George Whitefield: God's Anointed Servant in the Great Revival of the Eighteenth Century

The 18th Century produced evangelicalism's greatest theologian (Jonathan Edwards), evangelist (George Whitefield), organizer (John Wesley), and songwriter (Charles Wesley). These four represent evangelicalism at its best: trans-Atlantic cooperation across theological lines, a burning zeal for evangelism, and a concomitant commitment to social reform (especially in John Wesley's case). But they also evince the deepest theological fault line within evangelicalism, between Calvinists and Arminians, and demonstrate the ongoing tensions between the church and parachurch ministries.Edwards, being dead, still speaks through reprints of his works and the veritable cottage industry of explaining and applying them to today's concerns. John Wesley lives on through numerous denominations--Methodist, Wesleyan, Holiness--that trace their origins, in one way or another, to his labors, and through Christian small groups that, wittingly or not, perpetuate aspects of his societies, bands, and classes. And we sing Charles Wesley's hymns, though not often enough--at least for my taste.Whitefield, on the other hand, has been largely neglected. This is odd, for Whitefield arguably did more to promote trans-Atlantic evangelicalism than any of his peers, working with an ecumenical cast of Anglicans, Baptists, Congregationalists, Independents, and Presbyterians. Though a Calvinist--and for a period of time in deep dispute with the Wesleys over their Arminianism--he worked with Arminian evangelicals. He preached as often--if not more often--than John Wesley, and to larger crowds. He pioneered many of the techniques that Wesley perfected--e.g., open-air preaching, circuit riding, religious societies. Indeed, in his own time, he was often referred to as "the Founder of Methodism."Over the course of three decades, Arnold A. Dallimore sought to rectify this neglect of Whitefield. In 1970, he published the first volume of  George Whitefield: The Life and Times of the Great Evangelist of the Eighteenth-Century  (Banner of Truth). He published  the second volume  in 1980. In 1990, Crossway published the one-volume abridgement of the biography under review here. It was reprinted in 2010 with a new cover. Crossway also published  The Sermons of George Whitefield  in 2012.I hope to review The Sermons soon, but for now let me say something about Dallimore's abridged biography. It is a self-conscious hagiography of the great evangelist. I use the word hagiography literally, for after reviewing Whitefield's life and labors, Dallimore writes: "George Whitefield was a holy man" (p. 200). A Christian reader of George Whitefield--at least an evangelical Protestant reader--will likely come to the same conclusion. Whitefield's zeal for evangelism, concern for the poor, personal philanthropy, and courage in the face of mobs mark him out as a deeply Christian man. By outlining the course of his life and ministry, Dallimore has performed a signal service for evangelical readers.By nature, hagiographies are not critical biographies, however. They describe a life in order to inspire emulation. But this description has an apologetic cast to it. Throughout this book, for example, Dallimore compares and contrasts Whitefield and John Wesley, often to the latter's detriment. (Charles Wesley comes out better because he was personally closer to Whitefield than his brother John.) His treatment of Whitefield is defensive, as if he mourns the spotlight historians have shown on John rather than George. He sees faults in Whitefield: emotionalism in his early ministry, not to mention a critique of Christian ministers whom he felt were not personally born again or whose ministries were insufficiently evangelical. "His chief fault," Dallimore avers, "was his condoning the practice of slavery, the one dark blot on his otherwise spotless record." A critical biography would examine these topics in more detail. If Dallimore does examine them more closely in his two-volume biography, he has chosen not to include the results of that examination here.And there are topics that might interest modern readers. In  The Divine Dramatist , Harry S. Stout explores Whitefield's self-promotion and theatricality. In  The Accidental Revolutionary , Jerome Dean Mahaffey explores the political effects of Whitefield's ministry in the American colonies. How Whitefield innovated the practice of evangelism and what effect those innovations have on contemporary evangelicals is interesting to me, as a church leader. And as an American, I'm interested in the ways religion influenced the cause of revolution. But these topics go unremarked upon (at least in the abridgement).I make these critical remarks of George Whitefield not because I didn't enjoy the book or wouldn't recommend it. I did, and I would. Rather, I make them because readers should know what to expect from Dallimore's work. It will give them a good outline of the chronology and major events in Whitefield's life. And it should inspire readers--at least if they are evangelical--to greater personal holiness, zeal for the lost, and desire to do as much good in this life as God enables one to do. If you profit from this book, by all means read the two-volume version, which explores issues in greater depth. Nonetheless, Dallimore's biography is not the whole picture. If your interest is more broadly historical, you'll need to supplement your reading with critical biographies such as the ones I've mentioned above.P.S. Historian John Fea recommends Frank Lambert's  "Pedlar in Divinity" , and Thomas Kidd's forthcoming biography of Whitefield, to be published by Yale University Press.

