The effects of the great Evangelical Revival in eighteenth-century England were felt throughout the world, not least in America. It has long been accepted that the Revival owed much of its initial impetus to the Moravian Church but previous accounts of the Moravian's role have been inadequate and overly dependent on Wesleyan sources. Colin Podmore uses original material from British and German archives to dispel common misunderstandings about the Moravians, and to reveal that their influence was much greater than has previously been acknowledged.

This book argues that Christians have a stake in the sustainability and success of core cultural values of the West in general and America in particular. Steven M. Studebaker considers Western and American decline from a theological and, specifically, Pentecostal perspective. The volume proposes and develops a Pentecostal political theology that can be used to address and reframe Christian political identity in the United States. Studebaker asserts that American Christians are currently not properly engaged in preventing America's decline or halting the shifts in its core values. The problem, he suggests, is that American Christianity not only gives little thought to the state of the nation beyond a handful of moral issues like abortion, but its popular political theologies lead Christians to think of themselves more as aliens than as citizens. This book posits that the proposed Pentecostal political theology would help American Christians view themselves as citizens and better recognize their stake in the renewal of their nation. The foundation of this proposed political theology is a pneumatological narrative of renewal-a biblical narrative of the Spirit that begins with creation, proceeds through Incarnation and Pentecost, and culminates in the new creation and everlasting kingdom of God. This narrative provides the foundation for a political theology that speaks to the issues of Christian political identity and encourages Christian political participation.

This book examines the evangelical Christian worship focusing primarily in the island-state of Grenada. The study is based upon the author's detailed study of Pentecostal communities in that island-state as well as her own background in Barbados. The study traces the development of Pentecostal religious communities from Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century Wesleyan Methodist movement.

Transcendentalism, a movement of theological innovation and literary experimentation arising within New England Unitarianism in the 1830s and 1840s, significantly influenced American religion, literature, education, and political culture. This reference is the first comprehensive guide to the major philosophical concepts, themes, genres, periodicals, events, organizations and movements, and places associated with Transcendentalism in the United States. Significant classical, European, Asian, and native sources and influences are included, as are later transformations. This reference approaches the subject from a history-of-ideas perspective, embracing the inconsistencies and oddities as well as the powerful achievements of the Transcendentalists. With 145 entries by 70 expert contributors, this volume is the first comprehensive guide to the major philosophical concepts, themes, genres, periodicals, events, organizations and movements, and places associated with Transcendentalism in the United States. Significant classical, European, Asian, and native sources and influences are included, as are later manifestations and transformations. Aspects of the movement covered include religion, philosophy, literature, the arts, education, politics, science, and reform. The book features separate entry bibliographies, an extensive chronology, and a detailed index.

This volume tells the story of the Churches of Christ, one of three major denominations that emerged in the United States from a religious movement led by Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone in the early 19th century. Beginning as an effort to provide a basis on which all Christians in America could unite, the leaders of the movement relied on the faith and practice of the primitive church. Ironically, this unity movement eventually divided precisely along the lines of its original agenda, as the Churches of Christ rallied around the restorationist banner while the Disciples of Christ gathered around the ecumenical cause. Yet, having begun as a countercultural sect, the Churches of Christ emerged in the 20th century as a culture-affirming denomination. This brief history, together with biographical sketches of major leaders, provides a complete overview of the denomination in America. The book begins with a concise yet detailed history of the denomination's beginnings in the early 19th century. Tracing the influence of such leaders as Stone and Campbell, the authors chronicle the triumphs and conflicts of the denomination through the 19th century and its reemergence and renewal in the 20th century. The biographical dictionary of leaders in the Churches of Christ rounds out the second half of the book, and a chronology of important events in the history of the denomination offers a quick reference guide. A detailed bibliographic essay concludes the book and points readers to further readings about the Churches of Christ.