Whitefield on the Christian Life: New Birth to Enjoy God (Schwanda and Maddock)

Description

George Whitefield’s bold “born-again” theology and passionate sermons established him as a key figure during the 18th century. Many Christians are familiar with evangelists of this time including Jonathan Edwards and John Wesley, but Whitefield, arguably the most significant member of the trio, often goes unnoticed in the church today.

After experiencing a profound encounter with Jesus during his time at Oxford, Whitefield dedicated his life to teaching the Scriptures to others and calling people to experience the joy of knowing and loving God. This biography aims to restore Whitefield as a prominent figure in the early evangelical revival while addressing the complexities of the time in an honest, historical, and balanced way. Authors Tom Schwanda and Ian Maddock invite readers to explore the life of George Whitefield and his commitment to guiding souls toward Jesus.

• Part of the Theologians on the Christian Life Series: Provides accessible introductions to some of church history’s greatest teachers
• Pastors, Interested Lay Readers, and Historians: Great for adult education, small groups, and college and seminary courses on evangelicalism
• Honest: A full chapter is devoted to Whitefield’s relationship to slavery and his contribution to establishing black evangelicalism

Contents

Series Preface
Abbreviations
Introduction
Acknowledgments

Chapter 1: The New Birth
Chapter 2: Theologian of the Head and Heart
Chapter 3: True Religion
Chapter 4: Experience of God
Chapter 5: The Means of Grace
Chapter 6: Guiding Souls to Jesus
Chapter 7: Preacher of One Book
Chapter 8: The Relational Whitefield
Chapter 9: Whitefield and Slavery
Chapter 10: Whitefield’s Legacy

Timeline for George Whitefield
General Index
Scripture Index

Endorsements

“By all accounts, George Whitefield was one of the greatest, most prolific, most persuasive preachers in evangelical church history. At the heart of his preaching was a gospel experience that tragically became a Christian cliché and is often neglected altogether: the necessity of a new spiritual birth to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. This accessible yet comprehensive introduction to Whitefield’s ministry and theology helps us to recapture the cruciality of conversion for our own spiritual experience and evangelistic ministries.”
—Philip Graham Ryken, President, Wheaton College

“Zealous in mission, Christ-centered in doctrine, experiential in piety, peripatetic in ministry, and fiery in preaching, Whitefield was consumed, for his entire postconversion lifetime, with the inexhaustible riches of Jesus Christ. This masterful portrait is at once balanced, nuanced, and thoughtful—far from hagiographical, delightfully historical, and at times painfully human and realistic. May the flaws and failures of this great (if somewhat complex) evangelist remind us that even the godliest of men on this side of eternity are far from sinless, yet those flaws too should point us to the Savior whose gospel he so freely proclaimed. Above all, may this story of Whitefield’s life and doctrine encourage us to pursue what he pursued with passion—the glory of Christ, the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, the satisfying smorgasbord that is the means of grace, and a life of vital, heartfelt, experiential, and enjoyable piety.”
—Joel R. Beeke, Chancellor and Professor of Systematic Theology and Homiletics, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary; Pastor, Heritage Reformed Congregation, Grand Rapids, Michigan

About the Authors

Tom Schwanda (PhD, Durham University) is associate professor of Christian formation and ministry emeritus at Wheaton College and senior fellow for Christian spirituality for the C.S. Lewis Institute discipleship ministry. He is the author of The Emergence of Evangelical Spirituality: The Age of Edwards, Newton, and Whitefield and a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Ian Maddock (PhD, University of Aberdeen) serves as senior lecturer in Christian thought at Sydney Missionary and Bible College. He is author of Men of One Book: A Comparison of Two Methodist Preachers, John Wesley and George Whitefield and is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.