Recent historical scholarship of evangelicalism

B Wearne

doi:10.4102/ids.v30i4.1592

Abstract

Evangelical historiography is an attempt within evangelicalism to assess its own history. Books like Mark Noll’s The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind (1994), Stuart Piggin's Evangelical Christianity in Australia; Spirit, Word and World (1996) and David Bebbington's Evangelicalism in Modern Britain (1989) are evidence of a sustained attempt by evangelical historians to re-appraise the history of their religion. In this review Mark Noll's argument about the "mind" (or lack of it), of American evangelicalism is assessed. His historiographical method is scrutinised. The conclusion is that the scandal is wider than the "life of the mind". Evangelicalism, as presented by Noll. Bebbington and Piggin, also involves an unelaborated philosophy of history, which finds great difficulty in distancing itself from the popular sentiment, if not the doctrines, of modern society. The recent historiography of evangelicalism needs a Christian method for criticising itself lest it become another form of post-modern romantic popularism.

Highlights

Evangelical historiography is an aitempi within evangelicalism to assess its awn history
The critical examination o f the movement o f evangelical historical scholarship which these works represent must include much more than these three works But as they stand they raise important questions that need to be addressed
It is not ju st the “American version” o f the kind o f material provided by Piggin and Bebbington

Summary

Introduction

Evangelical historiography is an aitempi within evangelicalism to assess its awn history. By contrast Piggin is an evangelical within the context o f Sydney Anglicanism who is seeking to give him self room to discuss the place o f evangelicalism in Australian history, and to make a point about its historical contribution to the (Anglican) church.

Results

Conclusion