Posts by Richard Turnbull
February 02, 2024
There is a real possibility that the next general election in the United Kingdom will take place within a few weeks of the presidential election in the United States. It is fair to say that no one knows what will happen on either side of the Atlantic. Continue Reading...
December 19, 2023
William Wilberforce: Abolitionist, Reformer, Evangelical
On February 24, 1807, the House of Commons voted by 283 votes to 16 to end the trade in human slaves in all British territories. The outcome was testimony to the tenacity, zeal, and commitment of the most prominent evangelical Member of Parliament at the end of the 18th century, William Wilberforce (1759–1833). Continue Reading...
November 17, 2023
Hannah More: Pioneer of Voluntary Christian Schools
Hannah More (1745–1833) was a most extraordinary woman. A poet and playwright mixing with the leading figures of her day in the theater and arts, she found evangelical faith and deployed her considerable writing skills in support of William Wilberforce’s campaign against the slave trade. Continue Reading...
October 19, 2023
John Newton: From Slave Trader to Abolitionist Pastor
John Newton (1725–1807) is a pivotal figure in the English evangelical revival or awakening. His is an early example of a settled evangelical ministry in the second half of the 18th century, involving pastoral work, hymn-writing, and even mentoring the likes of a William Wilberforce. Continue Reading...
August 25, 2023
The Countess of Huntingdon: Challenging the Established Church
Among the central figures of the British evangelical revival that we have been revisiting is Selina, Countess of Huntingdon, (1707–1791). She was a source of finance and a steadying influence, and through her aristocratic connections Selina provided opportunities for the preaching of the gospel in the upper echelons of society. Continue Reading...
July 14, 2023
The “National Apostasy” of John Keble
From the 1830s onward, a movement developed in the Church of England that sought to reclaim a classic High Church tradition within Anglicanism that gave weight to the apostolic succession, sacraments, the Christian year and festivals, and liturgical order. Continue Reading...
June 09, 2023
Spreading the Flame: The Pioneering Ministry of William Grimshaw
We have discussed so far the nature of the 18th-century evangelical revival in Britain through the eyes of the most well-known names, John and Charles Wesley and George Whitefield. From the 1740s onward, communities across the nation experienced the impact of the revival through the pioneering ministries of many more dedicated individuals, however. Continue Reading...
May 12, 2023
Charles Wesley: Hymn Writer of the Evangelical Revival
The evangelical revival we have been revisiting not only left a legacy of Christians and churches renewed and empowered but also a devotional spirituality embedded in hymn and song. Charles Wesley (1707–1788) worked tirelessly alongside his elder brother John as evangelist and pastor. Continue Reading...
April 14, 2023
George Whitefield: Conflict and Conviction
George Whitefield’s first sermon after his ordination, in June 1736, prompted a complaint to the bishop! He later printed the sermon with the title On the Nature and Necessity of Our Regeneration or New Birth. Continue Reading...
March 24, 2023
John Wesley: The World Is My Parish
Our journey through the 18th-century evangelical revival continues in the company of John Wesley (1703–1791). Wesley was an extraordinary individual. First, he was a systematic organizer, one key reason for his legacy in Methodism—as seen most prominently in his forming of bands (3–4 people) and classes (10–12 people) for Christian education. Continue Reading...