Podcasts about George Marsden

In this episode of Thinking Out Loud, Cameron and Nathan explore the tension between Christian fundamentalism and faithful scholarship, using the controversy around resurrection expert Mike Licona as a case study. As Licona faces accusations of “caving to secularism” for his analysis of gospel differences through ancient literary conventions, the hosts ask: does questioning tradition mean abandoning truth? This conversation unpacks how fundamentalism's demand for absolute certainty often silences honest inquiry and mistakes nuance for compromise. With insights from George Marsden, Craig Keener, and D.A. Carson, Cameron and Nathan examine the evangelical tendency to draw rigid lines of who's “in” or “out,” and how that impulse may reflect fear more than faith. For Christians wrestling with deconstruction, biblical interpretation, and the future of evangelical witness, this episode offers a compelling call to humble confidence, theological depth, and gospel-centered curiosity.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.

In this segment, I examine the notion that there was something remarkably Christian about America's founding era. Last week, I fact-checked Charlie Kirk's viral video defense of the belief that America was founded as a Christian nation in the legal sense. Most of what Kirk had to say was irrelevant or incorrect. Today, I consider an overview of moral and religious failings during the founding era. Along with guests Jemar Tisby, Mark Noll, George Marsden, Caleb Campbell, and Aaron Cowan, I contradict Charlie Kirk's call to return to America's Christian roots. In fact, those roots don't seem very Christian when one considers the injustice and atrocities throughout the historical record.From the segment: "With slavery, treachery, mass murder, betrayal and theft embedded in the legacy of the nation, what does it matter how many times a Supreme Being is mentioned in the Declaration of Independence or if the Liberty Bell has Leviticus on it?"Written and produced by Warren ThrockmortonMusic provided by Earl's Taco Shack, Jonathan Swaim, and Jonus Fair  

In 2024, Charlie Kirk distributed a five-minute video defense of the idea that America was founded as a Christian nation. It has been played at least 20 million times on various social media platforms and is full of faulty history. This segment serves to correct the false claims and defend the proposition that America's founders set out to found a secular government with provision for religious pluralism. Unfortunately, this only applied to white males at first. Kirk and his fellow Christian nationalists use a variety of false stories to prop up a vision of a Christian American founding. They want to go back to that mythical time. In this segment, historians Aaron Cowan, Randall Balmer, and George Marsden, English professor Matthew Boedy, and co-host Michael Coulter join me to debunk Kirk's false claims and advocate for good history and religious pluralism.For primary sources referred to in this segment, see this link: https://warrenthrockmorton.substack.com/p/charlie-kirks-christian-america  Written and produced by Warren Throckmorton. Music provided by Earl's Taco Shack and Jonus Fair.  

George Marsden was a circuit rider who crisscrossed England for the Gospel. His work helped ensure everyone, no matter how far away from the cities they were, had a chance to hear God's Word.We want to say a big thank you to Patrick Studebaker at the Cave to the Cross Apologetics show. He has read so many sermons for us and he is a genuinely great guy! Check his stuff out here.Join Revived Studios on Patreon for more!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/revived-thoughts6762/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

John is back from the holidays. First, he talks about top MAGA leaders and the Tech Bros fighting over H-1B visas that allow highly qualified foreign workers to join the American workforce. Then, he discusses the arrest of MAGA extremist Brad Spafford after the FBI found the largest cache of explosives in FBI history at his farm; and the 2 horrific vehicle attacks - a pick up driving through a crowd in New Orleans and a Tesla Cybertruck explosion in front of the Trump hotel in Las Vegas. Then, John welcomes back 2 great guests: liberal and progressive American journalist and author - John Nichols. He is is The Nation's national affairs correspondent, the associate editor of the Capital Times, and a co-founder of the national media reform organization - Free Press. And, American historian of Christianity and an advocate for progressive Christianity - Diana Butler Bass. She is the author of eleven books. Bass earned a PhD in religious studies from Duke University in 1991 with an emphasis on American ecclesiastical history, studying under George Marsden. They have a round house discussion about current politics and the death of President Jimmy Carter.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In 1983, Mark Noll, Nathan Hatch, and George Marsden published a book titled The Search for Christian America. They concluded that there was nothing uniquely Christian in the founding of the United States and there is no Christian America to which to return. In this episode, both Drs. Noll and Marsden join me to say they believe today they were right in 1983 and the same conclusions are correct today. In between comments from these illustrious historians, I interview experts regarding the various conceptions of Christian nationalism, including "secular" leaning nationalism, white nationalism, and Catholic varieties, including integralism. I also provide a brief look at the research approach to describing Christian nationalism.  This is part one of two parts. Next week, I examine Reconstructionism, Seven Mountains dominionism, the old guard moral majority Christian nationalism, and the National Prayer Breakfast movement.   Guests in today's episode: Joel Bowman, Scott Coley, Michael Coulter, Greg Forster, Goerge Marsden, Paul Matzko, Mark Noll, Matthew Taylor, Jemar Tisby. SHOW NOTES;Produced, written, and hosted by Warren ThrockmortonClosing Song - Every Time by Roman Candlehttps://open.spotify.com/track/5N9QXoxHPTkQWy39PtQPNX?si=a095c40062e64e8eTheme Song - The World Awaits Us AllAdditional Christian Nationalism Resources:Building God's Kingdom by Julie Ingersoll The Flag and the Cross by Philip GorskiTaking America Back for God by Samuel Perry and Andrew WhiteheadWhite Too Long by Robert JonesThe Color of Compromise by Jemar TisbyThe Power Worshippers by Katherine StewartThe Religion of American Greatness by Paul MillerAmerican Idolatry by Andrew WhiteheadWhite Evangelical Racism by Anthea Butler=Jesus and John Wayne by Kristin Kobes Du MezGetting Jefferson Right: Fact-Checking Claims About Thomas Jefferson  by Warren Throckmorton & Michael Coulter.For reporting on Christian nationalism, follow Jenny Cohn at the Bucks County Beacon.@jennycohn1Christian Nationali

Everywhere we look its about us. How "we" want things, "our" true self, "our" vision of the world, what "we" want, etc. Even algorithms cater to us, giving us more and more of what we want, but is that the secret to happiness? Getting more of what "we" want? There is a better way. By taking the focus off of ourselves and getting our focus back on God, that's not easy. We need some help. Who could help us refocus? How about from "those who are dead and yet still speak"? We need to go back and listen to those voices with God-centered lives: Jonathan Edwards, C.S. Lewis, and Augustine. Today, we welcome one of the greatest living historians of American history, George Marsden, who can help us do just that. Dr. Marsden brings Edwards into the twenty-first century, along with Augustine and C.S. Lewis, he helps us to see how we can reorient our lives in our modern times to be more God-centered and ordered by our loves rather than the algorithms of our modern world. Dr. Marsden is Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame, is an influential historian who has written extensively on the interaction between Christianity and American culture, particularly on Christianity in American higher education and on American evangelicalism. He is well known for his biography Jonathan Edwards: A Life. He has authored other books including The Soul of the American University, Religion and American Culture, Fundamentalism and American Culture, and C.S. Lewis's “Mere Christianity”: A Biography. Marsden studied at Haverford College, Westminster Theological Seminary, and Yale University; he has taught at Calvin University, Duke University, and the University of Notre Dame. Today, we discuss his newest book on Edwards, "An Infinite Fountain of Light: Jonathan Edwards for the Twenty-First Century."Sign up for the Apollos Watered newsletter.Help water-thirsty souls by partnering with Apollos Watered!

