In September Boydell and Brewer will be publishing (in their Studies in Modern British History series) a new volume co-edited by John Maiden (OU) and Andrew Atherstone (Oxford) – Evangelicalism and the Church of England in the twentieth century: reform, resistance and renewal.

Here is what Jeremy Morris says in his recommendation:

“This is a comprehensive and wide-ranging collection of essays on a neglected but central topic for understanding the history of the Church of England in the twentieth century.  Atherstone and Maiden could not have assembled a more formidable body of scholars to cover the subject, and this promises to be a decisive contribution to modern church history which all students and scholars working in the field will want to have.”

It includes a expansive introduction which attempts to locate the Anglican evangelical movement in the broader fields of the history of English Christianity and global evangelicalism. The contributors highlight the diversity of the movement (including the often forgotten, yet highly influention until the 1930s, liberal Anglican Evangelical Group Movement). They also show that evangelicals sometimes engaged constructively with the broader Church and wider society before the 1960s emergence of John Stott et al’s  ‘neo-evangelicalism’. Other significant themes include the significance of charismaticism, the rise of lay leadership, changing conceptions of national identity, and the importance of generational shifts to changing evangelical theologies and practices. There is analysis of major organisations, conferences and networks, including the Keswick Convention, Islington Conference and Nationwide Festival of Light.

If you are interested, Boydell are currently offering a 25% discount on the book – please feel free to email John Maiden for more information at john.maiden@open.ac.uk .