message has been molded by the contexts of the various Anglo-American ecclesiastical bodies. As times have changed, so have churches. Because it offers a twenty-first-century perspective, Denominations considers several religious organizations not discussed in earlier works: while some denominations have vanished in recent decades, still more have arisen. Bebbington emphasizes the cultural situation of the denominations, in both the remote and the recent past, in order to highlight the distinguishing ethos of each.