What do you think?
Rate this book
George Whitefield: America's Spiritual Founding Father
Winner of Christianity Today's 2016 Book Award for History/ an engaging, balanced, and penetrating narrative biography of the charismatic eighteenth-century American evangelist George Whitefield
"The most authoritative yet readable book on the eighteenth century’s greatest preacher."—Marvin Olasky, World Magazine
"Kidd’s theologically sympathetic approach gives the book a depth that a more detached treatment might He misses none of the biblical allusions that peppered Whitefield’s utterances, and he is an excellent guide through the tangled doctrinal controversies that dogged Whitefield’s career."—Barton Swaim, Wall Street Journal
In the years prior to the American Revolution, George Whitefield was the most famous man in the colonies. Thomas Kidd’s fascinating biography explores the extraordinary career of the most influential figure in the first generation of Anglo-American evangelical Christianity, examining his sometimes troubling stands on the pressing issues of the day, both secular and spiritual, and his relationships with such famous contemporaries as Benjamin Franklin, Jonathan Edwards, and John Wesley.
Based on the author’s comprehensive studies of Whitefield’s original sermons, journals, and letters, this excellent history chronicles the phenomenal rise of the trailblazer of the Great Awakening. Whitefield’s leadership role among the new evangelicals of the eighteenth century and his many religious disputes are meticulously covered, as are his major legacies and the permanent marks he left on evangelical Christian faith. It is arguably the most balanced biography to date of a controversial religious leader who, though relatively unknown three hundred years after his birth, was a true giant in his day and remains an important figure in America’s history.
"The most authoritative yet readable book on the eighteenth century’s greatest preacher."—Marvin Olasky, World Magazine
"Kidd’s theologically sympathetic approach gives the book a depth that a more detached treatment might He misses none of the biblical allusions that peppered Whitefield’s utterances, and he is an excellent guide through the tangled doctrinal controversies that dogged Whitefield’s career."—Barton Swaim, Wall Street Journal
In the years prior to the American Revolution, George Whitefield was the most famous man in the colonies. Thomas Kidd’s fascinating biography explores the extraordinary career of the most influential figure in the first generation of Anglo-American evangelical Christianity, examining his sometimes troubling stands on the pressing issues of the day, both secular and spiritual, and his relationships with such famous contemporaries as Benjamin Franklin, Jonathan Edwards, and John Wesley.
Based on the author’s comprehensive studies of Whitefield’s original sermons, journals, and letters, this excellent history chronicles the phenomenal rise of the trailblazer of the Great Awakening. Whitefield’s leadership role among the new evangelicals of the eighteenth century and his many religious disputes are meticulously covered, as are his major legacies and the permanent marks he left on evangelical Christian faith. It is arguably the most balanced biography to date of a controversial religious leader who, though relatively unknown three hundred years after his birth, was a true giant in his day and remains an important figure in America’s history.
344 pages, Hardcover
First published October 28, 2014
About the author
Thomas S. Kidd
33 books105 followersThomas S. Kidd teaches history at Baylor University, and is Senior Fellow at Baylor's Institute for Studies of Religion. Dr. Kidd has appeared on the Glenn Beck tv program, the Hugh Hewitt and Dennis Prager radio shows, and written columns for USA Today and the Washington Post. He is a columnist for Patheos.com. His latest book is Patrick Henry: First Among Patriots. Other books include God of Liberty: A Religious History of the American Revolution. His next book projects are a biography of George Whitefield, and a history of Baptists in America.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
December 31, 2015
I guess it is the nature of celebrity to be forgotten, but what a shame that even those in the church don't know much about George Whitefield (pronounced WHIT-field), the man whom Thomas Kidd calls "the greatest evangelical preacher the world has ever seen." Yes, even greater than Billy Graham, Rick Warren, Charles Stanley and John Piper. Whitefield was basically a household name in America and Britain in the mid 18th century, and even in his later years he had to enter a church through the window since the place was too packed to get in the door. It seems Whitefield was a preacher of unparalleled balance -- a solidly doctrinal Calvinist who nonetheless called people to repentance with thunderous appeal, pleading with such fervent passion that he "routinely" vomited blood after preaching (p.241). Given the providential timing of Whitefield's ministry (shortly before the Revolutionary War), one wonders what influence this dear friend of Benjamin Franklin had on the founding of our nation. Like any man, Whitefield had his flaws (he was pro-slavery and in his younger years was way too quick to judge others as unconverted), and Kidd is not afraid to point them out. Yet there is so much for us to learn here about a truly great Christian man.
