Evangelical Disenchantment: Nine Portraits of Faith and Doubt

by David Hempton

Insightful portraits of nine public figures who became enchanted and then disenchanted with evangelical religion

In this engaging and at times heartbreaking book, David Hempton looks at evangelicalism through the lens of well-known i

Genres: History, Theology, Religion, Nonfiction

246 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinated by this book and its implications. To better understand the strengths and weaknesses of our religious traditions, we need the real stories of those who were fully committed and disenchanted. It helps us to be more honest about the real doubts faced along the way, even for those who remain committed.

[Zach Brandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and well told stories. The idea of thinking about what enchants individuals into evangelicalism and what disenchants them out of it is provocative. It’s also interesting to see how evangelicalism shaped these individuals, even long after they left it.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author gives us nine autobiographies of famous historical figures who at one time embraced (or more often were raised with) evangelical protestantism, but later left the faith. They included author George Eliot, Vincent Van Gogh, and author James Baldwin. Their stories were interesting and accentuated (by and large) the Achilles heel of evangelical protestantism, which is this: how can a loving and merciful God consign the vast majority of his creatures to endless tortuous hell simply because in this life they failed to accept Christ (historically in most cases because they never even heard of him). This makes the God of the evangelicals not only a (in opposition to Peter) a "respecter of persons" (Acts 10:34) but also infinitely cruel. That's not the God I know, nor the God these 9 disenchanted evangelicals could accept.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wholly insightful within a modest scope. Any chance to hear from Eliot or Baldwin on matters of faith is most welcome, as is learning of Van Gogh's young evangelist period, and of my hometown's most famous resident (the now-obscure evangelical lesbian prohibitionist Frances Willard). Hempton's historical conclusions from these lives are both judicious and tantalizing. I'll be reading more about Willard, at least, and maybe one of the proper histories of secularization he recommends.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this book. I thought the method of historical biography narratives was a lovely way to approach faith and loss of faith. It felt personal and sacred and real. The author, David N. Hempton, is currently the Dean of my school, Harvard Divinity School, and I could hear his voice in every word I read. It was really a beautiful experience.

[Joel Wentz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a unique book on a topic that's getting a lot of attention in a post-2016 world. I absolutely loved the limited scope, the careful attention to the nuances of the biographies, and the beautiful writing. Hempton does an admirable job outlining his methodology - why certain figures were chosen, as well as how he researched their lives and the objectives of telling their stories. His goals are modest (to explore both what attracted these individuals powerfully towards evangelical religion, and what eventually repelled them) and he manages to treat the subject without lapsing into a lazy critique of evangelical Christianity or drawing caricatures of any of the historical figures. The fact that the stories feel so complex and nuanced is more impressive when you factor in the slim size of the book. Each chapter is replete with quotations and references to primary texts, and you can tell that Hempton did his homework.

For me, the stand-out chapters were on George Eliot, Theodore Weld, and Vincent Van Gogh, though ultimately all of them are worth reading. Something about these stories resonated with me on a deep soul-level, and the reading experience made me feel less alone in my own wrestling match with my faith tradition. I'm deeply thankful that Hempton took the time to produce this wonderful book, and highly recommend it to anyone with either a personal or academic interest in the history of American-Evangelicalism, or anyone who is wondering about their own place within the movement itself.

[Liam · Rating 3 out of 5]

"For all the well-known and oft debated problems associated with reconciling faith and science, the ability to reconcile artistic creativity with Christian orthodoxy has proved to be a much bigger stumbling block for the evangelical tradition." (12)

"'I beleive in the same manner to this moment: and I moreover believe that any system of religion that has anything in it that shocks the mind of a child, cannot be a true system.'" (quoting Thomas Paine, 33)

"'A strange thing happened to us in quitting Aleppon, which deserves meditation. Mr. P. bought a horse with an amulet hung round his neck. On learning what it was, he cut it off with his pen knife, in spite of the entreaties of the late owner, who declared the horse would meet with calamity, if the charm were lost which defended him. Soon afer, the poor beast fell down into our area, fifteen feet deep, gashed open his whole side horribly, and had to be left behind, dying or ruined. I find this instructive. We have strengthened these people's superstition.'" (quoting Francis Newman, 49)

"'It may well be that people who do nothing but fall in love are more serious and holier than those who sacrifice their love and hearts to an idea.'" (quoting Vincent Van Gogh, 118)

[Bob Breckwoldt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating, yet slightly too sober and unexciting considering the personalities: nine eminent individuals - including George Eliot, Francis Newman, Vincent Van Gogh, Edmund Gosse and James Baldwin - who rejected and moved away from Evangelical Christianity that they had been born into or converted to. The detailed study shows how much they retained from their religious beliefs: the seriousness; the search for truth; and often morbid self examination. It also shows the reasons why they could not stay within: the felt hypocrisy; the lack of seriousness about morality and truth; and the unbelievability of the dogmas. The book lacks the vitality and style of the subjects own writings on their beliefs. Hopefully it will lead the reader to such work as George Eliot's article on Dr Cumming in Selected Essays, Poems and Other Writings (Classics). At the same time it is interesting to anyone unaware of of what shaped these people and overall worthwhile to read. Read, but move on to the authors' own work, where you find the working out of their beliefs in a creative and dramatic way.

[Yasmine F-A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely read. Hempton really captures the complexity and humanity of these historical figures' lives.