C19 diary, correspondence and sermons cast light on the Evangelical movement and its relationship with the Church of England.
Between the end of the eighteenth century and the end of the nineteenth evangelicalism came to exercise a profound influence over British religious and social life — an influence unmatched by even the Oxford movement. The four texts published here provide different perspectives on the relationship between evangelicalism and the Church during that time, illustrating the diversity of the tradition. Hannah More’s correspondence during the Blagdon controversyilluminates the struggles of Evangelicals at the end of the eighteenth century, as she attempted to establish schools for poor children. The charges of Bishops Ryder and Ryle in 1816 and 1881 respectively reveal the views of Evangelicals who, at either end of the nineteenth century, had a forum for expressing their views from the pinnacle of the church establishment. The major text, the undergraduate diary of Francis Chavasse [1865-8], also written by a future bishop, provides a fascinating insight into the mind of a young Evangelical at Oxford, struggling with his conscience and his calling. Each text is presented with an introduction and notes.
Contributors ANDREW ATHERSTONE, MARK SMITH, ANNE STOTT, MARTIN WELLINGS.
MARK SMITH teaches at King’s College, London; STEPHEN TAYLOR is Reader in Eighteenth Century History, University of Reading.