Early Evangelicalism: A Reader is an anthology that offers over sixty biographical introductions and excerpts from a host of well-known and lesser-known eighteenth-century Protestant writers, representing a variety of denominations, geographical locations, and underrepresented groups.

Contents ; Acknowledgments ; 1. A Selection of Hymns by Isaac Watts ; 2. Biography of a Moravian: A. G. Spangenberg's The Life of Nicolas Lewis, Count of Zinzendorf and Pottendorf ; 3. Justice for the Punishment of Sin: Jonathan Dickinson's The Reasonableness of Christianity ; 4. George Whitefield's Signature Sermon: The Nature and Necessity of Our New Birth in Christ Jesus ; 5. Calvinism under Fire: John Wesley's Free Grace ; 6. The Conversion of a Welshman: A Brief Account of the Life of Howell Harris ; 7. A Selection of Hymns by Charles Wesley ; 8. A Divisive Great Awakening Sermon: Gilbert Tennent's The Danger of an Unconverted Ministry ; 9. Revivals as a Means of Reform: Samuel Finley's Christ Triumphing and Satan Raging ; 10. Diary of Doubts: The Diary of Hannah Heaton ; 11. Racing to Hear Whitefield Preach: <"The Spiritual Travels of Nathan Cole>" ; 12. Revival at Cambuslang, Scotland: William McCulloch's The Glasgow-Weekly History ; 13. Overcome by the Power of the Spirit: Sarah Pierpont Edwards's <"Uncommon Discoveries of the Divine Perfections and Glory>" ; 14. Revival at Kilsyth, Scotland: James Robe's A Faithful Narrative of the Extraordinary Work of the Spirit of God, at Kilsyth ; 15. Jonathan Edwards Assesses a Revival: Thomas Prince's Christian History ; 16. Piety over Worldly Pleasures: The Life and Character of Miss Susanna Anthony ; 17. Satan's Strategies of Deception: Thomas Gillespie's A Treatise on Temptation ; 18. Spiritual Devotions for the Soul: Philip Doddridge's The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul ; 19. A Conversion Story: The Life of J. Cennick ; 20. A Missionary among Native Americans: David Brainerd's Mirabilia Dei inter Indicos ; 21. A Selection of Hymns by Benjamin Ingham ; 22. Summarizing God's Law: Joseph Bellamy's True Religion Delineated ; 23. Revival in the Low Countries: Hugh Kennedy's A Short Account of the Rise and Continuing Progress of a Remarkable Work of Grace in the United Netherlands ; 24. Satirical Revenge: John Witherspoon's Ecclesiastical Characteristics ; 25. Natural vs. Moral Necessity in the Will: Jonathan Edwards's Freedom of the Will ; 26. Open Letter to Commit Oneself to God: Sarah Prince Gill's <"To All My Young Acquaintance, into Whose Hands These Lines May Come>" ; 27. The Humiliation and Exaltation of the Cross: John Maclaurin's <"Glorying in the Cross of Christ>" ; 28. Determining Divine Grace: Sarah Osborn's The Nature, Certainty and Evidence of True Christianity ; 29. Eloquent Calvinism: James Hervey's Theron and Aspasio ; 30. Life as the Wife of a College President: The Journal of Esther Edwards Burr ; 31. Report on African American Religion in Virginia: Letters from the Rev. Samuel Davies ; 32. Praising the Ineffable: Anne Steele's Poems on Subjects Chiefly Devotional ; 33. Before Dartmouth College: Eleazar Wheelock's A Plain and Faithful NarrativeEL of the Indian Charity-School at Lebanon, in Connecticut ; 34. The Difference between True and False Religion: Henry Venn's The Complete Duty of Man ; 35. Salvation at Sea: John Newton's Authentic Narrative ; 36. An Anglican Minister Describes Faith: William Romaine's The Life of Faith ; 37. Faith Restricted to the Mind: John Erskine's Dissertation on the Nature of Christian Faith ; 38. Advice to Women on Chastity, Poverty, and Obedience: Mary Fletcher's Jesus, Altogether Lovely ; 39. Defending the Doctrine of Christian Perfection: John William Fletcher's First Check to Antinomianism ; 40. A Selection of Hymns by William Williams ; 41. Advice on Alcohol: Samson Occom's Sermon, Preached at the Execution of Moses Paul ; 42. An Argument for the Separation of Church and State: Isaac Backus's Appeal to the Public for Religious Liberty ; 43. A Selection of Poems by Phillis Wheatley ; 44. Practical Disinterested Benevolence: Samuel Hopkins's Dialogue, Concerning the Slavery of the Africans ; 45. Amazing Grace (How Sweet the Sound): John Newton's <"Faith's Review and Expectation>" ; 46. A Baptist's Beliefs: <"A Confession of Faith delivered by John Ryland Junior of Northampton at his Ordination to the Pastoral Care of the Church in College Lane>" ; 47. A Gospel Call to Sinners: Henry Alline's Sermon Preached on the 19th of Feb. 1783. At Fort-Midway ; 48. The Duty to Respond to the Gospel Message: Andrew Fuller's The Gospel Worthy of All Acceptation ; 49. The Ideal Student: Charles Nisbet's Address to the Students of Dickinson College ; 50. The Unlawfulness of Enslaving Humans: Thomas Clarkson's Essay on the Slavery and Commerce of the Human Species ; 51. An Appeal to the Higher Ranks of Society to Lead by Example: Hannah More's Thoughts on the Importance of the manners of the Great to General Society ; 52. Salvation Comes to a Sailor: The Interesting narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano ; 53. Journal of an American Methodist: An Extract of the Journal of Francis AsburyEL 1771 toEL 1778 ; 54. Guidelines for American Methodists: Francis Asbury's and Thomas Coke's Doctrines and Disciplines of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America ; 55. An Argument for Overseas Missionary Work: William Carey's An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians, to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens ; 56. The Necessity of Evil: Samuel Hopkins's System of Doctrines ; 57. Godly Living in a New England Town: Timothy Dwight's Greenfield Hill: A Poem, in Seven Parts ; 58. Debunking Racial Stereotypes: Richard Allen's <"Address to Those Who Keep Slaves, and Approve the Practice>" ; 59. An Anglican Evangelical's Sermon: Charles Simeon's Gospel Message ; 60. True and False Religion Exposed: William Wilberforce's Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System of Professed Christians in the Higher and Middle Classes in this Country ; 61. Godly Government During a Time of Crisis: Lemuel Haynes's Influence of Civil Government on Religion ; 62. A Conspiracy Theorists Theory: Jedidiah Morse's Sermon, DeliveredEL May 9th, 1798 ; Index