Why do so many Christians and evangelicals in particular love C.S. Lewis so much? What is it about him that transcends borders of culture and denominational and theological tribes? Today's guest is historian Mark Noll. Mark and Travis talk about C.S. Lewis and his reception by Americans in the early to mid part of the 20th century. Unlike any author before or since, Lewis tapped into the imagination with the truth that people could grab a hold of and understand. Join Travis and Mark as they sift through Lewis' reception by Catholics, Protestants, and the mainstream media. It's a conversation that will stimulate your faith and appreciate God working through him. Mark is one of the leading church historians in the English-speaking world. Recently retired as the Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame and before that, he served as Professor of History and Theological Studies at Wheaton College. He taught courses on American religious and intellectual history, the Reformation, world Christianity, and Canadian history. Dr. Noll has written and edited numerous books, most recently including Evangelicals: Who They Have Been, Are Now, and Could Be (with George Marsden and David Bebbington, Eerdmans, 2019), In the Beginning Was the Word: The Bible in American Public Life (OUP, 2015), From Every Tribe and Nation: A Historian's Discovery of the Global Christian Story (Baker Academic, 2014), Jesus Christ and the Life of the Mind (Eerdmans, 2011), and Clouds of Witnesses: Christian Voices from Africa and Asia (co-written with Carolyn Nystrom, IVP, 2011). He has also served on the editorial boards for Books & Culture and Christian History and as co-editor of the Library of Religious Biography for Wm. B. Eerdmans. In 2006 he received the National Endowment for the Humanities medal at the White House. Dr. Noll currently lives in Wheaton, Illinois, with his wife, Maggie.Check out Mark's books.Sign up for the Apollos Watered newsletter.Help support the ministry of Apollos Watered and transform your world today!

This week's Event Friday message is part of the 2001 RBC Conference: Jonathan Edwards and the Future of Evangelicalism. A wide variety of voices combine to recall the work of the great philosophical theologian, and how today's church might be informed and inspired by his Great Awakening insights. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/581/29

This is a privileged episode of Voices of Renewal, as we are speaking to a giant in the field of the History of Christianity: Dr. George Marsden. Dr. Marsden is an Emeritus Profess of History at the University of Notre Dame and a Distinguished Scholar in the History of Christianity at Calvin College. We are speaking with him on his new book An Infinite Fountain of Light: Jonathan Edwards for the Twenty-First Century (IVP, 2023). 

"My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you…" - Galatians 4:19. Apologetics is the discipline of defending the Christian faith as objectively true, rational, and applicable to life (1 Peter 3:15; Jude 3). This ministry requires a life attuned to the Spirit of God. Apologetics is a spiritual discipline of study that requires the fruit of the Holy Spirit for its integrity and effectiveness. The apologist thus needs humility and studiousness in his or her efforts to explain, commend, and defend the Christian worldview.    Reading Jacques Barzun, The House of the Intellect. Harper, 2002 reprint. Harry Blamires, The Christian Mind. Servant, 1963. Os Guinness, Fit Bodies, Fat Minds. Baker, 1994. Douglas Groothuis, Christian Apologetics, 2nd InterVarsity Pres, 2022, Richard Lovelace, Dynamics of Spiritual Life. InterVarsity Press, 1979. George Marsden, The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship. Eerdmans, 1998. P. Moreland, Love Your God With all Your Mind, 2nd ed. NavPress, 2013. P. Moreland, Finding Quiet. Zondervan, 2019. I. Packer, Knowing God. InterVarsity Press, 1973. Eugene Peterson, Eat This Book. Eerdmans, 2008. John Piper, Think. Crossway, 2011. Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality. Tyndale, 1972 Francis Schaeffer, The God Who is There. InterVarsity, 1968. James Sire, Habits of the Mind. InterVarsity Press, 2000. Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart. NavPress, 2002. Dallas Willard, Knowing Christ Today. HarperOne, 2014. For more from Douglas Groothuis, visit  DouglasGroothuis.com. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The second part of our conversation where Travis and Mark continue their discussion of evangelicalism. What happens when what we claim we believe doesn't match up with the way we live? When we claim to believe in a new birth through Christ but still cling to beliefs, ways of looking at the world and even actions that are a lot worse than problematic? What caused evangelicalism to become so politicized in the US? should we even call ourselves evangelicals anymore?If you thought part one of my conversation with Mark Noll was complicated, well, I hate to say it, but it's going to get more complicated. We discuss evangelicalism, indigenous peoples, global evangelicalism, and a whole lot more! Mark is one of the leading church historians in the English-speaking world. Recently retired as the Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame and before that he served as Professor of History and Theological Studies at Wheaton College. His taught courses on American religious and intellectual history, the Reformation, world Christianity, and Canadian history. Dr. Noll has written and edited numerous books, most recently including Evangelicals: Who they Have Been, Are Now, and Could Be (with George Marsden and David Bebbington, Eerdmans, 2019), In the Beginning Was the Word: The Bible in American Public Life (OUP, 2015), From Every Tribe and Nation: A Historian's Discovery of the Global Christian Story (Baker Academic, 2014), Jesus Christ and the Life of the Mind (Eerdmans, 2011), and Clouds of Witnesses: Christian Voices from Africa and Asia (co-written with Carolyn Nystrom, IVP, 2011). He has also served on the editorial boards for Books & Culture and Christian History, and as co-editor of Library of Religious Biography for Wm. B. Eerdmans. In 2006 he received the National Endowment for the Humanities medal at the White House. Dr. Noll currently lives in Wheaton, Illinois, with his wife, Maggie.Check out Mark's books.Sign up for the Apollos Watered newsletter.Help support the ministry of Apollos Watered and transform your world today!

We welcome Mark Noll to the show! Travis and Mark discuss evangelicalism, what it is, who fits the label, and what the label means globally speaking. The term "evangelical" has become ubiquitous, with it being coopted by various groups and media to the point that some no longer want to use the term. Should we use it? What does it even mean? And what does it mean for us today? It would be lovely if the lines were nice and neat, but almost like everything else in our world today, it's complicated. Mark is one of the leading church historians in the English-speaking world. Recently retired as the Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame and before that he served as Professor of History and Theological Studies at Wheaton College. His taught courses on American religious and intellectual history, the Reformation, world Christianity, and Canadian history. Dr. Noll has written and edited numerous books, most recently including Evangelicals: Who they Have Been, Are Now, and Could Be (with George Marsden and David Bebbington, Eerdmans, 2019), In the Beginning Was the Word: The Bible in American Public Life (OUP, 2015), From Every Tribe and Nation: A Historian's Discovery of the Global Christian Story (Baker Academic, 2014), Jesus Christ and the Life of the Mind (Eerdmans, 2011), and Clouds of Witnesses: Christian Voices from Africa and Asia (co-written with Carolyn Nystrom, IVP, 2011). He has also served on the editorial boards for Books & Culture and Christian History, and as co-editor of Library of Religious Biography for Wm. B. Eerdmans. In 2006 he received the National Endowment for the Humanities medal at the White House. Dr. Noll currently lives in Wheaton, Illinois, with his wife, Maggie.Check out Mark's books.Sign up for the Apollos Watered newsletter.Help support the ministry of Apollos Watered and transform your world today!

