The Rise of the Laity in Evangelical Protestantism

This comprehensive investigation into the involvement of ordinary Christians in Church activities and in anti-clerical dissent, explores a phenomenon stretching from Britain and Germany to the Americas and beyond. It considers how evangelicalism, as an anti-establishmentarian and profoundly individualistic movement, has allowed the traditionally powerless to become enterprising, vocal, and influential in the religious arena and in other areas of politics and culture. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 List of contributors......Page 12 Editorial note......Page 14 Introduction......Page 16 The priesthood of all believers: from principle to practice......Page 30 Reformers, puritans and evangelicals: the lay connection......Page 32 Lay conversion and Calvinist doctrine during the English Commonwealth......Page 51 The Pietist laity in Germany, 1675 1750: knowledge, gender, leadership......Page 62 Lay religious activity during the Enlightenment......Page 80 Reshaping individualism: the private Christian, eighteenth-century religion and the Enlightenment......Page 82 A spiritual aristocracy: female patrons of religion in eighteenth-century Britain......Page 100 Taming the Spirit: female leadership roles in the American Awakenings, 1730 1830......Page 110 Tensions surrounding an active laity......Page 130 Lay leadership, establishment crisis and the disdain of the clergy......Page 132 National churches, gathered churches, and varieties of lay evangelicalism, 1735 1859......Page 149 Methodist New Connexionism: lay emancipation as a denominational raison d'tre......Page 168 Missions and the widening scope of priesthood......Page 180 The missionary movement: a lay fiefdom?......Page 182 Industry, professionalism and mission: the placing of an emancipated laywoman, Dr Ruth Massey 1873 1963......Page 202 A foundation of influence: the Oxford Pastorate and elite recruitment in early twentieth-century Anglican evangelicalism......Page 217 The church of the laity......Page 230 'The church itself is God's clergy': the principles and practices of the Brethren......Page 232 Changing Baptist concepts of royal priesthood: John Smyth and Edgar Young Mullins......Page 251 The Charismatic Movement: the laicizing of Christianity?......Page 268 Index......Page 280

this Is The First Comprehensive Investigation Into The Involvement Of Ordinary Christian Men And Women In Church Activities And In Anti-clerical Dissent. Exploring A Phenomenon Stretching From Britain And Germany To The Americas And Beyond, It Considers How Evangelicalism, As An Anti-establishmentarian And Profoundly Individualistic Movement, Has Allowed The Traditionally Powerless To Become Enterprising, Vocal And Influential In The Religious Arena And In Other Areas Of Politics And Culture.

The pope or bishop anoints, shaves heads, ordains, consecrates, and prescribes garb different from that of the laity, but he can never make a man into a Christian or into a spiritual man by so doing.