"[A] helpful new publication." --Baptist Quarterly "In recent days, a number of historians have lamented the path taken by evangelicalism, regarding it as a regrettable dumbing-down of the doctrinal richness of the Reformation. But Yeager's collection speaks better things -- it reveals a powerful movement, theologically rich with true affective interiority, that brought about a profound transformation of life and culture in the trans-Atlantic world." --Southern Baptist Journal of Theology "This is a very encouraging read. It will no doubt find its place as a leading source book for students of the period but could equally be used as an edifying stimulant for spiritual meditation as part of a daily quiet time." --Churchman "Jonathan Yeager's Early Evangelicalism is a definitive document collection on the broad sweep of eighteenth-century evangelical faith. The book's authors, who hailed from North America, Britain, and the Continent, range from learned theologians to lyrical hymnists and earnest diarists. Anyone interested in evangelical Christianity will profit from Yeager's wealth of resources." --Thomas S. Kidd, author of The Great Awakening: The Roots of Evangelical Christianity in Colonial America "This helpful collection of works from those involved in the development of evangelicalism will be of interest to Baptist historians, especially those with an interest in the re-energising of Baptist life which took place in the mid to late eighteenth century." --Baptist Quarterly "The purpose of this compact volume is to make as many texts as possible from early evangelical preachers, poets and memoirists available to a student, and wider, readership... it is helpful to have them assembled between one set of covers, especially with the simultaneous publication of a paperback edition, and this volume will be a convenient resource for teachers and students. Moreover, by illuminating the range and variety of evangelical thought, some of it relatively unfamiliar, it should prove a stimulus to further investigation into the history and mindset of early evangelicalism." --Journal of Eighteenth-Century Studies "Anybody who is new to the historical background of early evangelicalism should certainly make this excellent anthology their first port of call."-- Wesley and Methodist Studies

Selling point: The most comprehensive anthology on early evangelicalism ever published, containing over sixty excerpts and biographical introductions chronologically arranged Selling point: A variety of genres are represented, including conversion narratives, devotionals, diaries and journals, history, hymns, poetry, ecclesiastical politics, revival accounts, satire, sermons, and theology

Jonathan Yeager is Maclellan Visiting Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where he teaches courses in religious history and thought. He is the author of Enlightened Evangelicalism: The Life and Thought of John Erskine (2011).

Selling point: The most comprehensive anthology on early evangelicalism ever published, containing over sixty excerpts and biographical introductions chronologically arranged Selling point: A variety of genres are represented, including conversion narratives, devotionals, diaries and journals, history, hymns, poetry, ecclesiastical politics, revival accounts, satire, sermons, and theology