“Have we read or heard of any person, who called so many thousands, so many myriads of sinners to repentance?”(John Wesley concerning George Whitefield)O how necessary it is to read biographies! Someday, I hope to write a post on the necessity of biographies for all Christians but particularly for pastors who labour day and night, craving encouragement from the Lord.The Life of George WhitefieldBut today is not that day. This post is designed to introduce you to a well-written biography of one of my favourite figures from evangelical history: George Whitefield. I firmly believe that this biography should make its way onto the bookshelf of every pastor.The life of George Whitefield is a source of immense encouragement to me. His endurance in suffering, humility in discord, strength in persecutions, gentleness in turbulent situations, passion in boldly preaching the word of God, zeal to win thousands for Christ, and love for God is remarkably uplifting and refreshing.The shockwaves of his thunderous preaching were felt throughout the evangelical world. Bishop Ryle goes as far as to say that, “Whitefield was entirely chief and first among the English Reformers of the 18th century”. I think he is right. It is rightly claimed that Whitefield’s congregations were the largest ever reached by the human voice in the history of mankind. The Christ that Whitefield sweetly and passionately preached spoke to thousands through his ministry.Dallimore’s Rich Portrait Of WhitefieldIn this biography, Dallimore masterfully paints for us a rich, complex, and multi-faceted picture of Whitefield. He does so with honesty, beauty, elegance, integrity and theologically drenched eyes. But this biography is merely a ‘trailer’ of Dallimore’s mammoth two-volume work. So, for those of us who don’t yet have time to plunge into the 224-page version, this volume provides an excellent and enjoyable entry point into the life of Whitefield.A unique feature of this biography is that it displays a slight hagiographical and apologetic edge. Hagiographical in the sense that the author presents Whitefield in a very sparkling light. His confession gives it away, “George Whitefield was a holy man” (p. 200). Apologetic in the sense that the author repeatedly defends Whitefield against unsubstantiated charges of both early and modern biographers. The author does so humbly and provides good reasons for his conclusions.To sum up, this biography showcases Whitfield’s life with clarity and vibrancy. I would not be surprised if this became a classic introduction to the life of this evangelical giant for the next generation.

Dallimore captures the essence of Whitefield’s ministry, which is nothing short of a work of God! It quickens the soul, and gives life to the spiritually weak. What a gift this book is to the church!

Dallimore's biography of George Whitefield is fantastic, a book JI Packer called one of the most influential he had read.You owe it to yourself to read the full, two-volume, unabridged version of the biography. It's a fantastic read about an amazing man.But if you don't have time for the two-volume version right now--or if you find yourself wanting to listen to a book in your free time driving or whatever--this is an audio version of the abridged version. And it is excellent in its own right. Don't skip reading the longer version, but enjoy this shorter taste of the life of the great preacher and evangelist of the First Great Awakening.

Well written and detailed biography on George Whitfield, every Christian should probably read up on his life story, ministry and how mightily he was used by God. Very inspiring. These hardback volumes will last a lifetime, very good binding and high quality.

I was impressed with the devotion and energy of George Whitefield. He was the driving force for the early Methodist movement, but his name is lost to most people as John Wesely is now identified as the founder of the church.It is a story telling of the work of the Holy Spirit in a human being, and how it motivated him to tell the story of Jesus in a way that captivated the hearts of people.I was astounded to read of the vast number of people who stood outside to listen to George preach, without the aid of voice amplification.Read it and gain a new sense of history in the Christian faith.

This biography of George Whitfield is very revealing in his major role in Evangelical revival in America and in Britain. He was a very able scholar and communicator who won the heart of all classes. A mature man with much wisdom and sound leadership. He chose to be eclipsed by John Wesley and sort unity in the revival. Wish we had more men like him today!

Yes this is a powerful read and full of good material perhaps not as seen in previous books concerning this man who preached to thousands in the open air.His life wasn't always perfect but the perfect God is seen in his life and shows what God can do with a man fully dedicated to Him and ready to go anywhere for God trusting only Him.I fully recommend this book to all.Jim Allis www,jimallis.co.uk

This books gives a clear picture of God's omnipotent grace in the life of one of His children. Reading the life of Whitefield has done many things to me but mainly these two things: To show me how little I know of the Glory and Majesty of God in my own life, but it has also shown me that the Spirit of God that rested upon these great men, is the same Spirit at work in my life and is willing to take all His children to grander heights of communion with the Triune God if only we would seek Him. So I highly recommend this copy to all who have not read it yet!

Excellent biography. I have not read such a clear assessment and evaluation of this amazing life and the impact it had. What a blessing he was in a time of great suffering for many in UK

Excellent!