Recent decades have witnessed a growing interest in evangelical spirituality. Although several books are available that focus on evangelical spirituality; none thus far has included the rich and varied resources of primary readings of this under-researched spiritual tradition. The Emergence of Evangelical Spirituality offers readers a balanced collection of primary sources for eighteenth-century evangelical spirituality in America and Britain. Beginning with a chapter that introduces readers to the foundational nature and themes of evangelical spirituality; the book goes on to present the writings of men and women authors some very well known; others not well known grouped into six thematic categories. From giants of the movement such as Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield to social reformers William Wilberforce and Hannah More and such hymn writers as William Cowper; The Emergence of Evangelical Spirituality presents an invaluable and unequalled treasury of authors representing a rich heritage of American and British spirituality for students and general readers alike.
#19735 in Books William Cronon 2003-09-01 2003-09-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 207.52 x .77 x 5.51l; .56 #File Name: 0809016346288 pagesPaperback with scene of forest and snow.
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Reflections on a People of PlentyBy Roger D. LauniusPerhaps it is appropriate that this book review be done at this particular time; since it is so much about the convergence of cultures in early America and how the use of resources changed as a result. This is especially important as we pause for the holidays and the bounties that are so much a part of the American experience.William Cronin has been a leading figure in the study of the environmental history of the American West for a generation. This book is one of the reasons why. It is an elegant study; at once entertaining and enlightening as well as seminal in its characterization of the New England frontier and the relationships of the native population to the English immigrants in their homeland.Cronin’s thesis is straightforward. As he characterized it: “the shift from Indian to European dominance in New England entailed important changes—well known to historians—in the ways these peoples organized their lives; but it also involved fundamental reorganizations—less well known to historians—in the region’s plant and animal communities. To the cultural consequences of the European invasion—what historians sometimes call ‘the frontier process’—we must add the ecological ones as well†(p. xv). So true; but that insight was lost on many earlier historians who had previously studied native/English interactions. What Cronin offers is a well-researched; effectively-argued; and finely-honed explanation of this situation.Chapters on the landscape and its changes over time; the different natures of agriculture among the native and English populations; ownership and patterns of use; and the interactions of both communities bring this together in a useful manner. Accessing standard historical materials as well as works in archaeology; anthropology; plant and animal science; and climatology Cronin synthesizes a major historical episode in a new way.His greatest conclusion; at least from my perspective; harkens back to the “frontier thesis†of Frederick Jackson Turner. Turner asserted; and I believe Turner was correct that this was the case; that the broad expanse of land available dominated the thinking of Europeans coming to America and prompted a structuring of the American experience along a specific path. Cronin makes the case that this European path was uniquely destructive to the New England ecology. “They assumed the limitless availability of more land to exploit;†he wrote; “and in the long run that was impossible†(p. 169). Ultimately; Cronin noted; “the people of plenty were a people of waste†(p. 170).0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. He discusses the misunderstanding between their concept of how to use the land and the Europeans' concept of land as real estateBy Rebecca SmithThis is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read. It is absolutely packed with important information and insightful analysis. If you are interested in ecology; Native Americans; history; anthropology; economics and the law you have a lot to learn in this book. Cronon describes how the Native Americans lived before the Europeans came and how their hunter-gatherer lifestyle shaped the land and forests. The colonists found land that was far from being wilderness. He discusses the misunderstanding between their concept of how to use the land and the Europeans' concept of land as real estate that was rightfully owned by whoever could "put it to good use" as laid out in Genesis in the Bible. I could go on and on.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. InterestingBy Granny-By-The-SeaThis is a very well researched summary of the changes in the New England landscape due to the arrival of white men. I read it as part of a study I have been doing on how the New England forest has evolved over time.Both the English and the Indians manipulated the natural forest to meet their own needs and expectations; but as they began to share the same landscape; new changes emerged. The story is much less simplistic than we were all taught and reminded me that we all shape the world we live in - whether we think we do or not;