Love Truce? Donate to help Chris make the show! Send checks to: Truce Media LLC PO Box 3434 Jackson, WY 83001 The modernish/ fundamentalist controversy was heating up in the early 1900s. Conservatives saw this coming a long way off but could not stop modernism from taking control of seminaries and popular pulpits. It was everywhere. It all came to a head with WWI. Theological conservatives saw WWI as evidence that the world was getting worse. To them, it was a chance to fight for patriotic reasons. Modernists were also pro-war because they thought this was the "war to end all wars". There would be no more war after this and democracy would take over the world. The liberals fired the first shots in this theological battle because they thought that premillennialism encouraged people to root for the end of the world. William Jennings Bryan was Secretary of State in the US during this time and did his best to keep us out of the war. This episode features the voices of George Marsden (author of "Fundamentalism and American Culture") and Michael Kazin, professor at Georgetown University and author of "What it Took to Win". Sources: Fundamentalism and American Culture by George Marsden The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald A Godly Hero by Michael Kazin What it Took to Win by Michael Kazin These Truths by Jill Lepore To End All Wars by Adam Hochschild Dead Wake by Erik Larson (about The Lusitania) Woodrow Wilson's second inauguration Short article about Billy Sunday Discussion Questions: What was the purpose of WWI? What caused it? Would you have been for or against the war in the 1900s? How can pre and post-millenniallism shape a person's view of the world? Does it have to? How does social Darwinism tie into WWI and WWII? Is WWI an outcome of changing morality? How would you tell a large audience of Christians to adapt to changing morality? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

More meandering about how stories function in our collective consciousness.  The Secularization of the Academy by George Marsden https://amzn.to/3CwYsap The Iliad of Homer Great Courses https://www.amazon.com/The-Iliad-of-Homer-audiobook/dp/B00DTNW7IS   Paul Vander Klay clips channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX0jIcadtoxELSwehCh5QTg My Substack https://paulvanderklay.substack.com/ Estuary Hub Link https://www.estuaryhub.com/ If you want to schedule a one-on-one conversation check here. https://paulvanderklay.me/2019/08/06/converzations-with-pvk/ There is a video version of this podcast on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/paulvanderklay To listen to this on ITunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/paul-vanderklays-podcast/id1394314333  If you need the RSS feed for your podcast player https://paulvanderklay.podbean.com/feed/  All Amazon links here are part of the Amazon Affiliate Program. Amazon pays me a small commission at no additional cost to you if you buy through one of the product links here. This is is one (free to you) way to support my videos.  https://paypal.me/paulvanderklay To support this channel/podcast with Bitcoin (BTC): 37TSN79RXewX8Js7CDMDRzvgMrFftutbPo  To support this channel/podcast with Bitcoin Cash (BCH) qr3amdmj3n2u83eqefsdft9vatnj9na0dqlzhnx80h  To support this channel/podcast with Ethereum (ETH): 0xd3F649C3403a4789466c246F32430036DADf6c62 Blockchain backup on Lbry https://odysee.com/@paulvanderklay https://www.patreon.com/paulvanderklay Paul's Church Content at Living Stones Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh7bdktIALZ9Nq41oVCvW-A To support Paul's work by supporting his church give here. https://tithe.ly/give?c=2160640

Thomas S. Kidd is a prolific scholar of American history and he now serves as research professor of church history at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Kidd completed a Ph.D. in history at the University of Notre Dame, where he worked with historian of religion George Marsden. He also earned Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees at Clemson University in South Carolina. Kidd has authored numerous books including Thomas Jefferson: A Biography of Spirit and Flesh (Yale University Press, 2022), Who Is an Evangelical? The History of a Movement in Crisis (Yale University Press, 2019), American History, vols. 1 and 2 (B&H Academic, 2019), Benjamin Franklin: The Religious Life of a Founding Father (Yale University Press, 2017), George Whitefield: America's Spiritual Founding Father (Yale University Press, 2014), Patrick Henry: First Among Patriots (Basic Books, 2011), God of Liberty: A Religious History of the American Revolution (Basic Books, 2010), and The Great Awakening: The Roots of Evangelical Christianity in Colonial America (Yale University Press, 2007).

A pervasive anti-intellectual tradition seems to haunt American Christianity. Paired with nationalism, xenophobia—a fear of the other, and an hypersensitive oscillation between defensiveness and jingoism in the culture war—it's worth asking what in the world happened to this religion which was founded by a peaceful, humble homeless preacher who healed the poor, the lame, and the blind.But the over-correction to an intellectualizing of theology, to the exclusion of lived experience, swings the pendulum back in another erroneous direction. A merely cognitive theology that stays relevant only at abstract academic levels would be stale and dead—unlivable.Perhaps what this moment needs is a widened perspective on the global, universal potential of theology, especially as it meets particular contexts and communities and the individual human life, where the transcendent meets the immanent and real human concerns inform the theological task. In other words, theology for the life of the world.In today's conversation, Matt Croasmun discusses the purpose of theology with George Marsden, professor emeritus of history at the University of Notre Dame, and author of many books, including his celebrated biography of Jonathan Edwards, The Soul of the American University, and The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship. Together they discuss the relationship between theology and the church, the meaning of theological education in the university, the definition of human flourishing, pluralism and representation in higher education, the danger of privilege and prejudice in Christian theological teaching, and ultimately how theological perspectives gain plausibility in public life.Production NotesThis podcast featured George Marsden and Matt CroasmunEdited and Produced by Evan RosaHosted by Evan RosaA Production of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School https://faith.yale.edu/aboutSupport For the Life of the World podcast by giving to the Yale Center for Faith & Culture: https://faith.yale.edu/give

