An Evangelical Adrift is a theological biography of John Henry Newman (1801-1890) that reconstructs the most formative period in his development: the years between his teenage conversion to evangelicalism in 1816 and the beginning of the Tractarian Movement in 1833. By the early 1830s, Newman had explicitly rejected much of the theology he espoused in the late 1810s and early 1820s, and developed a highly original, deeply personal, and quite radical alternative, whose fundamental notions continued to shape his thought in later life. To date, there is neither a historically accurate nor a theologically sophisticated account of this change: the period in which it occurred is neglected, its significance is overlooked, its nature and content are misrepresented, and its scope is narrowed. Besides being modelled on Newman's own brief treatment of the period in his autobiographical Apologia pro vita sua (1864), later scholarly accounts are burdened by a persistent assumption that Newman's catholic sensibility and anti-liberal convictions were constants throughout his life. This assumption was problematized by Frank Turner's revisionist biography of the Anglican Newman (2002) and the ensuing debate about its reception. Zuijdwegt argues that Turner rightly identified evangelicalism as a key polemical target of the Anglican Newman, but stretched his argument too far by reducing Newman's self-proclaimed lifelong battle against liberalism as a much later gloss on this earlier history. The present study offers a compelling alternative to both mainline and revisionist interpretations. Based on detailed historical and theological analysis of the whole range of primary sources (including much neglected published and unpublished material), it meticulously reconstructs Newman's youthful adoption of, gradual departure from, and theological alternative to evangelicalism. Against most mainline studies, it argues that this was a fundamental transformation, affecting nearly every aspect of Newman's theology. Against Turner and other revisionists, it argues that this change was the product of careful and consistent theological reasoning and reflection, and that anti-liberalism was just as integral to it as anti-evangelicalism.

Deepens thinking about biblical and other conceptual foundations for political engagement in order to unify and give consistency to evangelicals' involvement in politics.

Have you ever considered the ultimate purposes and consequences of good work performed by non-Christians? Have you ever theologically considered the work of non-Christians at all? Is it possible that God would ever give credence to, let alone honor the work of, non-Christians in an ultimate sense? Are you frustrated by theologies of work that are entirely protological in orientation? How do we make sense of biblical excerpts that talk of work being judged towards a particular outcome? The Good Work of Non-Christians, Empowerment, and the New Creation attempts to answer these questions in a manner that also challenges evangelical assumptions about the ultimate outcomes of working life. Drawing strength from eschatologically minded theologies by Miroslav Volf and Darrell Cosden, Weir seeks to replace protology with eschatology in a theology of work about non-Christians. The British evangelical tradition is specifically taken up here so as to make critical assessments of certain airtight theologies regarding human action with reference to the new creation. This book attempts to create a heuristic against unhelpful hermeneutical tendencies that inform evangelical theologies. This is a work that is not only theological, it is biblically, historically, and ethically rigorous.

John Henry Newman (1801-1890), renowned thinker and writer, Anglican clergyman and later Roman Catholic priest and cardinal, has had a lasting influence on both Anglicans and Catholics, in the fields of literature, education, and theology. On October 13, 2019, Pope Francis declared him a saint in Rome. Appealing to both the student and the scholar, A Guide to John Henry Newman provides a wide range of subjects on Newman's life and thought relevant for our times and complementary to biographies of Newman. The contributors include authors from many different disciplines such as theology, education, literature, history, and philosophy, highlighting the wide range of Newman's work. These authors offer a positive assessment of Newman's thought and contribute to the discussion of the recent scholarship of others. A Guide to John Henry Newman will interest educated readers and professors alike, and serve as a text for college seminars for the purpose of studying Newman.

“This is the book we have been waiting for... a permanent enrichment of our understanding of the Oxford Movement” proclaimed The Downside Review upon the publication of Christopher Dawson’s masterwork in 1933, exactly 100 years after John Keble’s sermon "National Apostasy" stirred a nation. Dawson himself regarded the book as one of his two greatest intellectual accomplishments. Dawson and John Henry Newman were Oxonians and both were converts to Catholicism; both stood against progressive and liberal movements within society. In both ideologies, Dawson saw a pathway that had once led to the French Revolution. Newman, for Dawson, was a kindred spirit. In The Spirit of the Oxford Movement, Dawson goes beyond a mere retelling of the events of 1833 - 1845. He shows us the prime movers who sought a deeper understanding of the Anglican tradition: the quixotic Hurrell Froude, for instance, who "had none of the English genius for compromise or the Anglican faculty of shutting the eyes to unpleasant facts." It was Froude who brought Newman and Keble together and who helped them understand each other. In many ways, Dawson sees these three as the true embodiment of the Tractarian ethos. Dawson probes deeply, though, to provide a richer, clearer understanding of the intellectual underpinnings of the Oxford Movement, revealing its spiritual raison d’être. We meet a group of gifted like-minded thinkers, albeit with sharp disagreements, who mock outsiders and each other, who pepper their letters with Latin, and forever urge each other on. Newman came to believe, as did Dawson, that the only intellectually coherent bastion against secular culture was religion, and the “on” to which they were urged was the Catholic church. The Spirit of the Oxford Movement provides insights into why Newman, and Dawson, came to this understanding.

Are congregations inevitably stuck during a change of pastoral leadership? Or are there ways they can take advantage of this interim to grow and set new directions? Researcher and seminary professor William Avery tells us the stories of six congregations (from different denominations, regions of the country, settings, sizes, and ethnic and racial makeup) that attempted to revitalize their mission during this critical time of change and transition. As Loren Mead explains in the foreword, however, Avery does not tell congregational leaders “the way” to transformation through an interim. Rather, he offers detailed snapshots of congregations and their leaders trying to work their way through this potentially difficult time. He also shows how a trained interim pastor can make a difference in the ensuing effectiveness of the congregation. “These are stories about how faithful congregations have attempted to build toward and discover a leadership model that works for them,” Mead says, “These are stories from which your congregation can learn much.”

Are the opportunities for faithful intellectual engagement and witness even greater now than before? These essays invite readers to a virtual "summit meeting" on the current state of the evangelical mind. The insights of national leaders in their fields will aid readers to reflect on the past contributions of evangelical institutions for the life of the mind as well as prospects for the future.