November 22, 2015
Knowing very little about Whitefield's life or the revival going into this book, many points surrounding the era and his life were exciting to read. The fervor he had, the number of times he would preach in a row, the throngs of people who would come, his emphasis on spiritual experience, how he handled critique and Satan's buffets, his personal struggles... This book is excellent for someone like me who knew very little or a great awakening history buff.
December 30, 2014
Thomas Kidd is on a mission. He believes we will be wiser, more knowledgeable, and understanding of our national history if we get to know George Whitefield. After reading this superb biography I agree. As Dr. Kidd tells us Whitefield was the leading British/American celebrity in the decades preceding the American Revolution. His celebrity came from being an extraordinary preacher of the Gospel. The first itinerant preacher who spread the word of Christ to hundreds of thousands during the 18th century. Whitefield was tireless in his pursuit of spreading the Word and attracting people to Jesus. He preached in the American colonies, England, Wales, and Scotland. But in America is where he had the most lasting influence. Wherever he went, he would not allow denominational differences to stand in the way of bringing Christians together. Though a critic of the Catholic Church he learned from Catholic medieval Churchmen. While he could be obstinate, Dr. Kidd shows how he refused to allow personal differences to stand in the way of reconciliation, especially in the relationship with the founders of Methodism the Wesley brothers.
This book will be enjoyed and cherished by scholars and interested laymen. Whitefield played a central role, with Jonathan Edwards, in the Great Wakening that swept through the American colonies. Kidd does not hide criticism of Whitefield. For example his promotion and owning of slaves and his less than stellar treatment of his wife. But Kidd judges him in the context of Whitefield's milieu.
I especially enjoyed learning about his unlikely relationship with Benjamin Franklin. This long collaboration proved beneficial to both men and was one of mutual respect.
I hope people who are interested in Evangelical Christianity, the birth of our nation, and learning about a historical figure who merits our attention will read this superb biography.
This book will be enjoyed and cherished by scholars and interested laymen. Whitefield played a central role, with Jonathan Edwards, in the Great Wakening that swept through the American colonies. Kidd does not hide criticism of Whitefield. For example his promotion and owning of slaves and his less than stellar treatment of his wife. But Kidd judges him in the context of Whitefield's milieu.
I especially enjoyed learning about his unlikely relationship with Benjamin Franklin. This long collaboration proved beneficial to both men and was one of mutual respect.
I hope people who are interested in Evangelical Christianity, the birth of our nation, and learning about a historical figure who merits our attention will read this superb biography.
June 5, 2018
Good book.
December 17, 2014
Thomas S. Kidd, George Whitefield: America’s Spiritual Founding Father (New Haven, CT: Yale, 2014).
Hardcover
/
Kindle
George Whitefield is not well known by Americans today, including American evangelical Christians, his spiritual heirs. In the eighteenth century, however, Whitefield was well known not only in America, but also in his native England—well known, well loved, and widely criticized. Thomas S. Kidd outlines the life of this influential evangelist in George Whitefield: America’s Spiritual Founding Father.
Whitefield was born in a Gloucester inn on December 16, 1714, to hardworking though not particularly religious parents. He secured a work-scholarship to Oxford University, where he fell under the spiritual influence of John and Charles Wesley and entered ministry in the Church of England. Together with the Wesley brothers, Whitefield led the trans-Atlantic evangelical revival that came to be known as the Great Awakening through ceaseless itinerant evangelism, innovative use of print media, and development of personal and institutional relationships across denominations.
“[Whitefield’s] colleague and frequent rival John Wesley left a greater organizational legacy,” Kidd writes, “and his ally Jonathan Edwards made a more significant theological contribution. But Whitefield was the key figure in the first generation of evangelical Christianity.” Kidd concludes: “Whitefield was the first great preacher in a modern evangelical movement that has seen many. Perhaps he was the greatest evangelical preacher the world has ever seen.”
Reading Kidd’s biography of Whitefield—which will be the standard work for years to come—I was struck by several similarities with contemporary American evangelicalism that are worth noting, both positive and negative.
The first is Whitefield’s blend of principle and pragmatism. Whitefield was an ordained priest in the Church of England and a convinced Calvinist. This did not prevent him from working with English Dissenters and Arminians (at least of the Wesleyan variety), Scottish Presbyterians, or American Congregationalists, however. Rather, with them, he emphasized the experience of the “new birth”—that is, being born again—and the doctrine of justification by faith. These expressed the essence of the gospel.
To proclaim that gospel, Whitefield pragmatically utilized a variety of innovative techniques. These included itinerant evangelism, field preaching, personal discipleship (the hallmark of Methodism), and the use of newspapers to promote the ministry. The result was a trans-Atlantic revival united by a powerful spiritual encounter and a theology that explained it, far more than by ecclesiology or denominational distinctives.