George Marsden characterized Christian fundamentalism as "militantly anti-modernist protestant evangelicalism". Right there you see that fundamentalism is a reaction against something. And that something is modernist theology. Modernism is a broad term used to describe a few different schools of liberal theology. In this episode, we discuss the Tubingen and Berlin schools. Modernist theology is often marked by the desire to discuss the "historic Jesus". This term can be a bit confusing because it is less about understanding what historic texts say about Jesus and more about discussing the non-miraculous aspects of Jesus' life and ministry. Our special guest this episode is Chris Evans, professor of Christian History and Methodist Studies at Boston University and author of "Do Everything" a biography of Francis Willard. Discussion Questions: What does it mean that fundamentalism is a reaction to modernist theology? What is modernist theology? Do you know any theologically liberal people? Do you find it difficult to both love the Lord and love your neighbor? What makes someone a Christian? Does your view include theologically conservative people? What about theologically liberal people? Where is the line for you? How vital are Jesus' miracles to your life and faith? Is there a tension in Christianity where it is culturally difficult to be theologically conservative and still want to love our neighbors? Helpful Links and Sources: "The Evangelicals" by Frances Fitzgerald An interesting article on Arminius "Church History in Plain Language" by Bruce Shelley "Who is An Evangelical?" Thomas Kidd Historical Handbook of Major Biblical Interpreters edited by Donald K. McKim p 350 Matthew 22:36-40 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help make the Truce episodes you love. This season we're tracing the history of Christian fundamentalism through the life of William Jennings Bryan. But first, we need to learn some important definitions. Our big word of the week is dispensationalism. It's not as complicated as it sounds. Dispensationalism is (in part) the notion that God treats humankind differently depending on what era we are in. It is not accepted by all Christians, but it is a building block of fundamentalism. Another component of dispensationalism is the secret rapture--the idea that God will take His elect to heaven just before the tribulation. It also asserts that the Christian Church will become apostate before the end times. This last tidbit is important! Premillennialism made Christians suspicious of the outside world, but it was dispensationalism that made us suspicious of each other. John Nelson Darby is often credited as the father of dispensationalism. He came up with the idea of the rapture and is the man who packaged a bunch of existing ideas into this systematized vision of the Bible. In the 1700s and 1800s, people adapted the scientific notion of categorizing everything into genus and species and applied it to all areas of study, even when reading the Bible. This encouraged people like Darby to break the Bible into "dispensations" or eras. Our guest this week is George Marsden. He's the author of "Fundamentalism and American Culture". Discussion Questions: Are you suspicious of other Christians? Why is that? Do you believe in the rapture? Why? Does the God of the Bible behave differently in different parts of the Bible? Or is He the same throughout? Do you believe that Jewish people were destined to return to Israel based on Matthew 24:32-33 or Romans 11:25-26? What did you know about the French Revolution before our recent episodes on it? Do you think it was a significant event in world history? If so, why? Helpful Links: "Fundamentalism and American Culture" by George Marsden (book) "The Evangelicals" by Frances Fitzerald (book) "Who is an Evangelical?" by Thomas S. Kidd (book) Interesting article about Napoleon, the Pope, and the French Revolution A fantastic book about Napoleon (one of my fav books) is "Napoleon: A Life" by Andrew Roberts "American Apocalypse" by Matthew Avery Sutton (note: only the first few chapters influenced this episode) "The Roots of Fundamentalism" by Ernest Sandeen. 1 Corinthians 1:8 Helpful article about Common Sense Realism Fascination Smithsonian article about Mount Tambora Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

George Marsden, emeritus professor of history at the University of Notre Dame, talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about the new edition of his classic book Fundamentalism and American Culture. He also discusses fundamentalists, evangelicals, Donald Trump, Christian Nationalism, and higher education. Note: Don't forget to check out our subscriber e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense of faith, culture, and politics.

Give to help keep Truce going! What is the difference between premillennialism and postmillennialism? And what does it matter? After the French Revolution in the late 1700s, Christians began to see the world as coming to an end. Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 describe an oppressor who will wear the people out for a period of time. Some Christian interpret that as being 1260 years. That 1260 years can be placed over the reign of Justinian all the way through history up until the French Revolution. That is just one interpretation that not everyone shares. But if you hold that view then this event was HUGE. It meant that the end of the world was super close. It has now been over 200 years since that event, but many premillennialists still hold up this prophecy as proof of the fulfillment of scripture. Many Christians were sparked to uncover the meaning of it all. Some turned to an old idea -- premillennialism. It's the notion that the world is on a downward trajectory. Things are going to get really bad and then Jesus will return. Before this time, many evangelicals were postmillennialism. They thought the world was going to get better over time. This split was an important part of what would become the fundamentalist/ modernist debate. Premillennialism has some dark "logical" conclusions to it. Some premillennialist like pastor John MacArthur argue that since the world is going to burn anyway, we humans shouldn't worry about things like global warming. Discussion Questions: Why was the French Revolution such an important moment in world history? Pre-Revolution the nobles and clergy controlled much of the power in France. They could out-weigh 98% of the population of France. Is this perhaps a reason why the French people turned against them? Are you a premillennialist, a postmillennialist, or neither? Did you read the Left Behind books? What do you remember? How did they impact you? Do you think you have a positive or negative view of world history? How does that impact the way you act? Should premillennialists see Jesus' second coming as a reason to avoid taking care of the planet? Helpful Links: The Victoria and Albert Museum's article about Mysore and Tipoos Tiger "Fundamentalism and American Culture" by George Marsden (book) "The Evangelicals" by Frances Fitzerald (book) "Who is an Evangelical?" by Thomas S. Kidd (book) Interesting article about Napoleon, the Pope, and the French Revolution A fantastic book about Napoleon (one of my fav books) is "Napoleon: A Life" by Andrew Roberts John MacArthur sermon excerpted and used with permission from "Grace to You" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is Christian fundamentalism? I'd like to hear your definition! Find Truce on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook at @trucepodcast and leave your 1-3 sentence definition. I'll take those and post them on Patreon for supporters of the show to vote on their favorite. The winner will receive a copy of George Marsden's "Fundamentalism and American Culture". Please have your entries posted by February 18th, 2022. No purchase is necessary and all entries are free. To vote on the entries visit www.patreon.com/trucepodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donate to support the Truce Podcast! Who is an evangelical? If you go by the news today, you probably think evangelicals are all American middle-class white men. Nope! Evangelical Christians come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. They can be men or women from anywhere in the world. They can speak any language. And they can have a lot of variety in their beliefs. This season on the Truce Podcast we are examining the history of Christian fundamentalism. How did fundamentalism begin? What is Christian fundamentalism? Is Christian fundamentalism a good thing, a bad thing, or somewhere in between? In this episode, we're joined by author and professor George Marsden. He's the author of Fundamentalism and American Culture, which is THE book everyone else refers to when they talk about fundamentalism. According to Marsden, fundamentalism is "militantly anti-modernism protestant evangelicalism". That is a lot of big words! By the end of the season, you should understand all of that. One important part of that definition is the word "evangelicalism". It is one of those words that has been used so much in so many different ways that it can be difficult to define it. There are whole movements to create new definitions these days. But in order to move forward this season, we need to pick some frame of reference. I chose David Beggington's definition of what defines an evangelical: Bebbington's Quadrilateral Biblicism (a focus on the Bible) Conversionism (an emphasis on evangelism) Crucicentrism (the centrality of the cross) Activism Those four things, according to Bebbington, are what make up an evangelical. Again, it is a hotly debated subject. So when did evangelicalism begin? Many of the sources that I found pointed to the revivals in the decades leading up to the American Revolution. Evangelists like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield spread the gospel using a post-millennialist vision of the end times mixed with Calvinism. This was part of the First Great Awakening. Then there were others after the revolution who spread an Arminian view of salvation. Guys like Finney. Belief in God became more personal, without the direct oversight of a priest or minister. It became an individual's responsibility to look after their spiritual growth. Welcome to season 5! God willing, I'll be releasing new episodes every other week. Discussion Questions: What is an evangelical? What is a fundamentalist? If fundamentalists are evangelicals who are angry at something, what are they angry at? Are you one of those people? Do you believe in the Calvinist view of salvation or the Arminian one? Does it matter? Why? The Great Awakening movements established a sense that belief in God was not something that needed to be handed down by a priest or minister. Do you think that was a positive move? What are some potential drawbacks (if any)? Helpful Links and Sources: "Fundamentalism and American Culture" by George Marsden (book) "The Evangelicals" by Frances Fitzerald (book) "Who is an Evangelical?" by Thomas S. Kidd (book) "A Godly Hero" by Michael Kazin (book) Transcript of the Scopes trial (book, though you can find it free online) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the Truce Podcast! In our present moment, it seems that people are inclined to extremes. Christian fundamentalism seems to be on the rise. This season we're examining the history of Christian fundamentalism. We'll start by defining terms like "evangelical", "premillennialism", "dispensationalism", "modernist theology", and "fundamentalism". Then we'll work our way to the Scopes Monkey Trial, that massive media event in 1925 that pitted fundamentalism against evolution. Our guests this season include George Marsden, Joel Carpenter, Kevin Belmonte, Edward Larson, Paul T. McCartney, and Michael Kazin. We'll also feature a fascinating conversation with Jacob Goldstein, co-host of the Planet Money podcast. We can never hope to cover every facet of a subject this huge. Instead, the goal is to help normal people like us understand the basics of this movement that is actively shaping world history. Subscribe so you get every new episode as it is released. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Academic freedom has long been hypocrisy, and going forward, it remains untenable.

