Acton Institute Powerblog Archives

Post Tagged 'evangelicalism'

September 18, 2024

Shepherds on the Titanic

In the introduction to Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis uses the image of a hall leading to various rooms to explain the relationship of the various Christian communions and traditions with one another and with the fundamental and indispensable commitments that define the contours of Christianity. Continue Reading...
March 28, 2024

John Williamson Nevin and the Revival of the Evangelical Mind

While the long 19th century gave birth to a variety of intellectual movements, it also saw its fair share of anti-intellectualism. The fallout from the Second Great Awakening was one such example; this era of American religious life witnessed the rise of pietism and biblicism, both of which called into question the value of both classical theological education and church history as a guide to biblical interpretation. Continue Reading...
February 27, 2024

Saving Evangelicalism

Is the power-seeking now prominent in evangelical circles a fever or a fatal disease? Is the evangelical movement unsinkable, or is it like the Titanic in 1912 after a collision with an iceberg breached five of the ship’s supposedly watertight compartments? Continue Reading...
January 30, 2024

Escaping Life in a Too-Negative World

Being a Christian in ancient Rome was not easy. Stories and legends of the martyrs of this period are not for the faint of heart. Recall that, according to tradition, only one of the 12 apostles died a natural death. 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...
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...
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...