The second is Whitefield’s emphasis on the ministry of the Holy Spirit, both as the One who brings about regeneration (the technical term for the new birth) and the One who empowers ministers to proclaim the gospel. Wesley’s journals are filled with descriptions of people experiencing the throes of spiritual conviction, not to mention the experience of breaking through to the peace of conversion. He also routinely speaks of the Spirit prompting his actions and words. Kidd even notes a handful of occasions where Whitefield, his colleagues, or his followers may have spoken in tongues. Ironically, in light of the cessationist theology that characterized evangelical Calvinism in the early twentieth century, Kidd points out that the revivalists believed in the contemporary work of the Holy Spirit—though not as Pentecostals do today—while their non-evangelical critics were the ones who were cessationists, believing that the gifts of the Holy Spirit had ceased in the Apostolic Era.
This emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit was often a help to the emerging evangelical movement, rooting God’s work in the heart and not merely the head, but it was also occasionally a hindrance. Critics routinely accused Whitefield and his followers of “enthusiasm,” a mindless religious ecstasy detached from good theology, good taste, and good sense. Sometimes, they were right. In turn, under what Whitefield assumed to be the prompting of the Spirit, he often criticized non-evangelical ministers for being “unconverted,” that is, not even Christian. This won him few friends among that group. As Whitefield and his followers matured, they learned to distinguish the fire of genuine revival from “wild-fire.”
The third is the paradoxical combination of unity and division. As noted above, the Anglican Whitefield partnered with ministers of other Protestant denominations to promote revival. This is true of evangelicalism to the present day. But just as there are sharp theological disputes today between Calvinist and Arminian evangelicals, there were sharp theological disputes between the same two groups in the eighteenth century. Whitefield was a staunch Calvinist, as was the Welsh evangelist Howell Harris. The Wesley brothers, on the other hand, were equally staunch Arminians. The theological debates between those four individuals, and their respective followers, were intense and often nasty. Nevertheless, throughout his ministry, Whitefield found his way toward cooperation with the Wesley’s in gospel ministry.
The fourth is the confusion of the gospel and patriotism. Whitefield came to prominence during Protestant England’s seemingly endless wars with Catholic powers. Like other Protestants in his age, he viewed the Reformation dispute with Rome as both theological (How are we saved?) and political (Who will rule us?) in nature. During the War of Jenkins’ Ear with Spain and the Seven Years War with France, Whitefield preached pro-English, anti-Spanish, anti-French, and anti-Catholic sermons that are embarrassing to read today. My guess is that in two hundred years, the patriotic sermons of today’s evangelicals will cause readers to blush too.
It has been said that the past is a foreign country. Reading Whitefield’s biography reminds us that his age was vastly different from our own. Like many in America in the eighteenth century, Whitefield owned slaves, a fact for which he can (and should) be criticized. (His marriage was also nothing to write home about.)
On the other hand, the past is not so foreign that it is unable to teach us lessons about our own time. This is especially true of contemporary American evangelicalism. The trans-Atlantic evangelical revival of the eighteenth century initiated patterns of spiritual experience, theological doctrine, and ministry methodology that are still recognizable among American and British evangelicals today, for better and for worse.
As evangelicals move forward in the twenty-first century, it is thus reasonable to ask: Who will be our Edwards, to teach us in this postmodern intellectual milieu? Who will be our Wesley, to organize, network, and disciple us? And who will be our Whitefield—the evangelist whose preaching of the gospel will draw men and women, boys and girls to Christ? Kidd notes that Whitefield was perhaps “the greatest evangelical preacher the world has ever seen.” I would add only five words: though hopefully not the last.
P.S. If you found this review helpful, please vote “Yes” on my Amazon.com review page.
George Whitefield is not well known by Americans today, including American evangelical Christians, his spiritual heirs. In the eighteenth century, however, Whitefield was well known not only in America, but also in his native England—well known, well loved, and widely criticized. Thomas S. Kidd outlines the life of this influential evangelist in George Whitefield: America’s Spiritual Founding Father.
Whitefield was born in a Gloucester inn on December 16, 1714, to hardworking though not particularly religious parents. He secured a work-scholarship to Oxford University, where he fell under the spiritual influence of John and Charles Wesley and entered ministry in the Church of England. Together with the Wesley brothers, Whitefield led the trans-Atlantic evangelical revival that came to be known as the Great Awakening through ceaseless itinerant evangelism, innovative use of print media, and development of personal and institutional relationships across denominations.