In this episode Dr. Brad Harper shares about a Christian movement that has shaped the way many churches in the western hemisphere are today: Christian Fundamentalism. Dr. Harper shares with us exactly what Christian fundamentalism is, what is potentially harmful about it, and also some potentially good things about it. Books Dr. Harper recommended: 1) Fundamentalism and American Culture by George Marsden 2) Reforming Fundamentalism by George Marsden Please share your thoughts regarding this episode on the Project Matter social media pages! Just fin the post pertaining to this episode and leave a comment. Facebook@projectmatter100 Instagram@project_matter

I recommend a magisterial work by Frances FitzGerald, The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America, and I reflect a bit on some recent articles on the cultural dynamics of evangelicalism. I refer to these three articles: Timothy Dalrymple, "The Splintering of the Evangelical Soul: Why We're Coming Apart, and How We Might Come Together Again," Christianity Today, April 16, 2021. J. Kameron Carter, "Behind Christianity Today's Editorial is a Deeper Crisis of America's Religion of Whiteness," Religion News Service, December 24, 2019. Isaac B. Sharp, "Race, Gender, and the Limits of Evangelical Identity," Berkeley Forum, April 22, 2021. I also refer to these books: Pankaj Mishra, Age of Anger: A History of the Present. George Marsden, Reforming Fundamentalism: Fuller Seminary and the New Evangelicalism. Christian Smith, The Bible Made Impossible: Why Biblicism Is Not a Truly Evangelical Reading of Scripture. John A. D'Elia, A Place at the Table: George Eldon Ladd and the Rehabilitation of Evangelical Scholarship in America.

​The word evangelical has taken a bit of a beating in recent months, and years. Mark Noll is a leading church historian who recently retired as a Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame, and has served as Professor of History and Theological Studies at Wheaton College, and has also taught at Regent College in Vancouver. Among many other books, Mark Noll wrote 1994's important The Scandal of The Evangelical Mind. His latest book is Evangelicals: Who they Have Been, Are Now, and Could Be (with George Marsden and David Bebbington, Eerdmans, 2019), We reviewed the book in march/April Faith today and we thought it would be cool to have a conversation with Mark Noll about evangelicalism: the movement and the word.

In this episode, Richard and Sam discuss the life, leadership and legacy of Jonathan Edwards. DONATE: If you have enjoyed this podcast and want to support what we do, click here. UPCOMING EVENT: Richard and Daniel Blackaby will be speaking at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove in Asheville, NC, May 17-19, 2021. Find more information or register here. RESOURCES MENTIONED: Jonathan Edwards: A Life by George Marsden. Buy it here. Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography by Iain Murray. Buy it here. CONNECT: Follow Richard on Twitter. Follow Richard on Facebook. Read Richard's latest blog posts at www.richardblackaby.com. Follow BMI on YouTube.

Tom Holland and  @Jordan B Peterson  are marking what may become a new wave or a new style of Christian convert. They're both leaning into Christianity in terms of its story or its mythological value but openly skeptical about issues of physical history. A lot of questions boil down to what do we mean by "God" and issues of availability to us as individuals and religious communities.  Tom Holland on Unherd https://youtu.be/Se98w2188oAJordan Peterson Sam Harris Bret Weinstein https://youtu.be/d-Z9EZE8kpoThe Rest is History Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-rest-is-history/id1537788786Bridges of Meaning Q/A Atheist Week https://youtu.be/aBXzNTIr0VoWas Jordan Peterson's Responsibility Strategy Sufficient to Save Him? https://youtu.be/GIZ5OLDSdjwWith Nathan Jacobs https://youtu.be/zNJe9-JdJRsLydia McGrew https://youtu.be/12GhPSJpKq4Fundamentalism and American Culture by George Marsden https://amzn.to/3rzM1C2John Suk https://youtu.be/R2MRBF5DUgsDallas Willard Nature of Worldviews https://youtu.be/X6hwsG7AUZ0    Click here to meetup with other channel viewers for conversation https://discord.gg/jdVk8XU Paul Vander Klay clips channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX0jIcadtoxELSwehCh5QTg If you want to schedule a one-on-one conversation check here. https://paulvanderklay.me/2019/08/06/converzations-with-pvk/ There is a video version of this podcast on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/paulvanderklay To listen to this on ITunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/paul-vanderklays-podcast/id1394314333  If you need the RSS feed for your podcast player https://paulvanderklay.podbean.com/feed/  All Amazon links here are part of the Amazon Affiliate Program. Amazon pays me a small commission at no additional cost to you if you buy through one of the product links here. This is is one (free to you) way to support my videos.  To support this channel/podcast on Paypal: https://paypal.me/paulvanderklay To support this channel/podcast with Bitcoin (BTC): 37TSN79RXewX8Js7CDMDRzvgMrFftutbPo To support this channel/podcast with Bitcoin Cash (BCH) qr3amdmj3n2u83eqefsdft9vatnj9na0dqlzhnx80h To support this channel/podcast with Ethereum (ETH): 0xd3F649C3403a4789466c246F32430036DADf6c62 Blockchain backup on Lbry https://lbry.tv/@paulvanderklay Powerpoints of Monologue videos are available for Patrons at https://www.patreon.com/paulvanderklay Paul's Church Content at Living Stones Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh7bdktIALZ9Nq41oVCvW-A To support Paul's work by supporting his church give here. https://tithe.ly/give?c=2160640

It is common today to hear people complaining about "Christian Nationalism" as if this were a new thing. George Marsden's "Fundamentalism and American Culture" is a classic text about Christianity and American History.  Fundamentalism and American Culture by George Marsden https://amzn.to/3rzM1C2    Click here to meetup with other channel viewers for conversation https://discord.gg/jdVk8XU Paul Vander Klay clips channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX0jIcadtoxELSwehCh5QTg If you want to schedule a one-on-one conversation check here. https://paulvanderklay.me/2019/08/06/converzations-with-pvk/ There is a video version of this podcast on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/paulvanderklay To listen to this on ITunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/paul-vanderklays-podcast/id1394314333  If you need the RSS feed for your podcast player https://paulvanderklay.podbean.com/feed/  All Amazon links here are part of the Amazon Affiliate Program. Amazon pays me a small commission at no additional cost to you if you buy through one of the product links here. This is is one (free to you) way to support my videos.  To support this channel/podcast on Paypal: https://paypal.me/paulvanderklay To support this channel/podcast with Bitcoin (BTC): 37TSN79RXewX8Js7CDMDRzvgMrFftutbPo To support this channel/podcast with Bitcoin Cash (BCH) qr3amdmj3n2u83eqefsdft9vatnj9na0dqlzhnx80h To support this channel/podcast with Ethereum (ETH): 0xd3F649C3403a4789466c246F32430036DADf6c62 Blockchain backup on Lbry https://lbry.tv/@paulvanderklay Powerpoints of Monologue videos are available for Patrons at https://www.patreon.com/paulvanderklay Paul's Church Content at Living Stones Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh7bdktIALZ9Nq41oVCvW-A To support Paul's work by supporting his church give here. https://tithe.ly/give?c=2160640

