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Evangelicalism & the Stone-Campbell Movement
The Stone-Campbell Movement, also known as the Restoration Movement, arose on the frontiers of early nineteenth-century America. Like-minded Methodists, Baptists and Presbyterians abandoned denominational labels in order to be "Christians only." They called followers to join in Christian unity and restore the ideals of the New Testament church, holding authoritative no book but the Bible and believing no creed but Christ. Modern-day inheritors of this movement, including the Churches of Christ (a cappella) and the Christian Churches (independent), find much in common with wider evangelical Christianity as a whole. Both groups are committed to the authority of Scripture and the importance of personal conversion. Yet Restorationists and evangelicals, separated by sociological history as well as points of doctrinal emphasis, have been wary of each other. Evangelicals have often misunderstood Restorationists as exclusivist separatists and baptismal regenerationists. On the other hand, Stone-Campbell adherents have been suspicious of mainstream denominational evangelicals as having compromised key aspects of the Christian faith. In recent years Restoration Movement leaders and churches have moved more freely within evangelical circles. As a result, Stone-Campbell scholars have reconsidered their relationship to evangelicalism, pondering to what extent Restorationists can identify themselves as evangelicals. Gathered here are essays by leading Stone-Campbell thinkers, drawing from their Restoration heritage and offering significant contributions to evangelical discussions of the theology of conversion and ecclesiology. Also included are responses from noted evangelicals, who assess how Stone-Campbell thought both corresponds with and diverges from evangelical perspectives. Along with William R. Baker (editor) and Mark Noll (who wrote the Foreword), contributors include Tom Alexander, Jim Baird, Craig L. Blomberg, Jack Cottrell, Everett Ferguson, Stanley J. Grenz, John Mark Hicks, Gary Holloway, H. Wayne House, Robert C. Kurka, Robert Lowery, Edward P. Myers and Jon A. Weatherly. For all concerned with Christian unity and the restoration of the church, Evangelicalism the Stone-Campbell Movement offers a substantive starting point for dialogue and discussion.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
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April 14, 2025
Evangelicalism and the Stone-Campbell Movement, Vol 1 consists of a collection of essays from the Stone-Campbell sessions of the 1996-2000 meetings of the Evangelical Theological Society which put scholars from the restoration movement in dialogue with scholars from outside the movement surrounding issues of faith, Holy Spirit, baptism and church. It also includes some historical overviews of the Stone-Campbell movement. This book illustrates the service that Churches of Christ can provide to the broader evangelical world were they to open fresh conversations with them (30). However, there is much that CoCs can learn from the broader evangelical world as well. This book is written with such a goal in mind, to facilitate dialogue between CoC scholars and those of other traditions for mutual benefit of both camps. For instance, Baker notes that the baptismal position of CoCs “even when supported by fresh historical exegesis and practical, historical evidence” is not usually convincing to evangelicals (19). Why that is might seem a mystery to CoC insiders, but it should invite investigation into unexamined assumptions held by CoCs inherent in the case for baptismal regeneration. It might also serve as an opportunity for evangelicals to rethink their positions and to consider whether their theological commitments are clouding their exegetical judgements.
As Mark Noll noted in his Foreword, the impetus for the rapprochement of sorts represented by this volume comes—surprisingly!—from the most strictly sectarian branch of the restoration movement, the Churches of Christ (14). This likely stems from a not-incorrect sense that there is very little that separates Churches of Christ from evangelicals in culture, conviction, or creed (unwritten in CoCs, of course!). Like evangelicals, CoCs fit comfortably in American culture and mostly view it as a force for good in the world, sometimes even as an arena for the furthering of the kingdom of God. Politics are largely untaught directly in CoCs and yet still practically uniform. The CoC church culture derives from their convictions in the three American evangelical distinctives: biblicism, evangelism, and personal regeneration (37-38). Theology—like politics—remains largely untaught directly in (white) CoCs but is generally assumed and unquestioned from the white evangelical subculture around them. Doctrines like the Trinity, the evangelical emphasis on the cross of Christ, Holy Spirit cessationism, and the inerrancy of Scripture seem to be absorbed from the broader evangelical landscape and do not differ significantly from other groups around them. Even distinctives within the COC tradition, such as the CENI (command, example, necessary inference) method of interpretation is picked up from other sources such as Puritan concerns and the Westminster Confession of Faith (15). This supports Noll’s historical assessment of the movement as a “slightly more focused instance of something quite general in the history of Christianity” (14). The historical essays of Baker and Myers draw the same conclusion: Churches of Christ are basically evangelical in their culture, convictions, and (unwritten) creeds. Indeed, all of the major contributors more or less agree with evangelical scholar Craig Blomberg’s conclusion that CoCs should be counted “well within the evangelical fold” (158).