“[Whitefield’s] colleague and frequent rival John Wesley left a greater organizational legacy,” Kidd writes, “and his ally Jonathan Edwards made a more significant theological contribution. But Whitefield was the key figure in the first generation of evangelical Christianity.” Kidd concludes: “Whitefield was the first great preacher in a modern evangelical movement that has seen many. Perhaps he was the greatest evangelical preacher the world has ever seen.”
Reading Kidd’s biography of Whitefield—which will be the standard work for years to come—I was struck by several similarities with contemporary American evangelicalism that are worth noting, both positive and negative.
The first is Whitefield’s blend of principle and pragmatism. Whitefield was an ordained priest in the Church of England and a convinced Calvinist. This did not prevent him from working with English Dissenters and Arminians (at least of the Wesleyan variety), Scottish Presbyterians, or American Congregationalists, however. Rather, with them, he emphasized the experience of the “new birth”—that is, being born again—and the doctrine of justification by faith. These expressed the essence of the gospel.
To proclaim that gospel, Whitefield pragmatically utilized a variety of innovative techniques. These included itinerant evangelism, field preaching, personal discipleship (the hallmark of Methodism), and the use of newspapers to promote the ministry. The result was a trans-Atlantic revival united by a powerful spiritual encounter and a theology that explained it, far more than by ecclesiology or denominational distinctives.
The second is Whitefield’s emphasis on the ministry of the Holy Spirit, both as the One who brings about regeneration (the technical term for the new birth) and the One who empowers ministers to proclaim the gospel. Wesley’s journals are filled with descriptions of people experiencing the throes of spiritual conviction, not to mention the experience of breaking through to the peace of conversion. He also routinely speaks of the Spirit prompting his actions and words. Kidd even notes a handful of occasions where Whitefield, his colleagues, or his followers may have spoken in tongues. Ironically, in light of the cessationist theology that characterized evangelical Calvinism in the early twentieth century, Kidd points out that the revivalists believed in the contemporary work of the Holy Spirit—though not as Pentecostals do today—while their non-evangelical critics were the ones who were cessationists, believing that the gifts of the Holy Spirit had ceased in the Apostolic Era.
This emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit was often a help to the emerging evangelical movement, rooting God’s work in the heart and not merely the head, but it was also occasionally a hindrance. Critics routinely accused Whitefield and his followers of “enthusiasm,” a mindless religious ecstasy detached from good theology, good taste, and good sense. Sometimes, they were right. In turn, under what Whitefield assumed to be the prompting of the Spirit, he often criticized non-evangelical ministers for being “unconverted,” that is, not even Christian. This won him few friends among that group. As Whitefield and his followers matured, they learned to distinguish the fire of genuine revival from “wild-fire.”
The third is the paradoxical combination of unity and division. As noted above, the Anglican Whitefield partnered with ministers of other Protestant denominations to promote revival. This is true of evangelicalism to the present day. But just as there are sharp theological disputes today between Calvinist and Arminian evangelicals, there were sharp theological disputes between the same two groups in the eighteenth century. Whitefield was a staunch Calvinist, as was the Welsh evangelist Howell Harris. The Wesley brothers, on the other hand, were equally staunch Arminians. The theological debates between those four individuals, and their respective followers, were intense and often nasty. Nevertheless, throughout his ministry, Whitefield found his way toward cooperation with the Wesley’s in gospel ministry.
The fourth is the confusion of the gospel and patriotism. Whitefield came to prominence during Protestant England’s seemingly endless wars with Catholic powers. Like other Protestants in his age, he viewed the Reformation dispute with Rome as both theological (How are we saved?) and political (Who will rule us?) in nature. During the War of Jenkins’ Ear with Spain and the Seven Years War with France, Whitefield preached pro-English, anti-Spanish, anti-French, and anti-Catholic sermons that are embarrassing to read today. My guess is that in two hundred years, the patriotic sermons of today’s evangelicals will cause readers to blush too.
It has been said that the past is a foreign country. Reading Whitefield’s biography reminds us that his age was vastly different from our own. Like many in America in the eighteenth century, Whitefield owned slaves, a fact for which he can (and should) be criticized. (His marriage was also nothing to write home about.)
On the other hand, the past is not so foreign that it is unable to teach us lessons about our own time. This is especially true of contemporary American evangelicalism. The trans-Atlantic evangelical revival of the eighteenth century initiated patterns of spiritual experience, theological doctrine, and ministry methodology that are still recognizable among American and British evangelicals today, for better and for worse.
As evangelicals move forward in the twenty-first century, it is thus reasonable to ask: Who will be our Edwards, to teach us in this postmodern intellectual milieu? Who will be our Wesley, to organize, network, and disciple us? And who will be our Whitefield—the evangelist whose preaching of the gospel will draw men and women, boys and girls to Christ? Kidd notes that Whitefield was perhaps “the greatest evangelical preacher the world has ever seen.” I would add only five words: though hopefully not the last.