In our Second Episode, Pastor John and I sit down to tackle the subject of Evangelicals and the Life of the Mind.  Using Mark Noll's book, The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind, as a jumping-off point, we do a deeper dive into the history of evangelicalism in America, describing the emergence of fundamentalism (and dispensationalism) and the growing strain of anti-intellectualism that so often marks evangelicalism in contemporary American life.  We discuss how evangelicals' loss of power and influence in culture repeatedly leads to over-reaction, rejection of culture (rather than a deeper witness and engagement with ideas and issues in culture), and finally, legislation.  A very real historical cycle of revival, dissolution/corruption, and reaction can be seen repeating through this history from the Puritans through the 19th century up to the present day.  As we trace these patterns, we encounter such touchstone moments as the Salem Witch Trials, both Great Awakenings, the birth of Fundamentalism, the Scopes Monkey Trial, and the rise of the Moral Majority.  Finally, *gasps for air* we attempt to encourage a way forward for Christians seeking to have a genuine, long-term witness to Christ in our culture, Christians who want to engage the life of their minds, who want to be able stay engaged in the important debates of their time for the sake of the world and the glory of God.  Find a starting reading list below: The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind by Mark A. Noll The Creationists: From Scientific Creationism to Intelligent Design by Ronald L. Numbers Understanding Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism by George Marsden Reforming Fundamentalism: Fuller Seminary and the New Evangelicalism by George Marsden

On Sunday, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram published a four-part series on more than 400 allegations of sexual misconduct affiliated with the independent fundamental Baptist movement. The scope of their reporting spanned nearly 1,000 churches and organizations across 40 states and Canada. The report noted: One hundred and sixty-eight church leaders were accused or convicted of committing sexual crimes against children, the investigation found. At least 45 of the alleged abusers continued in ministry after accusations came to the attention of church authorities or law enforcement. But what is the independent fundamental Baptist movement? Historically it has meant a firm belief in the “fundamental doctrines, that is to say, the essential doctrines of the Christian faith” and “an insistence that you should only extend Christian fellowship to people who profess to believe the gospel.” said Kevin Bauder, a research professor of systematic theology at Central Baptist Theological Seminary and the author of a two-part volume on Baptist fundamentalism. But that’s not necessarily what people hear, Bauder acknowledges. “The term ‘fundamentalist’ has sort of been co-opted by Martin Marty’s Fundamentalism project, where he made it a sociological designation for any extreme group,” said Bauder. “None of us are really happy with that label these days, because of the connotations it carries now.” (Perhaps one way to see it could be as the inverse of historian George Marsden’s remark: “An evangelical is someone who likes Billy Graham.”) Bauder joined digital media producer Morgan Lee and editor in chief Mark Galli to discuss the history of fundamentalism, why he thinks the movement is dying, and the circumstances that led it to part ways with Billy Graham.

Weekly JourneywithJesus.net postings, read by Dan Clendenin. Essay by Dan Clendenin: *Our Keeper in the Struggle* for Sunday, 16 October 2016; book review by Dan Clendenin: *C. S. Lewis’s "Mere Christianity": A Biography* by George Marsden (2016); film review by Dan Clendenin: *Rick Linklater: Dream is Destiny* (2016); poem selected by Dan Clendenin: *Suspended* by Denise Levertov.

C. S. Lewis died in 1963 on the same day John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Before the decade was over, few expected his works to last. “We think Lewis's star has risen and is about to set,” said one Catholic publisher. “His day is over. No one will be reading C. S. Lewis twenty years from now.” Even Lewis believed his apologetic works would soon go out of style. He'd be surprised to learn that over 3.5 million copies of Mere Christianity have sold since 2001. It's one of the most beloved Christian books of the twentieth century, and it wasn't originally intended to be a book at all. In this episode, award-winning Christian historian George M. Marsden tells the story of Mere Christianity‘s birth and explains its tenacious popularity since its publication in 1952. Marsden recently wrote the biography of C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity for Princeton University Press's “Lives of Great Religious Books” series. Special Episodes—“Lives of Great Religious Books” This ongoing series of MIPodcast episodes features interviews with authors of volumes in Princeton University Press's impressive “Lives of Great Religious Books” series. Leading experts examine the origins of books like the Book of Mormon, the Bhagavad Gita, and Augustine's Confessions. They trace shifts in the reception, influence, and interpretation of these landmark texts. By looking at other religious texts from a variety of perspectives—worthwhile in their own right—we come to understand other faiths better, as well as our own. About George M. Marsden George M. Marsden is the Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History Emeritus at The University of Notre Dame. He specializes in American religion and culture, evangelicalism, and the role of Christianity in higher education. His critically-acclaimed books include The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship (Oxford University Press, 1997), The Soul of the American University: From Protestant Establishment to Established Nonbelief (OUP, 1994), and the Bancroft award-winning biography of Jonathan Edwards. His new book is called C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity: A Biography.The post #43—The life of C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity, with George Marsden [MIPodcast] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

C. S. Lewis died in 1963 on the same day John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Before the decade was over, few expected his works to last. “We think Lewis’s star has risen and is about to set,” said one Catholic publisher. “His day is over. No one will be reading C. S. Lewis twenty years […] The post #43—The life of C. S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity, with George Marsden [MIPodcast] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

Renowned thought leaders George Marsden, Richard Mouw, Alvin Plantinga and Nicholas Wolterstorff come together for a panel discussion, each sharing a 10-minute talk on what has captured their heart during their careers. Each one served as a professor at Calvin College for over two decades in the 1960's, 70's and 80's before moving on to the halls of Notre Dame, Yale and Fuller Seminary. Each has over forty years of experience teaching in the academy and have authored scores of books. Calvin students today continue to read their writings in classes. In this presentation they will come together once again at Calvin to share with us their deep love of knowledge.

The Duke Divinity School Office of the Dean hosted a March 27 retirement lecture given by Grant Wacker, Gilbert T. Rowe Professor of Christian History, who is retiring at the end of the 2014-15 academic year after serving on the faculty for almost 23 years. The public lecture, “Reckoning with the Past,” was held in Goodson Chapel with George Marsden, the Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame, delivering opening remarks honoring Wacker.

This talk by George Marsden was delivered at Beeson Divinity School in 2004.

This talk by George Marsden was delivered at Beeson Divinity School in 2004.

For those that didn’t live through the 50’s and early 60’s, Mad Men has given us a clearer idea of so many of the changes that were impacting the nation and the culture.The post war period freed up Americans.  We were no longer bound by the needs of the war and the depression that preceded it.  Television, labor saving appliances, medical breakthroughs and a new sense of tolerance would begin to change America.George Marsden, in his new work The Twilight of the American Enlightenment: The 1950s and the Crisis of Liberal Belief, argues that the 1950’s marked the end of an era.  That we became a much more pluralistic culture and that the ways in which the political and social leaders of the time approached these changes, hasgiven rise to many of the problems and divisions we face today.My conversation with George Marsden: 

George Marsden on “The Twilight of the American Enlightenment.”

