Surprising Work of God, The: Harold John Ockenga, Billy Graham, and the Rebirth of Evangelicalism [Paperback]

Garth M. Rosell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2008

There is growing interest in the story of mid-twentieth-century evangelicalism. One of the central leaders of that era was Harold John Ockenga. He was pastor of the historic Park Street Congregational Church in Boston and cofounder of Fuller Theological Seminary, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, the National Association of Evangelicals, and Christianity Today. The Surprising Work of God examines the birth and development of modern American evangelicalism--its history, personalities, and institutions. The history of that time is seen through the window of the life, ministry, and writings of Ockenga and his long friendship with Billy Graham. This lively, engaging story will be of value to anyone with an interest in the American church of the last century.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The Surprising Work of God tells the story of how America's mid-twentieth century spiritual awakening became a worldwide Christian movement. This seminal study brings a unique perspective to the history, personalities, and institutions of that period and offers an intimate look at evangelicalism through the window of the life, ministry, and writings of Harold John Ockenga and his long friendship with Billy Graham. Ockenga was pastor of the historic Park Street Congregational Church in Boston and cofounder of Fuller Theological Seminary, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, the National Association of Evangelicals, and Christianity Today. As such, he was a central figure in the birth and development of American neo-evangelicalism. This lively, engaging story will be of value to anyone with an interest in the American church of the last century."In this thoroughly researched book, Garth Rosell has put flesh on the dry bones of history. His deep immersion in the rich records left by Harold John Ockenga brings to life the critical developments that forged the modern evangelical movement. The result is a most valuable book."--Mark Noll, Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History, University of Notre Dame"The story of post-World War II evangelicalism, and of Harold Ockenga's role in its reconstruction, is here told with an insider's understanding, a historian's eye for detail, and diligence in the use of original sources. Rosell has ploughed fresh ground and has given us ways of looking at all of these events that are fresh, authentic, and helpful."--David F. Wells, Andrew Mutch Distinguished Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary"This is insiders' history at its best. Not only is Garth Rosell a truly first-rate historian but he has also lived through many of the events he recounts. His front-row seat within the theater of post-war evangelicalism combined with careful work in little-known manuscript materials has yielded an accurate, vivid account of the evangelical movement's twentieth-century revival. This book is real treasure--must reading for all who care about American religion."--Douglas A. Sweeney, associate professor of church history and the history of Christian thought, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

About the Author

Garth M. Rosell (PhD, University of Minnesota) is professor of church history at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he has taught since 1978, and former director of the Ockenga Institute. His books include The Memoirs of Charles G. Finney (coedited with R. A. G. Dupuis) and Commending the Faith: The Preaching of D. L. Moody.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Baker Academic (July 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801035708
• ISBN-13: 978-0801035708
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #168,656 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable Era, Remarkable Book, December 5, 2008

By 

Douglas Price (Purcellville, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Surprising Work of God, The: Harold John Ockenga, Billy Graham, and the Rebirth of Evangelicalism (Paperback)

There two kinds of history books: ones that inform and ones that both inform and shape. Rosell's book falls into the second category.

Surprising Work of God is a thoroughly researched and systematically structured book. Rosell makes a great effort to provide the highest level of sourcing and bibliographic information. As such, despite his closeness to figures that he writes about, his opinions are always reinforced by facts and others who have expressed similar sentiments.

Beyond the academic rigor of the book, there is a passion from Rosell that comes through the page that is difficult to quantify. You can tell that Rosell cares deeply about the subject and the figures that he writes about. You cannot help but become engrossed in the life of Harold John Ockenga and the other evangelists that impacted an entire world for more than a generation.

This book is a must read for those who study the patterns of revival, particularly those who are seeking for it today.

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved It, December 31, 2011

By 

Will Riddle "and Jaime Riddle" (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Surprising Work of God, The: Harold John Ockenga, Billy Graham, and the Rebirth of Evangelicalism (Paperback)

I took Rosell's Church History course at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary several years ago. He was a warm and interesting lecturer who seemed to be more interested in seeing God through the history than the bare facts of history itself.

Fast forward ten years. I've become recently very interested in what it takes to have a real revival in America, since we're in moral free fall. Knowing Rosell from school, that the revival of the 50s was the last significant national revival, and that Ockenga was a very significant in it, though generally unstudied, drew me to this book like a magnet.

I was not disappointed. It is written to be a historical record that historians will respect with all proper footnotes. However, the significance is clearly to bring the revival of the 40s and 50s to life, and Rosell does this quite well. I wanted to know answers to questions like "What role did intellectual leadership (of Ockega) play in the long term success of the revival?" and "What are the ingredients for a revival in contemporary culture?" Rosell did not disappoint. I was awakened to a vision of how the elements of reform and revival come together to shift the nation and stirred to be a part of it myself.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Pivotal Work in 20th Century Evanglicalism Studies, May 4, 2010

By 

Daniel Walsh - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Surprising Work of God, The: Harold John Ockenga, Billy Graham, and the Rebirth of Evangelicalism (Paperback)

If more history was recounted with the story-telling abilities and love of subject matter displayed by Dr. Garth M. Rosell in his The Surprising Work of God fewer students would find history classes mundane. It tells the story of American Evangelicalism in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. It is a compelling, personal, and erudite history of the birth of the modern Evangelical movement in the United States.

Tracing its roots to Jonathan Edwards and the First Great Awakening, Rosell offers a five-point schema of what defines evangelicals that serves as a structural device for the rest of the work. "United by a shared theological focus (the cross), a shared authority (the Bible), a shared experience (conversion), a shared mission (worldwide evangelization), and a shared vision (the spiritual renewal of the church and society), the burgeoning evangelical movement set out to recapture the culture for Christ." (13) The book gives much attention to Harold John Ockenga, a pivotal individual in the awakening that swept through America and the world in the 1950s.

Ockenga (1905-1985) was a well-educated pastor who held advanced degrees from Westminster Theological Seminary (he was among the first graduates of the seminary) and the University of Pittsburgh. He served as pastor of Park Street Church, Boston from 1936-1969, founded the National Association of Evangelicals, helped Billy Graham get his start and served as founding president of both Fuller and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminaries. No other individual did more to create the Evangelical movement of the last century that Ockenga. Thanks to Rosell his story is now told.

Besides the story of Ockenga the book covers some of the major events of Billy Graham and other major players in the revival of the 1950s. It recounts the creation of Christianity Today magazine, the founding of Fuller Theological Seminary, worldwide meetings of evangelicals, some of the works of Carl Henry, and other topics. The book's greatest strength is the story of Ockenga told via extensive knowledge of primary documents. But one gets the sense that the power behind the story has more to do with Rosell's unique position than just with his superb academic skills. As the son of Merv Rosell, an evangelist during the era, and a close personal friend of Ockenga, Rosell is able to combine academic skill with personal affection for the individuals whose stories are unfolded within to tell a remarkable story with literary skill.

In the acknowledgements section Rosell admits that he expects criticism on his coverage of his father within the text, thinking that scholars will think his bias led him to give too much credit to Merv Rosell. Quite to the contrary, this writer thinks the book's largest weakness was the lack of information about Merv Rosell. One can see the tension Dr. Rosell experienced in writing as an academic about his own father. One hopes he will publish an article or some shorter work about Rosell and the other evangelists less well-known than Billy Graham.