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On the Wings of the DoveThe international effects of the 1904-05 revivalRevival domino effect?ON THE WINGS OF THE DOVE The author of this fascinating book attempts to sustain the thesis that the Welsh revival of 1904-5 promoted revivals in countries such as France, India, Madagascar and Patagonia, and was a contributory factor in Scandinavia, Russia, Korea, Australia and New Zealand. He has amassed considerable documentary evidence on these movements, some of which we might hesitate to call 'revivals'. No believer could read this book without being moved by the wonderful works of God. The period 1904-08 was a time of great quickening in many parts of the world, but we are doubtful whether it was due to the Welsh revival. There can be no argument that throughout history God has frequently used the accounts of revival in one place to stimulate the prayers and concerns of his people in other places. For this reason we are urged in Scripture to 'remember former days'. But to suggest that the revival in Wales was the main factor in promoting other revivals throughout the world is to distort the evidence. It would be like saying that Jonathan Edwards's account of the revival in Northampton, New England, in 1735 was the main cause of the Evangelical Revival in the British Isles from 1737 onwards, though it was a contributory element. The Welsh revival of 1904-05 was a sovereign work of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit was the main factor in the other revivals our writer surveys. As in the time of the 18th-century Great Awakening there were simultaneous works of the Holy Spirit world-wide, so it was in 1905. We regret that an element of Welsh nationalism keeps peeping out of this book. Instead of simply using the personal pronoun, the author emphasises the nationality of his subjects by referring to them as 'the Welsh lady' (pages 80,82,97,151,188, etc.) and 'the Welsh man' (many instances), and we are informed of 'a real Welsh Revival prayer meeting' in India of all places (page 138)! And of a spiritual quickening in China, which 'but for the language... could have been in Wales' (page 158). Uncritical mention is made of some phenomena which is more of a mystical and psychic character, in our judgment, than of God (cp. pages 27f, 49, 89,124f,126). The 40 pages of end-notes are a valuable resource for those who wish to pursue further reading about the many works of God to which reference is made. Paul E.G. Cook, Derby© Evangelicals Now - December 2002 |