Anthony L. Dunnavant (1954–2001)

This is my second reading on the revival at Cane Ridge, KY. I have never really heard of this revival until recently, thinking that the Azusa Street revival was the first one of a Pentecostal nature. From this revival evolved the Churches of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), denominations I was hitherto unfamiliar about except by name. The books emphasis is on the "legacy of Barton Stone" and the ways he has been remembered in the context of the Stone-Campbell movement, and its contribution to the Christian movement, especially for the Disciple of Christ. This book is a collection of essays from various contributors.

The most interesting and instructive chapters to me are as follows:

Chapter 4: Here, the contributing writer explores the controversial differences between Stone and Campbell in areas like with water baptism, Communion, and Christian unity. Regarding the latter, it seems that in the Cane Ridge Revival, Stone may have encourage and emphasize the first, at least in America, a movement towards ecumenicalism, that is, the unity of all believers of whatever their denomination, and to teach that creeds are subordinate, if not unessential, to Biblical revelation. "Stone understood Christian unity would never come as a result of 'New Testament doctrines,' but of New Testament life, as it is seen in the love of Christ" (p.67).

Chapter 5, discusses Stone's theology of revival. Although his background lay in the teachings by Presbyterians of the Great Awakening, known as "New Light" and essentially Calvinistic, Barton "was a product of the Revolutionary era in America that had been charmed by the philosophy of John Locke." Therefore, he was of the view that propositions contrary to reason are self-contradictions, and self-contradictions seem to be what Calvinist theology rests on. As such, "for Stone, the doctrine of election seemed to rob the gospel of its rational or moral power to save sinners from the power of sin" and "concluded the salvation was available to all who would believe" (p.79). Interestingly, Stone, as with Calvinism, saw that "Faith (that is, belief of the gospel) is the sovereign gift of God because it depends on the strength of God's testimony, not on any disposition of the sinner" (p.81).

Chapter 8 (along with chapters 7 and 9) "focus on the social and religious background of Cane Ridge" (inside dust jacket). I found two things very interesting: (1) the Cane Ridge revival found precedent in the Scottish Protestant revivals during their intermittent, once yearly (?) communion services in the 1620's and 1740's, which were seen as "dramatic." One contemporary of the Cane Ridge revival, describing it as "astonishing" and comparing it to a communion revival in Cambuslang, Scotland. The contributor comments that on these excitements in the Scottish revivals during their observance of Communion, that "when you think about it...Christ's giving his life...remembered and in some sense made real and present. Grasped, that realization just might be expected to produce the shakes or groanings or tears or embraces" (p.121).

Finally, one interesting practice of the Disciples of Christ that came from Cane Ridge revivals was the Biblical notion that, "We were the church. We never 'went to church'; we went to meeting.' The church met in its meetinghouse" (p.134).

Although I found it hard only because I was reading on an historical topic unfamiliar to me and with the denomination and their theology and teachings from which the Cane Ridge (by the way, a name given to the place by Daniel Boone) revival had sprung, I would recommend it to all those whose specific and, perhaps, primary interest is Christianity's revival history.… (altro)

This book provides the reader with an excellent analysis of the background and evolutionary events that led up to the development of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) into an official denomination. The “four ideals” mentioned in the subtitle are restoration, unity, liberty, and mission. Each is discussed in light of how they are valued and affected by events and people from the beginnings of the Stone-Campbell religious heritage (the author always names it “Campbell-Stone”) up until the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) became a denomination in the late 1960s.

Persons who are interested in learning more of the Stone-Campbell religious heritage would be well-served by reading this well-written book. It is not a book for beginners, but college and seminary students, as well as persons conversant with SC history should find the book to be beneficial.

The book includes a bibliography but there is no index. It is available in a number of college and seminary libraries and may be found on the used book market.… (altro)

In 1906, the religious fellowship known as the churches of Christ formally separated from the Disciples of Christ. The schism within the Disciples came as a result of growing dissatisfaction that conservative and progressive Disciples had with each other. It's an oversimplification, but the separation was mainly along geographical lines that corresponded with the North-South division the United States suffered which led to the Civil War.

Ninety years after the formal separation, the Disciples of Christ Historical Society invited scholars Anthony L. Dunnavant (Disciples) and Richard T. Hughes (churches of Christ) to participate in the 1995 and 1997 Reed Lectures “to explore the distinctive perceptions of the founding vision and how that vision has evolved in the two fellowships.” The book is a recording of those lectures.

The Preface is written by Peter M. Morgan, then President of the Disciples of Christ Historical Society. Ronald E. Osborn (a Disciples scholar) is the author of the Introduction.

Dunnavant lectures are:

Chapter 1: Continuities, Changes, and Conflicts: The Founders' Understanding of the Disciples Movement
Chapter 2: Historical Concepts Underlying the Restructured Church
Chapter 6: Discernment among the Heirs of Stone and the Campbells

Hughes lectures are:

Chapter 3: The Subversion of Reforming Movements
Chapter 4: The Taming of the Restoration Movement
Chapter 7: Reflections on the Theme of “Christian Freedom”

Paul M. Blowers, professor of church history at Emmanuel School of Religion, a nondenominational Christian Church/Church of Christ institution of higher education, provided a lecture “from the perspective of a deeply interested outsider.” His lecture is:

Chapter 5: Keeping the “Current Reformation” Current: The Challenge of Ongoing Self-interpretation in the Stone-Campbell Tradition

I found lectures to be well-researched and thought out. Although over a decade has passed since the lectures, I believe they still provide much to provoke serious thought and discussion about those of the Stone-Campbell religious heritage. Seminarians and clergy interested in S-C thought and history should especially benefit from this book. I am glad to have finally read it, but wish that I had done so earlier.

There is no index.… (altro)