Douglas A. Foster

A generally clear-eyed exploration into the life of one of the great reformers in Christian history and a major driving force of the Restoration Movement, often known today as the Stone-Campbell Movement.

I am not sure there is any religious "group" that has a more fraught and complex relationship with one of their great leaders/visionaries as the S-C/RM has with Campbell. And this book does a good job to explain why and how.

The author describes Campbell's origins in Ireland and the religious heritage in which he developed. He sets forth Campbell's journey to America, out of Presbyterianism, among many of the Baptists in what was then the West, and then quite self-consciously the catalyst for his own reform movement which he preferred to go by Disciples of Christ. The author very much explores the various debates and controversies into which Campbell waded, both within the greater world of Christendom and within his own movement.

No one will consider this any kind of "hagiography," but we already have that for Campbell from the past. But that does not mean Foster is overly critical or harsh; he portrays Campbell with all of his strengths as a thinker and expositor and the faults that very easily came forth because of those strengths.

Ever since the movement has attempted to figure out what it is: whether full of dogmatic warriors against sectarianism, or those seeking an irenic way of being Christian only but not necessarily the only Christians. In Campbell we can find both impulses. In Campbell we see perhaps an over-reliance on the positivism of the Enlightenment and a naive postmillennial American apocalyptic hope. It is ironic that "Campbellite" has become the standard slur used against participants in the S-C/RM, for pretty much everyone in the movement has significant disagreements or qualms with Campbell on various issues and levels. But it was his force of personality and rhetorical skill that catalyzed the movement in many ways.

A very good resource to help understand Alexander Campbell.… (meer)

The churches of Christ in North America is especially known for its distinctive of not using musical instruments in worship services. It also is known for its tendency to fracture over numerous beliefs and practices relating to its concept of the church.

This book reviews, in brief, some of the events, beliefs, and personalities associated with the various divisions in the churches of Christ, and leads readers to think about breaking this cycle of division.

The author shares that "Deep respect and love for my religious heritage and its roots in Scripture and the Spirit of Scripture prompted the writing of this book." (Preface, p. v)

Although the book is over twenty years old, it may be used as a source of information to better understand the churches of Christ in North America.

There is no index.… (meer)

This book could serve as a starting point for persons desiring to learn something of the history of an American Christian restoration movement group known as the "independent" Christian Church or Church of Christ. The Christian Church/Church of Christ is one of three main "streams" of what makes up the Stone-Campbell religious heritage. (Other "streams" are the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and churches of Christ.)

The book contains 13 short chapters, with questions for discussion at the end of each.

The first nine chapters cover the the Stone-Campbell religious heritage from its beginning to 1906, the year in which the churches of Christ were listed separately in the US census of religious institutions, apart from the Disciples of Christ. The final four chapters cover the history of the sect from 1907 forward, the period in which the Christian Church/Church and the Disciples of Christ split into two streams.

Sources for further study are included at the end of each chapter, and reflect the work of authors from all three streams of the Stone-Campbell religious heritage.

Two of the authors, Holloway and Foster, are members of the churches of Christ. Helsabeck is part of the Christian Church/Church of Christ stream.… (meer)