
George Whitefield (1714-70) Was One Of The Best Known And Most Widely Travelled Evangelical Revivalists In The Eighteenth Century. For A Time In The Middle Decades Of The Eighteenth Century, Whitefield Was The Most Famous Person On Both Sides Of The Atlantic. An Anglican Clergyman, Whitefield Soon Transcended His Denominational Context As His Itinerant Ministry Fuelled A Protestant Renewal Movement In Britain And The American Colonies. He Was One Of The Founders Of Methodism, Establishing A Distinct Brand Of The Movement With A Calvinist Orientation, But Also The Leading Itinerant And International Preacher Of The Evangelical Movement In Its Early Phase. Called The 'apostle Of The English Empire', He Preached Throughout The Whole Of The British Isles And Criss-crossed The Atlantic Seven Times, Preaching In Nearly Every Town Along The Eastern Seaboard Of America. His Own Fame And Popularity Were Such That He Has Been Dubbed 'anglo-america's First Religious Celebrity', And Even One Of The 'founding Fathers Of The American Revolution'. This Collection Offers A Major Reassessment Of Whitefield's Life, Context, And Legacy, Bringing Together A Distinguished Interdisciplinary Team Of Scholars From Both Sides Of The Atlantic. In Chapters That Cover Historical, Theological, And Literary Themes, Many Addressed For The First Time, The Volume Suggests That Whitefield Was A Highly Complex Figure Who Has Been Much Misunderstood. Highly Malleable, Whitefield's Persona Was Shaped By Many Audiences During His Lifetime And Continues To Be Highly Contested.
This volume investigates the complex historical, theological, and cultural legacy of George Whitefield, questioning how an itinerant Anglican clergyman became the first religious celebrity of the Anglo-American world. The authors, David Ceri Jones and Geordan Hammond, curate a collection of interdisciplinary essays from international scholars to re-examine Whitefield’s influence on the eighteenth-century Protestant revival. By analyzing his role in the formation of Methodism and his impact on the American colonies, the text argues that Whitefield was a multifaceted figure whose public persona was shaped by diverse audiences and remains a subject of significant historical debate.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Scholars and historians recognize this collection as a significant scholarly reassessment that moves beyond traditional hagiography to address the complexities of Whitefield’s life. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a rigorous resource for those studying the history of the Great Awakening.
Page Count:
344
Publication Date:
2016-01-01
ISBN-10:
0191064130
ISBN-13:
9780191064135
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