P.S. If you found this review helpful, please vote “Yes” on my Amazon.com review page.
May 9, 2024
This is a detailed enough account into the "lore" of the life and ministry of George Whitefield. This biographical account is more descriptive that evangelistic. You will not find a robust or comprehensive tractate on the theology and teachings of George Whitefield here. Nevertheless, this book presents many the church's historical challenges in America's (and Europe) and how people like Whitefield, the Wesley brothers, Jonathan Edwards, the Moravians, and some Presbyterians navigated the tumultuous waters of colonialism and revival of New England in the 18th century.
If you want a 15 page summary of the whole book, just skip to the conclusion chapter at the end.
Whitefield's main teaching on New Birth is briefly mentioned but never fully expounded. A separate reading of the document is necessary to understand Whitefield's main theological motivation for his "revival preachings".
Disclaimer: I speed read this book for a research essay on Church History.
If you want a 15 page summary of the whole book, just skip to the conclusion chapter at the end.
Whitefield's main teaching on New Birth is briefly mentioned but never fully expounded. A separate reading of the document is necessary to understand Whitefield's main theological motivation for his "revival preachings".
Disclaimer: I speed read this book for a research essay on Church History.
January 11, 2022
Outstanding critical biography of George Whitefield, the most influential evangelical preacher of the eighteenth century. More scholarly than Arnold Dallimore's two-volume biography of Whitefield. As an academic historian, Kidd helpfully situates Whitefield's life and ministry within its broader historical context. I especially appreciated Kidd's willingness to not gloss over Whitefield's faults, while remaining broadly sympathetic to Whitefield's evangelical convictions. This is a warts and all biography.
In his conclusion, Kidd discusses Whitefield's legacy in a series of propositions. "First, Whitefield was the most influential Anglo-American Evangelical leader of the eighteenth century. His colleague and frequent rival John Wesley left a greater organizational legacy, and his ally Jonathan Edwards made a more significant theological contribution. But Whitefield was the key figure in the first generation of evangelical Christianity" (p. 260). "He also indelibly marked the character of evangelical Christianity, even through the present day." Kidd here includes Whitefield’s innovative use of media, his transatlantic celebrity status, and "troubling record on race relations and ethnic inequality" (p. 261). As Kidd shows, Whitefield not only owned slaves, but illegally brought slaves to the Bethesda orphanage, and strongly campaigned for the legalization of slavery in Georgia. Concerning Whitefield's reputation for shallowness, Kidd counters that "Whitefield's sermons and other writings generally reflect the fruit of his Oxford education and comprehensive knowledge of the King James Bible...He did not match the soaring brilliance of Jonathan Edwards, and has many companions in failing to do so. But Whitefield was not shallow, even for his time. Instead, he was a learned and theologically precise gospel preacher" (p. 261). Finally, "Whitefield also typified the evangelical blending of politics, war, and religion" (p. 262).
Kidd concludes that "As a man of his time, Whitefield had serious faults, which contemporaries pointed out and which are even easier to see from the vantage of three centuries. And yet he was a gospel minister of substantial integrity, spiritual sincerity, phenomenal ability, and indefatigable energy. Whitefield was the first great preacher in a modern evangelical movement that has seen many. Perhaps he was the greatest evangelical preacher the world has ever seen" (p. 263).
In his conclusion, Kidd discusses Whitefield's legacy in a series of propositions. "First, Whitefield was the most influential Anglo-American Evangelical leader of the eighteenth century. His colleague and frequent rival John Wesley left a greater organizational legacy, and his ally Jonathan Edwards made a more significant theological contribution. But Whitefield was the key figure in the first generation of evangelical Christianity" (p. 260). "He also indelibly marked the character of evangelical Christianity, even through the present day." Kidd here includes Whitefield’s innovative use of media, his transatlantic celebrity status, and "troubling record on race relations and ethnic inequality" (p. 261). As Kidd shows, Whitefield not only owned slaves, but illegally brought slaves to the Bethesda orphanage, and strongly campaigned for the legalization of slavery in Georgia. Concerning Whitefield's reputation for shallowness, Kidd counters that "Whitefield's sermons and other writings generally reflect the fruit of his Oxford education and comprehensive knowledge of the King James Bible...He did not match the soaring brilliance of Jonathan Edwards, and has many companions in failing to do so. But Whitefield was not shallow, even for his time. Instead, he was a learned and theologically precise gospel preacher" (p. 261). Finally, "Whitefield also typified the evangelical blending of politics, war, and religion" (p. 262).
