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The Dominance of Evangelicalism: The Age of Spurgeon and Moody (History of Evangelicalism)

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David Bebbington brings us another admirable study in The Dominance of Evangelicalism, persuasively arguing that evangelicalism was a potent force in the late 19th century. This was in part because evangelicals successfully adapted (and adapted to) the assumptions of the age, especially those assumptions stemming from and reacting to the Enlightenment. This study also sets the stage for Pentecostalism's emergence around 1900 and other developments that the next book in this series will cover.

This book covers English-speaking evangelicalism from 1850 to 1900, complementing the wider chronology but narrower geography of his earlier book, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730s to the 1980s (Routledge, 1989). The two share the key (and very useful) definition of evangelicalism in terms of cross, conversion, Bible, and mission. In both books, Bebbington analyzes how evangelicals interacted with the intellectual and cultural currents of the day: Scottish common sense realism, Romanticism, evolution, respectability, and so on. But he approaches the present study thematically (as opposed to chronologically, as in the previous book), an approach that works well and isn't very redundant for this relatively short period.

Bebbington writes clearly and concisely, supplying many and vivid illustrations drawn largely from primary periodicals. I highly recommend this book, for scholars and interested lay people alike, in addition to Evangelicalism in Modern Britain.

Chapter summaries:

The Prologue contains a discussion of the social and political context.

1. Bebbington overviews global evangelicalism, 1850 - 1900.

2. He describes the diversity of evangelicalism: social, denominational (Anglican, Presbyterian, Congregational, Baptist, Methodist, and others), and geographical (England, the rest of the British Isles, the rest of the British Empire, United States, and South Africa). But evangelicals bonded and cooperated across these divisions.

3. He describes evangelicals' spirituality, worship, home missions, Sunday schools, revivals, and foreign missions.

4. Evangelicals used Enlightenment ideas, especially the Scottish common sense philosophy associated with Francis Bacon. This had many results: attempting to reconcile science with religion, Calvinism decaying and Arminianism rising. Postmillennialism, missiology, and pragmatism in church structure are all discussed.

5. Romanticism influenced not only Catholic, Anglo-Catholic, and Unitarian thought, but also evangelical -- resulting in higher church liturgical forms, poetic and eloquent sermons, various theories of Biblical inspiration, favorable opinions toward evolution, and liberal trends in doctrine (e.g., emphasizing the Fatherhood of God and the Incarnation of Christ, and downgrading eternal punishment to conditional immortality).

6. There were conservative trends affected by Romanticism, too: faith missions (relying on God alone for support and not making collections), premillennialism (in both historicist and futurist flavors), and holiness thought (especially the Keswick and proto-Pentecostal forms).

7. Evangelicals interacted with social trends in important ways, especially feminine ascendancy and race relations. Also, they were generally conservative with respect to entertainment during the period at hand and crusaded against desecration of the Lord's day, Catholicism, sexual immorality, and alcohol. Included is a discussion of the social gospel movement.

8. Figures of denominational growth during the period are included in the conclusion.

The Dominance of Evangelicalism: The Age of Spurgeon and Moody is book three of a five-part series on the history of evangelicalism. The author, David Bebbington, is a professor of history who has focused much of his life studying British evangelicalism and culture during the last three centuries.

If you are looking for a biographical account of Spurgeon & Moody, along with a sketch of their times, this is not the book for you. On the other hand, if you want to read a thorough account of broad evangelical trends from the 1840s to the 1890s and are comfortable with a 'thick' read, then there is much to interest you in this book. Bebbington gives a survey of the movements of evangelicalism during that time, their effects on culture, and the degree to which culture may have influenced the development of evangelical theology and action.

Though not a popular-level writer like the secular historical works of Stephen Ambrose and David McCollough, Bebbington provides a great deal of helpful information on Christianity in that day. At times, you may wish that he was more clear about certain trends being unbiblical and outside the pale of what is genuinely evangelical, for at the outset he defines 'evangelical' as (1) holding to a strong allegiance to the Bible, (2) attached to the cross and substitionary atonement, (3) concerned for personal conversion and regeneration, and (4) active, to the point of often being activists. However, as he proceeds to unfold history, the groups he ranks within the context of 'evangelical' appear separate from these four marks and no mention is made of the discrepancy.

Bebbington's knowledge of that time period runs deep. It is too bad that there is not more analysis and evaluation within this volume to help the reader better understand the strengths and weaknesses that developed within evangelicalism in that time. Mark Noll, Iain Murray, S.M. Houghton, and David Wells are all good, if different, examples of how history can be analyzed and learned from. Bebbington's book provides ample information, with perhaps a slight emphasis on the sociological, as compared to the aforementioned authors, and largely leaves it to the reader to read critically and thoughtfully. - John Pleasnick, Christian Book [..]