George Marsden on “The Twilight of the American Enlightenment.”

East of Eden continues a discussion of the life and ministry of Jonathan Edwards. See here for part 1 of this discussion. Biographies of Edwards: Jonathan Edwards: A Life, and A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards, by George Marsden; Life of Jonathan Edwards, by Samuel Miller Participants: David Filson, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

East of Eden discusses the life and ministry of Jonathan Edwards, including a survey of biographies of Jonathan Edwards. Follow up in a couple weeks for Part 2. Biographies of Edwards: Jonathan Edwards: A Life, and A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards, by George Marsden; Life of Jonathan Edwards, by Samuel Miller Participants: David Filson, […]

Nathan Gilmour and Michial Farmer hold forth abut George Marsden's 1997 book The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship. The main points of discussion are the extent to which the academy that Marsden saw in 1997 has persisted in the fifteen years since and what has changed; the difficulties of prognosticating change in college; and ways and extents to which Christian scholars are making their mark now. Among the writers and artifacts discussed are George Marsden, James Berlin, digital journals, and the Golden Rule.

Nathan Gilmour and Michial Farmer hold forth abut George Marsden's 1997 book The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship. The main points of discussion are the extent to which the academy that Marsden saw in 1997 has persisted in the fifteen years since and what has changed; the difficulties of prognosticating change in college; and ways and extents to which Christian scholars are making their mark now. Among the writers and artifacts discussed are George Marsden, James Berlin, digital journals, and the Golden Rule.

Weekly JourneywithJesus.net postings, read by Daniel B. Clendenin. Essay: *Jesus Unhinged; the Cleansing of the Temple Third Sunday in Lent 2009*, for Sunday, 15 March 2009; book review: *A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards* by George Marsden (2008); film review: *Waltz with Bashir* (2008); poem review: *Lenten Prayers, Week 3* by Thomas Hopko.

