You may have noticed several books have been made available on the shelves of the welcome desk in the foyer. These are resources we would like to highlight to the congregation for a period of time. These titles will change every 6 months or so.

The purpose of highlighting these resources is simply to put biblically solid, Christ-exalting, affection-fueling resources in the hands of the members at Summit Woods for their personal growth in the Lord, to equip them to do the work of ministry, and for use in discipleship relationships.

Perhaps you’ve been looking for a new book for yourself to read in your devotional time, or perhaps you’ve been wanting to get together with a brother or sister in the Lord and desire to encourage them in their walk with the Lord – these resources are there to be readily available for you.

There will essentially be 5 categories of resources that we will highlight: theology, sanctification, Christian biography, church history, and the church.

Last time we highlighted John Pipers’s A Camaraderie of Confidence. Next, we’ll be highlighting our Christian history resource, Revival and Revivalism.

Christian History Resource

Revival and Revivalism: The Making and Marring of American Evangelicalism by Iain Murray - $24.50

Marrying careful historical research to popular and relevant presentation, Revival and Revivalism traces the spiritually epoch-making events of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries through the eyes of those who lived at their center. Fundamental to the book's thesis is a rejection of the frequent identification of 'revival' with 'revivalism'. The author demonstrates that a common understanding of the New Testament idea of revival was prevalent in most denominations throughout the period 1750-1858.

Revivalism, on the other hand, is different both in its origin and in its tendencies. Its ethos is man-centered and its methods too close to the manipulative to require a supernatural explanation. Iain Murray argues that an inability to recognize this distinction has led many to ignore the new and different teaching on evangelism and revival which began to be popularized in the 1820s. While the case against that teaching was argued almost universally by the leaders of the Second Great Awakening their testimony was submerged beneath propaganda which promised a 'new era' if only the churches would abandon the older ways.

Today, when that propaganda is largely discredited, there is a great need to rediscover the earlier understanding of revival possessed by those who most intimately experienced it. Revival and Revivalism will do much to aid this rediscovery. Powerfully presented, it contains a message of major importance for contemporary Christians.

‘In Revival & Revivalism Iain H. Murray has produced yet another historical study of outstanding quality. This is not merely a record of the church’s past. Rather, those who read it will soon realize that it provides a key to understanding contemporary evangelicalism and its deep needs. It may not be too much to claim that this volume is essential reading for Christians who desire true revival in the churches of our own day.’– DR. SINCLAIR B. FERGUSON