The Rise Of Evangelicalism: The Age of Edwards, Whitefield and the Wesleys by Mark Noll

What exactly does it mean to be ‘evangelical’? Today the term is so disputed that it is even being called irrelevant. Others prefer to call  themselves ‘post-evangelical’. Roger Olson (whose writings, while I do not agree with him, I enjoy) has written that the term “evangelical” is an essentially contested concept without boundaries. This is in contrast to David Bebbington’s classic view that there are four key ingredients to evangelicalism – conversion; focus on the Bible; life of service for God; Christ’s death as the crucial matter in providing atonement.

Mark Noll and this book, would disagree with Roger Olson, and side towards David Beggington. The Rise Of Evangelicalism is the first of five books which will examine the development of evangelicalism through the ages. This volume looks at it’s beginnings (1730′s – 1790′s)

Noll shows us that evangelicalism came out of a convergence of three main movements – the Anglicanism; the puritan movement (which did not think the established church was reformed enough) and European pietism. Profiling Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield and John and Charles Wesley, Noll shows how one of the key elements (and boundaries) of evangelicalism and the Revivals experienced at this time was the emphasis and proclamation of the new birth found in Christ Jesus and the power of godliness & individual transformation.

This book is not just a helpful introduction to the roots of evangelicalism and what evangelicalism looked like, but it is also a wonderful introduction to the key men who were instrumental during the great revival of the 18th century. Noll’s scholarly and well written style makes this an enjoyable and informative read. One additional feature of this book is the wonderful bibliography at the back of the book.

Highly recommended.

The Five Paths Of Repentance by John Chrysostom

Would you like me to list also the paths of repentance? They are numerous and quite varied, and all lead to heaven. A first path of repentance is the condemnation of your own sins: Be the first to admit your sins and you will be justified. For this reason, too, the prophet wrote: I said: I will accuse myself of my sins to the Lord, and you forgave the wickedness of my heart. Therefore, you too should condemn your own sins; that will be enough reason for the Lord to forgive you, for a man who condemns his own sins is slower to commit them again. Rouse your conscience to accuse you within your own house, lest it become your accuser before the judgment seat of the Lord. That, then, is one very good path of repentance. Another and no less valuable one is to put out of our minds the harm done us by our enemies, in order to master our anger, and to forgive our fellow servants’ sins against us. Then our own sins against the Lord will be forgiven us. Thus you have another way to atone for sin: For if you forgive your debtors, your heavenly Father will forgive you. Do you want to know of a third path? It consists of prayer that is fervent, careful and comes from the heart. If you want to hear of a fourth, I will mention almsgiving, whose power is great and far-reaching. If, moreover, a man lives a modest, humble life, that, no less than the other things I have mentioned, takes sin away. Proof of this is the tax-collector who had no good deeds to mention, but offered his humility instead and was relieved of a heavy burden of sins. Thus I have shown you five paths of repentance; condemnation of your own sins, forgiveness of our neighbor’s sins against us, prayer, almsgiving and humility. Do not be idle, then, but walk daily in all these paths; they are easy, and you cannot plead your poverty. For, though you live out your life amid great need, you can always set aside your wrath, be humble, pray diligently and condemn your own sins; poverty is no hindrance. Poverty is not an obstacle to our carrying out the Lord’s bidding, even when it comes to that path of repentance which involves giving money (almsgiving, I mean). The widow proved that when she put her two mites into the box! Now that we have learned how to heal these wounds of ours, let us apply the cures. Then, when we have regained genuine health, we can approach the holy table with confidence, go gloriously to meet Christ, the king of glory, and attain the eternal blessings through the grace, mercy and kindness of Jesus Christ, our Lord.