The previous essay examined Joseph Butler’s response to Deism, a modern religious movement that affirmed the existence of a creator God, but denied that this God was involved in everyday life, and rejected any notion of divine revelation or miracles. Accordingly, Deism denied the creedal content of Christian faith: the doctrines of the Trinity, God’s covenant with Israel, the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ, the atonement, and doctrines of grace, the church, and eschatology. For all its strengths, Butler’s writings were abstruse and beyond the reach of the ordinary lay person.

Arguably, the Evangelical Revival was a second response to Deism that touched people more in their everyday lives, was more effective, and has certainly had a greater influence on the history of Anglicanism and even the greater church.¹ Evangelicalism still exists as one of the historic “parties” of Anglican identity. The influence of the Wesleyan movement extended beyond Anglicanism to the formation of the Methodist churches (one of the largest Protestant denominations) and extended beyond Methodism to the “Holiness Movement” and Pentecostalism (one of the largest movements in modern global Christianity). The Great Awakenings in North America, revivalism, and modern American evangelicalism arguably can be traced to this movement. The hymns of Charles Wesley (Hark! The Herald Angels Sing) and John Newton (Amazing Grace) have extended beyond Anglicanism to become part of the hymnody of the broader Christian world. The mission movement that led to the evangelization of Africa and Asia began with the Evangelical Revival. The social conscience of the Evangelical Revival led to the abolition of the slave trade in England and to the eventual elimination of slavery both in Europe and the Americas. (more…)