This episode of CS is titled Awakening.The tide of Pietism that swept portions of Europe in the 17th C, arrived in North America in the 18th. Like the Charismatic Movement of the 1960s, Protestant denominations were split over how to respond to Pietism. Presbyterians were divided between those who insisted on strict adherence to the teachings of the Westminster Confession and those whose emphasis was on having an experience of saving grace. The two sides eventually reunited, but not before the contention became so sharp, it led to a rift. That reached its zenith, or nadir might be a better descriptive, during The Great Awakening.As we saw in our last episode, the Half-Way Covenant of New England allowed people to be members of the Church, without being saved; a formula for disaster. The Half-Way Covenant, along with the assault of the pseudo-intellectualism of the Enlightenment, resulted in a creeping spiritual lethargy among the churches of the English colonies. Jonathan Edwards, who became one of the main luminaries of The Great Awakening, remarked before it began that the spiritual condition of New England was abysmal.The first stirrings of revival began as movements in local churches five to ten years before the Great Awakening. There'd even been some minor revivals in Northampton during the time of Edwards' grandfather, Solomon Stoddard in the 1720s.Theodore Frelinghuysen was a Dutch Reformed pastor who'd come to North America to pastor four churches in New Jersey. Frelinghuysen was what's called a Precisionist, a Dutch version of an English Puritan. Puritanism was exported to Holland by William Ames where it was referred to as Precisionism.Pastor Frelinghuysen discerned a general spiritual malaise in all four of his congregations there in New Jersey; an appalling lack of practical piety. So he decided to embark on a program of reform. He started visiting people in their homes. He enforced church discipline and preached fervent evangelistic sermons. A few opposed these innovations, but he persevered and the churches began to grow with genuine conversions resulting in a warming up of the entire congregation in their fervency for the things of God. It was the first stirrings of revival, which spread to other Dutch Reformed churches. By 1726, Frelinghuysen was recognized as a leader of revival.The Presbyterians of New Jersey saw what was happening among their Dutch neighbors and soon joined the revival under the work of the father and son team, William and Gilbert Tennent.But when it comes to The Great Awakening, the name most closely associated with it is Jonathan Edwards.Edwards is considered by many to be one of the most brilliant minds in American history. He wasn't just a great theologian. He was a top-rank philosopher and scientist. Edwards is sometimes presented as a fiery preacher in the Puritan vein. The popular notion of him is that he was a revivalist-preacher of a mien similar to George Whitefield. His most famous sermon was Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. The title alone gives one the impression of a wild-eyed and crazy-haired pulpit-pounder. But that image is far from what Edwards was really like. He was reserved and tended toward shyness. He was more at home in his study among his books than in a pulpit. Edwards spent ten hours a day studying. His messages were filled with theology and their delivery was not the kind of fire and brimstone preaching many assume. His style was to virtually read his messages. That's not to say his delivery was wooden, but descriptions of it remarked on the lack of gestures or inflection of voice. Flamboyance was nowhere in sight when Edwards spoke. He trusted in the eloquence and logic of his message to persuade, rather than by affecting a dramatic persona. If there was grandeur in his message, it was due to WHAT he said, rather than in HOW he said it.Edwards was a PK; a pastor's kid. His father Timothy was a minister in the town of East Windsor, Connecticut. By the age of thirteen, he'd master Greek, Hebrew, and Latin. He wrote essays on scientific matters and penned one on the behavior of insects that became famous. As a teen, he read and consumed the ideas of Sir Isaac Newton. He graduated from Yale at seventeen.It was during his college years his relationship with God deepened into rich intimacy. All of that grew out of the time he spent studying the nature and character of God.Edwards added two more years of post-graduate studies then took a pastorate at a small church in New York for only a couple of months. That was followed by a stint as a tutor at Yale for another two years. In 1727, he became an assistant pastor to his grandfather, Solomon Stoddard at Northampton, Mass. Also at that time, he married Sarah Pierpont.When Edwards took up his ministry at Northampton in 1727, he found the church to be spiritually dull, even though it had been the scene of earlier stirrings of the Spirit under Stoddard's leadership. When Stoddard died in 1729, Edwards stepped into the role of senior pastor.He decided to address the spiritual apathy of the congregation by preaching a series of five sermons on justification by faith. He rightly diagnosed the real problem at Northampton wasn't laziness or moral sloppiness; it was an absence of good theology. Instead of preaching the need for repentance and obedience, he focused on the glory of God in the Gospel of Christ. Sure enough, a season of renewal came as people recommitted themselves to follow Jesus. The messages weren't calculated to elicit an emotional response, but they did. People responded with a remarkable moral and spiritual change, often with intense emotion.After several months, the movement spread thru out Massachusetts and into Connecticut. After three years it began to diminish. But the memory of revival endured, with many hoping for it to be renewed.In 1737, Edwards decided to pen a chronicle of what had happened over the previous three years. It was titled, A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God in the Conversion of Many Hundreds of Souls in Northampton. That's the title; not the actual text of the whole thing. The Narrative as it's more conveniently referred to, is what established Jonathan Edwards as the main person associated with Revival.In 1739, George Whitefield visited New England. Though Edwards and Whitefield represented different flavors of the Faith, they were both deeply committed to the Preaching of the Gospel. Edwards helped arrange Whitefield's campaign through the area of Boston then on to Northampton where Edwards turned his pulpit over to the great preacher. The winds of renewal that had waned a few years before strengthened once more.Then Edwards was invited to speak at the church in Enfield, Connecticut in 1741. His message was titled, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Reading the text of the sermon today one might assume it was delivered in the ham-fisted, “fire and brimstone” manner of a fanatic. But as we've seen, that was not Edward's style. Nor did he deliver it in the monotone some later reports suggest. He spoke as a man convinced of his topic; urging his listeners to make sure they'd embraced the Grace of God. The sermon paints a terrifying picture of eternal damnation; something Edwards aimed to make clear. Because as historian George Marsden says, Edwards didn't preach anything new to his hearers. They were well acquainted with the Gospel as a remedy for sin. The problem was getting them to seek it.While revival was already building, Edwards' sermon at that church in Enfield was a crystalizing moment in The Great Awakening. If the coals had been getting hot they now burst into flames that spread all over New England and to the other colonies, even across the Atlantic to settle in England and the Continent.As welcome as The Great Awakening might have seemed, some ministers opposed it. Their opposition stemmed from their resistance to the emotionalism that became a mark of the Revival. People wept in repentance then shouted for joy at being saved. Some were so emotionally wrought over the process of their conversion, they fainted. A few who were psychologically fragile exhibited what can only be called bizarre behavior.Such reactions led the enemies of the Great Awakening to accuse its leaders of undermining the solemnity of worship, and of substituting emotion for scholarship. Since it's the tendency to stick labels on movements, supporters of the Awakening were called New Lights, while those who opposed it were called Old Lights.Edwards made clear in his writings that he believed emotion was important. But emotion, including the intense experience of conversion, should never eclipse doctrine and orderly worship.At first, Baptists opposed the Awakening, labeling it frivolous and superficial. But so many of the new converts were inclined to agree with Baptist positions that they ended up becoming Baptists. When the Baptists saw all these new members, their opinion of the Revival changed. Most notable was the conviction among the new converts that baptism ought to be of those who profess faith in Christ, not infants. Entire Congregationalists and Presbyterian congregations became Baptists.The Great Awakening sent Baptists and Methodists to the Western frontier. Settlers continually pushed the Frontier westward. It was Methodist and Baptist missionaries who took up the task of preaching to them and planting frontier churches. So those two groups became the most numerous out West.It's difficult to estimate how many conversions took place during the Great Awakening but gauging by fairly accurate church records taken over that time indicate a conservative number of ten percent of Americans came to Faith. In some communities, it was much higher than that. Keep in mind that was in the midst of a society already considered thoroughly Christian.Besides the obvious spiritual effects of the Great Awakening, it had a notable political impact in the British colonies of North America. It was the first movement to include all thirteen colonies. A new sense of commonality developed in which the emerging unique identity as Americans, as opposed to British, took root alongside the idea that to be an American meant to be a Christian of Protestant stripe.The Great Awakening propelled a wave of missionary activity. David Brainerd, Jonathan Edwards, and others preached to the Indians, and some effort was made to reach blacks with the gospel. Among the colleges birthed at that time were Princeton, Rutgers, Brown, and Dartmouth. Dartmouth trained Indians to serve as missionaries to their own people.Edwards continued in his role as pastor till 1750 when a controversy saw him removed.Edwards believed Communion ought to be given only to those church members who'd demonstrated a genuine conversion experience, as per the Pietistic belief. His grandfather, the previous pastor, had relaxed the traditional Puritan practice and allowed what we'll call ‘unconverted church members' to partake of the Lord's Supper. Stoddard regarded Communion as a “converting experience.” He thought regular attendance at the Lord's Table would be something the Holy Spirit could use to bring conviction and salvation to a needy soul. Edwards disagreed, viewing Communion as open only to those who were converted.By 1750, Edwards had come to this position though at odds with the tradition of the church he pastored. When he tried to implement a change in practice, they released him. Yep, they canned him. It was then that he embarked on his mission of taking the Gospel to the Indians at Stockbridge, Mass. It was while engaged in that work that he wrote his most famous work – Freedom of the Will.I want to share a little story from the life of Jonathan Edwards that may give us some insight into the man. After fourteen years of marriage, in January of 1742, something happened to his wife Sarah. She had an intense religious experience. Some historians think it was a nervous breakdown. Edward was away on a preaching tour. His pulpit was being filled by Samuel Buell who gave a series of sermons with profound impact on Sarah. She was overwhelmed to the point of fainting. Her condition was such that she was unable to take care of her children, who were sent to stay with neighbors till John returned a few weeks later.The town was abuzz with the nature of her condition. Was it some kind of spiritual ecstasy or an emotional breakdown? When John returned, he of course immediately went to her to see what was wrong. She related to him that she'd experienced God's goodness as never before; as she didn't even know was possible. She said the joy and security she now had was so intense it was at times debilitating.John's reaction was interesting. He affirmed she'd had a visitation from God. Keep in mind we're talking here about hard-core, strict Calvinist; not a Pentecostal or even a more mild Charismatic.After a few weeks, Sarah recovered and returned to the normal activities of life. But John said from then on Sarah maintained a peace and joy that transformed her. In writing about the effects of the revival, while Edwards doesn't name his wife, it's clear some of what he chronicled were things he witnessed in his own wife when she was filled with the Holy Spirit in 1742.In 1757, Edwards was appointed president of Princeton, known then as the College of New Jersey. A short time later, he volunteered to be a test subject for a smallpox vaccine. Which instead of inoculating him against the disease, claimed his life in 1758.One of my favorite teachers is J. Edwin Orr. When Orr died in 1987, he was recognized by many as the 20th Century's foremost expert on Revival. He spent his last years living a few miles from where I am now, in CA. My good friend and fellow pastor David Guzik befriended Orr's widow, who passed many of Dr. Orr's books, writings, and recordings on to him for posterity's sake. David has faithfully made that material available online at jedwinorr.com .The eminent New Testament scholar FF Bruce said, “Some men read history, some write it, and others make it. So far as the history of religious revivals is concerned, J. Edwin Orr belongs to all three categories.”Orr tells remarkable stories of the impact of revival on society. The many revivals he chronicles don't merely add a bunch of new church members; they have an astounding impact in moral revolution. Orr shares that during some revivals, because there was no crime, the Police organized singing groups to sing in churches because they had nothing else to do. There were a number of business failures; pubs and other enterprises that thrive on vice folded.One unforeseen effect during the Welsh Revival was that there was a work stoppage in the coal mines of Wales. For years, the mules that pulled the coal carts were used to hearing the miners curse at them. But when so many miners converted during the Revival, they refused to curse anymore and the mules no longer heard the profane commands telling them to move. Work in the mines stalled till the mules were retrained to respond to the now clean speech of the joyous miners.If you're interested in more such interesting stories, I encourage you to head over to jedwinorr.com for more.And I want to also encourage you to check our David Guzik's website at enduringword.com.David is one of the premier Bible expositors online today. His free commentary is used by many thousands of pastors, professors, Bible teachers and students all over the world.Donations of any size to CS are welcome. You can do so at sanctorum.us // Thanks.