Theological and aesthetic roots in the Stone-Campbell Movement

Abstract

The Stone-Campbell Movement was a bold attempt on the part of a group of early nineteenth-century religious leaders to further the cause of Christian unity in America. Barton W. Stone was a leading participant in the revivals of the Second Great Awakening in Kentucky. Alexander Campbell helped lead the 'religious reformation' which took shape on the American frontier. Together, these men worked to restore to the Christian religion, which had become deeply fragmented since the Reformation, a measure of theological unity. Dale A. Jorgenson traces the evolution of the Stone-Campbell Movement from its early beginnings in the nineteenth century to the present, and conducts a thorough examination of the significance of the arts and aesthetics to the ideas of the leaders of the movement.