RELG 330 - History of Christianity
Course Notes
Chapter 34
Page 493 - James McGready (1763-1817) was one of the revivalists involved in the Second Great Awakening in the USA (1790-ca.1840). He was a Presbyterian preacher active in Kentucky (then the frontier of what would become the USA)
Page 494 - Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899) was born into a farming family of Unitarians in Massachusetts. His father died when Moody was 4 years old, leaving a family of eleven children and the mother. Betsey Moody had to send some of her children out to work for room and board - including D. L. Moody. When he was 17 years old, D. L. Moody went to work for his uncle who had a show store - one of the conditions of working for his uncle was that he should attend the Congregationalist Church. Moody dated his conversion to evangelical Christianity to a day in 1855 when his Sunday School teacher told him how much God loved him. However, Moody's first application for membership of the church in 1855 was rejected, and he was not accepted until 1856.
At first, Moody's ambition was to make his fortune selling shoes, but it slowly dawned on him that his life would be more in keeping with Christianity if he gave time to helping the poor. So in 1858 he started a mission Sunday School in the slums of Chicago, which grew in numbers and became an Independent church (and eventually became the Moody Memorial Church of Chicago). In 1860 Abraham Lincoln, shortly after his election as President, visited and spoke at one of Moody's Sunday School meetings. In 1861 Moody left the shoe business to take part in full-time evangelistic and social work, running evening prayer meetings and English classes for immigrants.
The American Civil War of 1861-1865 was a challenge to Moody, who declared, "In this respect I am a Quaker" - i.e. he could not in good conscience take part in the fighting. However, he visited the battlefront several times as part of the US Christian Commission of the YMCA, to bring evangelism to the Union troops. While in Chicago he became president of the Chicago YMCA, and spearheaded the publication and distribution of evangelistic tracts throughout the city, and the holding of daily prayer meetings. Moody continued his work of evangelism and help for the poor for several years, until 1871.
1871 was a turning point in Moody's ministry. In that year Moody met Ira D. Sankey, a Gospel singer and composer, who worked together with Moody from then on. Later in 1871 Moody was holding a series of evangelistic meetings in Chicago, and finished one meeting, not with an altar call, but by telling his audience that they could come back on the next day for an opportunity to commit themselves to Christ. That night the Great Chicago Fire broke out, much of Chicago was destroyed, and there was no opportunity for Moody to hold the meeting for commitment to Christ. He swore that never again would he preach without giving an altar call. Moody's house and church and the YMCA were destroyed in the fire - Moody said that he "saved nothing but his reputation and his Bible" From then on, Moody's message changed from Christianity with social action, to an urgent call for world evangelization
During 1873-1875 Moody and Sankey held a revival tour of Britain, where they also met and collaborated with Charles Spurgeon
During his career Moody founded the institutions that are now known as the Moody Church, the Moody Bible Institute, and Moody Publishers (which started with horse-drawn 'Gospel Wagons' where low-cost religious books and tracts throughout the USA)
One of Moody's cross-cultural evangelistic efforts was to edit and augment the "Wordless Book" (first used by Charles Spurgeon in 1866) - a picture book used for illiterate peoples, which is still in use in some missionary circles today. After meeting Hudsom Taylor, Moody became an outspoken supporter of the China Inland Mission, and encouraged members of his Church to volunteer for overseas missionary work. During the meetings held by Moody and Sankey in 1883 in Cambridge (England), the 'Cambridge Seven' committed themselves to serve in the missions field under Hudson Taylor.
Moody was a pioneer for many techniques still used in evangelism - using house-to-house visits in areas prior to a crusade, enlisting help from all local Christian churches, using lay leaders from a variety of denominations, appealing to the business community for financial support of a crusade, using a separate room to meet with those wanting prayer or repentance, teaming up with Gospel soloists, and renting a large central building for a crusade.
Moody was well aware that his educational level was only moderate at best, saying "I know perfectly well that, wherever I go and preach, there are better preachers . . than I am; all I can say about it is that the Lord uses me.". And in response to someone who complained that he did not like Moody's way of doing evangelism, "I do not much like my way of doing evangelism either - but I prefer it to your way of NOT doing evangelism."
Moody died in 1899, probably of heart failure.
Page 495 - Charles Finney (1792-1875) was an evangelist (probably the first preacher to ask people to "stand up" as a sign of their commitment to Christ). He was one of the first evangelists to hold "mass revivals". His theology has been questioned, because of his teaching that one can "will" to become a Christian (making a "decision" like a "work" rather than an expression of faith and trust in Jesus). He denounced slavery, and encouraged women in ministry.
Page 495 - Francis Asbury - see pages 427-428. Francis Asbury was one of the superintendents for America appointed by John Wesley in 1784
Copyright © 2005 Shirley J. Rollinson, all Rights Reserved