Kidd concludes that "As a man of his time, Whitefield had serious faults, which contemporaries pointed out and which are even easier to see from the vantage of three centuries. And yet he was a gospel minister of substantial integrity, spiritual sincerity, phenomenal ability, and indefatigable energy. Whitefield was the first great preacher in a modern evangelical movement that has seen many. Perhaps he was the greatest evangelical preacher the world has ever seen" (p. 263).
January 14, 2015
Two disclaimers as I begin this brief review.
First, I am a 'fan' of Thomas Kidd. I'm not certain as to how I discovered him, whether on the Gospel Coalition web site, Patheos' web site or in WORLD magazine. At any rate, I have read his other works on Patrick Henry, The Great Awakening and the Religious History of the American Revolution, and in so doing I found an historian who writes in an uncomplicated, straight forward style. that style is maintained through out this work.
Second, I am a Christian and I embrace much of Whitefield's theological perspective.
I often find the notes on the dust jacket of a book overstate the case. Not so here, so that all four comments were spot on. Words like "Unusual empathy and unusual comprehension," and "lucid, well-researched, and insightful" hit the nail on the head.
Professor Kidd presents Whitefield warts and all - sometimes combative, lacking in social graces with others and his wife, suffering a blind spot in relation to slavery,and yet media savvy before it became popular (Ben Franklin was his friend and printer).
Whitefield made 13 crossing of the Atlantic - a remarkable feat in and of itself. His part in The Great Awakening and his itinerating up and down the colonies probably had him in contact with more people that anyone else at the time. So he is justly called "America's Spiritual Founding Father." (p. 250) Whitefield also appears sympathetic to the rising patriot movement, but his main focus was the Gospel.
Professor Kidd's two aim in producing this work were to show "...Whitefield was a key figure in the first generation of Anglo-American evangelical Christianity," and to present a scholarly biography that "places him in the dynamic, fractious milieu of the early evangelical movement." He has succeeded in both!
First, I am a 'fan' of Thomas Kidd. I'm not certain as to how I discovered him, whether on the Gospel Coalition web site, Patheos' web site or in WORLD magazine. At any rate, I have read his other works on Patrick Henry, The Great Awakening and the Religious History of the American Revolution, and in so doing I found an historian who writes in an uncomplicated, straight forward style. that style is maintained through out this work.
Second, I am a Christian and I embrace much of Whitefield's theological perspective.
I often find the notes on the dust jacket of a book overstate the case. Not so here, so that all four comments were spot on. Words like "Unusual empathy and unusual comprehension," and "lucid, well-researched, and insightful" hit the nail on the head.
Professor Kidd presents Whitefield warts and all - sometimes combative, lacking in social graces with others and his wife, suffering a blind spot in relation to slavery,and yet media savvy before it became popular (Ben Franklin was his friend and printer).
Whitefield made 13 crossing of the Atlantic - a remarkable feat in and of itself. His part in The Great Awakening and his itinerating up and down the colonies probably had him in contact with more people that anyone else at the time. So he is justly called "America's Spiritual Founding Father." (p. 250) Whitefield also appears sympathetic to the rising patriot movement, but his main focus was the Gospel.
Professor Kidd's two aim in producing this work were to show "...Whitefield was a key figure in the first generation of Anglo-American evangelical Christianity," and to present a scholarly biography that "places him in the dynamic, fractious milieu of the early evangelical movement." He has succeeded in both!
Read
March 30, 2015The thesis of the book according to Kidd is that the "key figure in the first generation Anglo American evangelical Christianity" was George Whitfield. His book comprising of twelve chapters together with an introduction and conclusion deal with the life of George Whitfield as the "key figure" in evangelicalism in Britain and in early Colonial America. Most of the book is focused on this. It is very scholarly done with ample documentation at the end of the book (personally, I like footnotes at the bottom of the book so I don't have to have two bookmarks and flip back and forth in the book). For me this were a gem as well, since I can look up those sources to read later at my own leisure. It is balanced and objective as I think biographies should be. Kidd is clear to give his opinion but he does it in a very fair way. I learned much about George Whitfield. The bonus for me was the information about those who opened Whitfield's tomb after he died. All I can say is "Wow!" You have to read what they did. I won't give it away!
Read
March 23, 2015Excellent!
Undercuts some biased works without covering up flaws in the man or his ministry. Perhaps the most valuable portion was seeing both Whitefield, and his Dissenter friends, growth. That is, a recognition of his (and their) errors when younger and correction of same.
