"When it first appeared, Discovering an Evangelical Heritage was widely regarded as a ground breaking historical work. The continued relevance of the issues with which this book deals justifies its reappearance twelve years after its first advent challenged countless people to rethink their Evangelical heritage. If anything, the challenge is even greater now to follow the example set by the forebears of twentieth century evangelicalism.For instance, Catherine Booth, cofounder of the Salvation Army and ardent feminist, offers a powerful testimony to the impact that Christian witness can and should have upon society. Likewise, abolitionist Theodore Weld, converted under the ministry of Charles G. Finney, showed what a response to the radical call of Christ means as he strove to right social injustice and inequity during his day.Despite the hardship and consequences of living out their faith, these and other evangelical forerunners left a heritage to be remembered and an example to be followed. Like the author himself, the reader will be challenged to rethink his or her own relationship with Evangelicalism and will have to reflect upon the broader significance of that movement in American culture." -- Amazon.com viewed December 30, 2020.

This book, widely regarded as groundbreaking since its publication over thirty-five years ago, sheds light on the more radical and prophetic roots of American evangelicalism and has challenged countless readers to rethink their evangelical heritage. It argues that nineteenth-century American evangelicals held a more mature vision of the faith, for they engaged demanding justice, peace, and social issues--a vision that was betrayed and distorted by twentieth-century neo-evangelicals. The book helps readers understand that the broader origins of American evangelicalism include the social justice concerns of today's church. Featuring new historic photos and illustrations, this edition includes new introductory and concluding chapters and incorporates relevant updates. The previous edition was published as Discovering an Evangelical Heritage.

Recognized as a leading interpreter of major movements in American Christianity such as Evangelicalism, Pentecostalism, and the Holiness movement, Donald W. Dayton has produced a body of work spanning four decades and diverse areas of inquiry. In From the Margins, friends and colleagues respond to major essays by Dayton (several published here for the first time) so as to celebrate and reflect on this diverse and rich body of work. The essays highlight the breadth of Dayton's contribution while also revealing a methodological core. The latter could be described as DaytonÕs deconstructive reading of standard scholarly narratives in order to short-circuit their domesticating effects on the more radical aspects of American Christianity. DaytonÕs work has challenged long-held assumptions about the conservative nature of American Christianity by showing that both in their history and in their deeper theological substructures, traditions such as Evangelicalism and Pentecostalism are far more radical and productive of social change than was previously imagined.

This rich and challenging book explores the roots or ancestry of the Churches of Christ and others who stand as heirs to the Stone-Campbell movement of the early nineteenth century. It asks, Where did we come from? How did we get this way? Why do we read the Bible the way we do? What has been the heart of our movement? And it asks further, What can we learn from those who have viewed restoration of apostolic Christianity in ways quite different from our own? The authors begin their story in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries - the age of Renaissance and Reformation. They isolate the stream of restorationist thought that arose in that age and then follow that stream through the Puritans, the early Baptists in America, the frenzy of pure beginnings in the early decades of American nationhood, and down to the Stone-Campbell movement.

What if the way we worship isn't just an expression of our faith, but is what shapes our faith? The Church has believed this about the way we worship and pray together for centuries: The way we worship becomes the way we believe. But if this is true, it’s time to take a closer look at what we say and sing and do each week. Drawing from his own discovery of ancient worship practices, Glenn Packiam helps us understand why the Church made creedal proclamations and Psalm-praying a regular part of their worship. He shares about why the Eucharist was the climactic point of their corporate “re-telling of the salvation story.” When our worship becomes a rich feast, our faith is nourished and no longer anemic. The more our worship speaks of Christ, the more we enter into the mystery of faith.