The book does feel dated in some of its emphases; for example, the enthusiasm and concern with the Willow Creek Community Church (18). Also, the loci of many topics addressed in this volume (especially faith, baptism, and conversion paradigms) has changed in recent decades, in particular with the influence of the New Perspective on Paul among evangelicals that has questioned much of the conversion paradigm within which the parameters of the debate are drawn here. Evangelicals have also moved away from strict denominational ties and institutional frameworks towards more autonomous community churches and even house-church movements inspired by a restorationist ideal. In these ways, CoCs might take pride that they had the right all along and that evangelicals were simply late to the party on these issues. Then again, their self-imposed isolationism hampered their ability to influence evangelicals in these directions they many evangelicals have arrived at independently of any major discernible CoC influence. The biggest factor that might hamper the book’s ongoing relevance, however, is the increased politicization of American evangelicals in the 23 years since the book’s publication. Looking back from the vantage point of a second Trump administration highlights the prescience of Hughes’ assessment of CoCs: that they are more aligned politically and ethically with evangelicals than they are theologically (63). These political identifiers are certainly much more relevant today in a post-Trump world. Further, Myers’ criticism of Hughes on this and other points has not aged well. Myers argues for a clear-eyed and unapologetic embrace of a theological evangelical identity among CoCs (67). The issue today is that the evangelical world is much more fractured theologically than politically. In an age where evangelical theology is being challenged and rethought on many fronts (e.g. justification, eschatology, biblical inerrancy, women in ministry, etc.), the call to embrace evangelical theology today would seem to be an impractical and unwise goal.
As Mark Noll noted in his Foreword, the impetus for the rapprochement of sorts represented by this volume comes—surprisingly!—from the most strictly sectarian branch of the restoration movement, the Churches of Christ (14). This likely stems from a not-incorrect sense that there is very little that separates Churches of Christ from evangelicals in culture, conviction, or creed (unwritten in CoCs, of course!). Like evangelicals, CoCs fit comfortably in American culture and mostly view it as a force for good in the world, sometimes even as an arena for the furthering of the kingdom of God. Politics are largely untaught directly in CoCs and yet still practically uniform. The CoC church culture derives from their convictions in the three American evangelical distinctives: biblicism, evangelism, and personal regeneration (37-38). Theology—like politics—remains largely untaught directly in (white) CoCs but is generally assumed and unquestioned from the white evangelical subculture around them. Doctrines like the Trinity, the evangelical emphasis on the cross of Christ, Holy Spirit cessationism, and the inerrancy of Scripture seem to be absorbed from the broader evangelical landscape and do not differ significantly from other groups around them. Even distinctives within the COC tradition, such as the CENI (command, example, necessary inference) method of interpretation is picked up from other sources such as Puritan concerns and the Westminster Confession of Faith (15). This supports Noll’s historical assessment of the movement as a “slightly more focused instance of something quite general in the history of Christianity” (14). The historical essays of Baker and Myers draw the same conclusion: Churches of Christ are basically evangelical in their culture, convictions, and (unwritten) creeds. Indeed, all of the major contributors more or less agree with evangelical scholar Craig Blomberg’s conclusion that CoCs should be counted “well within the evangelical fold” (158).
The book does feel dated in some of its emphases; for example, the enthusiasm and concern with the Willow Creek Community Church (18). Also, the loci of many topics addressed in this volume (especially faith, baptism, and conversion paradigms) has changed in recent decades, in particular with the influence of the New Perspective on Paul among evangelicals that has questioned much of the conversion paradigm within which the parameters of the debate are drawn here. Evangelicals have also moved away from strict denominational ties and institutional frameworks towards more autonomous community churches and even house-church movements inspired by a restorationist ideal. In these ways, CoCs might take pride that they had the right all along and that evangelicals were simply late to the party on these issues. Then again, their self-imposed isolationism hampered their ability to influence evangelicals in these directions they many evangelicals have arrived at independently of any major discernible CoC influence. The biggest factor that might hamper the book’s ongoing relevance, however, is the increased politicization of American evangelicals in the 23 years since the book’s publication. Looking back from the vantage point of a second Trump administration highlights the prescience of Hughes’ assessment of CoCs: that they are more aligned politically and ethically with evangelicals than they are theologically (63). These political identifiers are certainly much more relevant today in a post-Trump world. Further, Myers’ criticism of Hughes on this and other points has not aged well. Myers argues for a clear-eyed and unapologetic embrace of a theological evangelical identity among CoCs (67). The issue today is that the evangelical world is much more fractured theologically than politically. In an age where evangelical theology is being challenged and rethought on many fronts (e.g. justification, eschatology, biblical inerrancy, women in ministry, etc.), the call to embrace evangelical theology today would seem to be an impractical and unwise goal.
March 23, 2023
This is a collection of essays addressing the Stone-Campbell movements relationship to broader American evangelicalism. Since this book was written prior to Trump or Obama, there has been a *huge* shift in evangelical sociology. Nowadays, it is a very open question if the term "evangelical" actually has any real meaning; if it does, then that meaning might actually be more a political one than a theological one. As such, this book seem almost quaint; very little time is spent on whether or not SC movement folk are evangelicals, as all the essayists readily agree they are. Thus, most of the book is spent examining ecclesial and theological views on faith, baptism, the role of the holy spirit, and church governance. This is fine, and the debates on baptism are especially interesting, but it still feels a bit like reading the opinion column of an old newspaper were the opinions expressed never quite panned out a way the author might have predicted. Still a good book, and I plan to read the 2nd volume as well, just be mindful of when this work was composed. Great contributors though...Grenz, Ferguson, and a forward by Mark Noll?! Excellent scholarship.
July 6, 2024
Overall great, but not very cohesive and slightly repetitive.
The contributions by Noll (of course), Hicks, Kurka, Baird, and Holloway are excellent. To my surprise, Everett Ferguson's chapter left much to be desired.
The contributions by Noll (of course), Hicks, Kurka, Baird, and Holloway are excellent. To my surprise, Everett Ferguson's chapter left much to be desired.
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April 17, 2024This book reads like the transcription of one of those YouTube debate videos between an evangelical and a Stone-Campbell restorationist, but more boring.
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