Alas, far too many who have a bias against the Great Awakening focus on said errors and ignore that Whitefield and friends were able to learn and correct their behavior, and, even more important, to see reconciliation with those they had sinned against when younger.
Another aspect often overlooked by those who despise the Great Awakening is that the enemies of the revival were often the enemies of Reformed Theology, and few of them repented of their excess against the revival.
Undercuts some biased works without covering up flaws in the man or his ministry. Perhaps the most valuable portion was seeing both Whitefield, and his Dissenter friends, growth. That is, a recognition of his (and their) errors when younger and correction of same.
Alas, far too many who have a bias against the Great Awakening focus on said errors and ignore that Whitefield and friends were able to learn and correct their behavior, and, even more important, to see reconciliation with those they had sinned against when younger.
Another aspect often overlooked by those who despise the Great Awakening is that the enemies of the revival were often the enemies of Reformed Theology, and few of them repented of their excess against the revival.
February 19, 2015
George Whitefield was one of the key figures in the Great Awakening of the 18th century, speaking to thousands and even tens of thousands of people, often in outdoor venues.
Thomas Kidd's biography is evenhanded and thorough and should be of interest to anyone who is interested in early American history and/or the history of Christianity.
Thomas Kidd's biography is evenhanded and thorough and should be of interest to anyone who is interested in early American history and/or the history of Christianity.
December 16, 2015
Interesting for the first 200 pages, but it gets monotonous pretty quickly. Kidd goes into academic detail about the life of Whitefield, but there is little difference between the first year and the twentieth year. You can only read about a huge turnout at an open air evangelistic crusade 20 times before even that becomes mundane.
March 30, 2015
This book was absolutely fantastic. I loved every part of it. Kidd doesn't an excellent job of bringing Whitefield to life in the way he preached and the way he struggled, drawing on both his strengths and weaknesses. I also loved how well-researched the times were in which Whitefield lived—sets him in his historical context.
December 20, 2014
While reading this book I repeatedly felt the emotion--this is something I should have known. Dr. Kidd's research for this book included trips to England and New England. This book should be required reading in school.
November 18, 2015
What a great preacher, principled and driven. Full of flaws but always proclaiming the gospel.
Kidd shares the Whitefield narrative with skill and evangelical sensibility. The biography is also written in a way that allows the story to stir you on to ministry.
Kidd shares the Whitefield narrative with skill and evangelical sensibility. The biography is also written in a way that allows the story to stir you on to ministry.
November 19, 2015
An excellent biography! Not so long as to be daunting, but not so short to make the reader wonder if it did a quality job with the subject. The author does a good job at putting Whitefield into his historical context.
September 17, 2017
I thought this was very well done. I had read other biographies on Whitefield but this one gave me more insight into his life. Very thorough and well worth reading if your a fan of George Whitefield.
August 18, 2016
Excellent biography! Balanced view of an important figure
November 20, 2015
Honest, affirming biography of tragically overlooked figure in American and Evangelical history. Solid work by Kidd.
March 4, 2016
Excellent. Kidd is a gifted historian and this is now the definitive biography of Whitfield.
August 14, 2017
Excellent account of an often overlooked life.
February 9, 2018
Judicial, informative, and captivating -- Kidd is historical scholarship at its best.
November 8, 2019
I learned a great deal about Whitefield from this book. Here's a quote that really summarizes his positions. "In particular, as a principled Calvinist, he had robust, practical theologies of conversion, the Lord's Supper, and the Holy Spirit's role in the believer's and the church's life." (261) As a Protestant (specifically Presbyterian raised) American Christian, Whitefield has probably had more to do with my theological upbringing than any other American. I needed to know more about him and Thomas Kidd delivered that in this thoughtful book.
I could nitpick things here and there, but honestly that would be completely personal preference in amount of detail and writing style. What I love about Kidd is his ability to distill information into the bare substance. Here's what matters about this subject; Whitefield was a prominent early American Christian with a fantastical following. But if we are to believe that the Holy Spirit is a historical reality, this movement is not one of snake oil and illusion. If readers are to agree with Kidd on a confessional understanding of the past, grasping at Whitefield's flawed management of his orphanage, his sometimes rocky theology, and his awkward dealing with women is integral to our understanding of Whitefield as HUMAN. This is no hagiography.
I don't think I would use this in an American Religious History class as it is too deep on one man. I would, however, encourage it for anyone writing an upper division or graduate level paper on the Founding having anything to do with religion. I think the book makes a wonderfully readable contribution that works to clarify an understanding of Whitefield's life rather than "complicating the narrative" like far too many volumes aim to do.
