Who was Friedrich Schleiermacher?
Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher (1768–1834) was an influential philosopher who paved the way for modern theological liberalism. Schleiermacher was born in Breslaw, Germany, and was the son of a Prussian army chaplain who became a Pietist when Friedrich was a young boy. Friedrich was sent to a Moravian boarding school at age 15. During that…
What is the Westminster Confession of Faith?
The Westminster Confession of Faith, drawn up in the 1640s by an assembly of 151 theologians (mostly Presbyterians and Puritans) at Westminster Abbey, is the standard of doctrine for the Church of Scotland and many Presbyterian churches throughout the world. Several other denominations, including Baptists and Congregationalists, have used adaptations of the Westminster Confession of…
Who was William Wilberforce?
William Wilberforce (1759—1833) was a Christian philanthropist, politician, and abolitionist in England. He is most famous for his leading role in abolishing the slave trade in Britain. Born to Anglican parents in Hull, England, Wilberforce grew up privileged and wealthy. He lived with an aunt and uncle for a period after his father’s death in…
Who was John Owen?
John Owen (1616—1683) is considered by many to be the greatest of the Puritan theologians. He was an English pastor, chaplain and adviser to Oliver Cromwell, and the vice-chancellor of Oxford University. Perhaps his greatest and best-known work is The Death of Death in the Death of Christ. John Owen was born just outside of…
What is the Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God sermon?
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God is a sermon that was preached by Jonathan Edwards on a few (likely three) occasions, but most famously on July 8, 1741, in Enfield, Connecticut. That day, God used Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God to produce powerful conviction and repentance among those who heard…
Who was George Whitefield?
George Whitefield (1714–1770), whose name is sometimes spelled Whitfield due to its pronunciation, may have been the most well-known religious figure of the eighteenth-century English-speaking world. In a little less than thirty-four years of ministry, it is estimated that Whitefield preached eighteen thousand sermons and was heard by as many as ten million people. He…
Were the Salem Witch Trials biblical?
A dark period in early American history, the Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and trials to prosecute people accused of witchcraft in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex, Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693. Hundreds of people were arrested, imprisoned, and tried for the crime of witchcraft, and nineteen of…
Who was Charles Wesley?
Charles Wesley (1707–1788) has sometimes been referred to as “the forgotten Wesley.” Though famous in his own right, Charles Wesley is often overshadowed by his older brother, John Wesley, considered the founder of the Methodist denomination. Charles established his own legacy as the author of some of the most memorable and lasting hymns of the…
Who was John Bunyan?
John Bunyan (1628—1688) was an English tinker, a Nonconformist Puritan pastor, and the author of over 60 books, including what is without doubt the greatest allegory ever written, The Pilgrim’s Progress. John Bunyan was born in Elstow, near Bedford, about 45 miles northwest of London, England. He received a rudimentary education and began practicing his…
Who was David Livingstone?
David Livingstone (1813—1873) was a Scottish medical missionary to Africa, a passionate explorer, and a philanthropist who worked to expose the horrors of the slave trade and halt it at the source. Despite his prickly disposition, Livingstone became a national British hero in his lifetime and remains one still today. For three decades, he evangelized…