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 PrintableVersion Restoring the ReformationFrancophone reveilRESTORING THE REFORMATION This rather academic book is part of a series entitled Studies in Evangelical History and Thought, and deals with the relationship between British Evangelicalism and the Francophone Rˇveil (Revival) in the period stretching from 1816 to 1849. The oversimplified myth is that the Scotsman Robert Haldane arrived in Geneva in 1816 and through studying the Epistle to the Romans with a group of young theological students from the increasingly liberal Swiss Reformed Church set in motion what was to be called the Rˇveil. The author is a Canadian and professor of Theological Studies at Covenant College in Georgia, USA. To my mind he convincingly demonstrates that there were other influences at work (such as the Moravian brethren) and other on-going debates (such as the separation of church and state). He also indicates the significant Francophone participation in the inaugural conference of the Evangelical Alliance in 1846. ‘International Protestantism was the thing sought in that age when state Protestantism had proven itself obstructive because it was unable or unwilling to meet the challenges posed by a new era in Western Europe.’ This quotation illustrates why I found the book fascinating, mainly because I can see how so many of the issues of the early 19th century are still with us today, both in the French speaking world but also more widely. * What is the correlation between Revival and doctrine? The book is not an easy read, and the author’s style is often cumbersome. Living in France, I have obvious reasons to connect with this book. It’s worth reading, but you need to be motivated to read right through it! David Brown, © Evangelicals Now - January 2007 |
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