I could nitpick things here and there, but honestly that would be completely personal preference in amount of detail and writing style. What I love about Kidd is his ability to distill information into the bare substance. Here's what matters about this subject; Whitefield was a prominent early American Christian with a fantastical following. But if we are to believe that the Holy Spirit is a historical reality, this movement is not one of snake oil and illusion. If readers are to agree with Kidd on a confessional understanding of the past, grasping at Whitefield's flawed management of his orphanage, his sometimes rocky theology, and his awkward dealing with women is integral to our understanding of Whitefield as HUMAN. This is no hagiography.
I don't think I would use this in an American Religious History class as it is too deep on one man. I would, however, encourage it for anyone writing an upper division or graduate level paper on the Founding having anything to do with religion. I think the book makes a wonderfully readable contribution that works to clarify an understanding of Whitefield's life rather than "complicating the narrative" like far too many volumes aim to do.
January 3, 2021
“With apologies to the Beatles, George Whitefield was the first “British sensation.” The missionary to Georgia quickly outgrew the confines of his Savannah assignment and metamorphosed into the first great American preacher. He profoundly shaped the America Christianity as he preached to overflowing churches, challenged other pastors to preach the doctrines of grace, denounced the faculties of Harvard and Yale for their lack of spiritual vigor, and employed the technology of the printing press with unprecedented skill. Since his death, historians have either stomped upon the preacher's grave in frustration or have desecrated his memory by pulling out one or two choice biblical lessons that ignore the scope of his life and ministry. Kidd attempts to avoid both extremes. He explores and defends Whitefield’s robust faith, giving credence to the preacher’s spiritual believes and experiences. But Kidd also wrestles with Whitefield’s faults, chronicling his odd (and at times comical) interactions with women, his self-awarded sense of grandeur, and his promotion of slavery. Kidd provides readers with a sympathetic and honest presentation of the first “British sensation”
July 27, 2022
Thomas Kidd has assembled a vital biography of "perhaps...the greatest preacher the world has ever seen." Kidd's treatment is nothing less than comprehensive for a one-volume overview. Whitefield's tremendous popularity and impact, his adroit use of the contemporary media, and his consistent adherence to predestination and the necessity of the "new birth" in his preaching and writing are presented here in impressive detail. At the same time, the author courageously documents Whitefield's ambivalence toward slavery in the New World--never hesitating to reach out to Africans and African Americans (as well as American Indians), but also believing that the culturally inferior blacks would be best off remaining in slavery. Kidd also charts Whitefield's frequent disputes with the Methodists (especially John Wesley) and Moravians over key theological doctrines. This will be an essential biography for clarifying the great preacher's life and work for scholars into the twenty-first century and will do well in re-vivifying the legacy of George Whitefield.
April 30, 2019
Great work by an historian who is honest about his personal Christian convictions and determined to present accurate history. Thus, readers are introduced to George Whitefield by someone who thoroughly understands his Christianity, is able to comprehend and explain his convictions, and who is able and willing to point out his weaknesses and inconsistencies. Thomas Kidd is an expert in this time period in general, and it’s religious dimensions in particular. The reader is not only introduced to a man, but the whole period. Kidd is also a gifted writer and narrator, making him an excellent candidate for authoring this new biography of Whitefield. Students of history, religion, and evangelicalism, as well as scholars and pastors will benefit from this excellent overview of Whitefield’s life.
January 4, 2021
After the glee of Stout this feels a little stodgy, as if it goes out of the way to put a positive take on the things Stout is more ruthless about. I'm not persuaded Kidd's is the definitive biography. There are questions Stout raises that are not answered or even acknowledged. I find it effete at worst, partisan at best, as if Stout's critical concerns were beneath polite consideration and could be simply sidelined when in fact they are substantial.
Still, there's a lot of useful information here. I'd never heard, for example, about how often Whitefield's grave was opened and his remains disturbed.
Still, there's a lot of useful information here. I'd never heard, for example, about how often Whitefield's grave was opened and his remains disturbed.
December 1, 2022
Kidd does an excellent job of disclosing his interests in/fondness for Whitefield, Kidd is an evangelical who specializes in American church history after all, but also giving a fair account of his failings. Kidd’s attempt in the book is to show Whitefield as the father of America’s spirituality and he undoubtedly accomplished that.
July 1, 2020
The remarkable story of a remarkable preacher. What I appreciate about this account is that Dr. Kidd doesn't hide the shortcomings of Whitefield. He brings them to light to paint a "warts-and-all" picture of this influential American evangelical.
October 15, 2021
A very illuminating biography of the famous evangelical preacher, George Whitefield. This is no hagiographic account. Kidd shows that Whitefield was a man of his time, but nevertheless was a man who touched eternity, and therefore whose work endures to this day.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews