Reviving the Ancient Faith: The Story of Churches of Christ in America

by Richard T. Hughes

This pathbreaking book by Richard T. Hughes chronicles the history of Churches of Christ in America from their inception in the early nineteenth century to the 1990s, taking full account of the complexity of their origins, the mainstream of their heritage for almost two hundred years, and their voices of protest and dissent, especially in the twentieth century.

Genres: History, Church History, Nonfiction, Christianity, Theology

448 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1995

Reviews

[Graham Bates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviving the Ancient Faith attempts quite convincingly to show the progression of the Churches of Christ from sect to denomination. In that task it reads very different than a normal history of the Churches of Christ, at least one written by triumphalist writers of the past. Richard T. Hughes's writing style keeps his readers interested in the material presented while not dumbing down its academic heft. However, the audience to which he is writing is difficult to diagnose. Most of the strident conservative members of the CofC will dismiss their portrayal as the boogiemen of the movement (see his portrayal of Foy Wallace vs. Dwain Evans) and thus reject his thesis. Many angry against the Churches of Christ will find nearly unlimited fodder to stroke their rage and bitterness. Other, more liberal members have long-since accepted the thesis. Perhaps, the author had me - an idealistic member of the Restoration Movement but disappointed with the mainline CofC - in mind. If so, he was successful. I come away more disappointed in what I have been taught in the past but more determined to learn from these mistakes and help Christians move toward the Restoration Movement's ideals - though the goals may change.

The only major issue I take with this history of the Restoration Movement is that it reads like a soap opera. It seems Hughes became so tired of hagiographies that he decided to write the opposite. Therefore, I would suggest using Reviving the Ancient Faith as a supplement to your historical readings in the Restoration Movement and not your first foray into the movement's past.

[Walter Harrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are part of the churches of Christ, connected to the churches of Christ in any way, or just want to learn about the story, heart, and soul of the churches of Christ, I highly recommend this book.

Hughes undertakes the task to tell the story of the church of Christ in America, from its nineteenth-century roots through to the mid-1990s. It is not a book of just names, dates, and places; instead, Hughes labors to find out who these people are (of whom he is a part), their character, what makes them tick, and how their movement and fellowship has been shaped and influenced throughout the years. He is a top-notch historian, able to step back and look at the fellowship he is a part of as a whole, noting the sociological aspects of the movement, many of which would not be conscious among most of the constituency of the group. Hughes' motivation in writing included the fact that there hadn't been too many serious studies specific to the history of the churches of Christ in America (most studies focused on the disciples of Christ, who are much more open to owning their history), in part due to the denial by many that there is a history at all, besides that of the New Testament. He thought it would take him a couple of years to write the book; it ended up taking him 14 years.

Hughes sees two major stages of the churches of Christ, going from a sect in the 19th century and slowly transforming into a denomination in the 20th century, though the majority of members of the churches of Christ would object to this terminology. His definition of a sect is a group that has somewhat withdrawn themselves from the values and culture of the society they are a part of and stand in contradistinction of that society. David Lipscomb is perhaps the most visible character to stand in this tradition, devoting his life to the Kingdom of God, and not the corrupt institutions and governments of this world (including the United States, Lipscomb refused to vote his entire life, was an avowed pacifist, and stayed as far from politics as possible). However, as churches of Christ became more affluent and numerous, they desired cultural acceptance and respectability. By the mid-20th century, they had adopted all the major protestant positions of the prevailing culture (in the American south), to the point where they were explicitly pro-war (Vietnam), segregation, and had a distinct fear of communism as the truly great evil of the day. Hughes goes into much more detail to sustain his argument and shows a dramatic (though gradual) shift in the perspectives and even teachings of the churches of Christ throughout their history.

Though much has been said about the disciples of Christ through their own historians, little work had been done on the churches of Christ. In fact, some assumed that the churches of Christ were really just the offshoot of the official (or officially recorded) divide in 1906 and didn't have a history much before that. However, Hughes traces the thoughts and origins of the churches of Christ much deeper into the 19th century, going all the way back to the young Alexander Campbell and those who "radicalized" his journal the Christian Baptist (as opposed to the older Campbell who held beliefs much more akin to the disciples of Christ) and the movement started by Barton Stone. He shows how elements of both Campbell's Baconian approach to Bible interpretation were melded with Stone's apocalyptic worldview to form a distinct group of people devoted to restoring the primitive church (or at least the primitive church as they conceived it to be). Eventually, the apocalyptic worldview was jettisoned from the churches of Christ in a large and intentional way, but its influences prevailed through the early 20th century.

Hughes does a good job of asking the question "Why?" and trying to figure out what made the people in this fellowship tick. He documents major discussions that were had throughout the fellowship that brought tension and shaped the orthodoxy of the people. It is so helpful to know the history behind why people immediately get defensive or bristle when certain topics are even brought up today.

There is so much more to this book, and I can't recommend it enough. If you want to get a glimpse into the history of this fellowship, read this book.

[Adam Callis · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a feast of a book. I think everyone in CoC circles should read this book. I can attest to Hughes' point that one unique quality of the Church of Christ as a group has been a sense of historical naiveté, as my total lack of knowledge in this history proves his point.

One great quote that sums up a good portion of the debate comes from Robert Richardson during the controversy between Richardson and Tolbert Fanning, founder of the Gospel Advocate: "It is when a system of philosophy is made the basis of religious thought; when the Scriptures must be interpreted so as to agree with it, and when the dogmas thus deduced are imposed upon men as the orthodox Christian faith, that it becomes the ground-work of sectarianism" (71).

This is a great book that I will be returning back to.

[Ethan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An exploration into the history, theology, and heritage of (primarily white) churches of Christ from 1820 to 1990.

The author describes the history of churches of Christ through a sociologically informed theological perspective; his goal is to show the overall trajectory of churches of Christ from sect to denomination (according to sociological definitions). He seeks to compare and contrast a Baconian rationalist ecclesial system which easily moved toward accommodation with Evangelicalism and America as a Christian nation (embodied in Alexander Campbell) and a more "apocalyptic" viewpoint privileging the Kingdom of God and viewing the denominations and nations of the world with greater skepticism (embodied by Barton Stone and David Lipscomb).

The author seeks to show Alexander Campbell as having two phases, really embodying the trajectory of the Restoration Movement: his earlier Christian Baptist days as a full sectarian, and the later Millennial Harbinger period of great optimism about the American project and a stronger ecumenical, Protestant emphasis. The Disciples of Christ would follow the "later Campbell," while the Churches of Christ upheld the "earlier Campbell", at least in the 19th century.

The author then portrays the early 20th century as the period in which, on account of many factors, the "apocalyptic" stream was cut off, and Churches of Christ themselves moved toward denominational status (again, sociologically defined) while attempting to maintain the pretense of primitivism. The "mainline" churches would quarantine any and all who wished to maintain a more sectarian primitivist view and critiqued the growing institutionalization of the organization. By the 1950s, it is demonstrated that "mainline" Churches of Christ had become full participants in conservative white Southern culture.

The story of the 1960s-1980s involves the reaction to all sorts of convulsions to the standing of conservative white Southern culture and how "mainline" Churches of Christ negotiated it. It was a story, according to the author, of a "progressive" stream much critiqued but which did provide some ways forward for the future, a "conservative" stream attempting to hold down the fort without any changes, and the rest attempting to chart a middle way forward. The author spends a disproportionate amount of time highlighting the work and ideas of the "progressive" stream.

Much can be gained from the critical perspective of the author toward Churches of Christ. He does well at showing how focus on the ideal can easily blind people to the practical and real situation on the ground; claiming to not be a denomination does not mean one's group is not acting as if it is one. One learns that the ongoing arguments within Churches of Christ have gone on as long as the movement has been around.

On the other hand, the delineations and bifurcations seem a bit too clean; it's very hard to sort out such variation and diversities in thought in a group so cleanly.

No one reading this book will believe that the author has come to praise Churches of Christ; nevertheless, one might suspect he wishes to bury them. The prophets of Israel had more positive things to say about wayward Israel than will be found regarding Churches of Christ in this volume. One would be hard-pressed, from this volume, to understand why anyone would want to be part of Churches of Christ.

It's one thing to want to presume "objectivity," but it is not hard to detect the author's sympathies with those who will become the "progressives" and his affection toward a more ecumenical movement toward Evangelicalism. It would seem the author is a bit too close to the situation and to the history involved; his judgmentalism of those in the past is caustic, and one is left run aground on the shoals of skepticism and doubt regarding the whole project. Thus, to what end is this particular history of Churches of Christ written? Was there ever any merit to the "conservative" critique? Does the Restorationist impulse have any value in Christianity? You would not know it from this volume.

For those with some understanding of the history of Churches of Christ there may be some benefit from this perspective of its history. For those without any context this volume proves too jaded and cynical about the entire endeavor.

[Devin Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, more than any other, has helped me understand the Restoration Movement. Knowing how the Disciples of Christ and Churches of Christ split and what precipitated that schism has given me a greater appreciation for our movement while at the same time feelings of disappointment and frustration. Hughes gives so much good information on Campbell and Stone throughout that it almost doubles as biography. I also appreciate how he writes objectively while recognizing areas of the movement that need reform and others we can celebrate.

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 4 out of 5]

During the early years of the new American republic, as the Second Great Awakening was breaking out, a number of religious movements emerged. Among those new movements that emerged on what was then the American frontier of western Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Kentucky, were movements connected to Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone. Both movements were influenced by their context, including the Enlightenment philosophical perspectives of John Locke and Scottish Common Sense Realism. Both movements sought to go back to the original foundations of Christianity as found in the New Testament, minus the encrustations of history. Both envisioned their work leading to unity among Christians. While the Stone and Campbell movements emerged separately, over time, despite differences of perspective on certain things, they coalesced in the 1830s to form one movement. In time, this movement that included in its ethos a commitment to unity would divide, following different trajectories that were present in the founding visions of Alexander and Thomas Campbell, Walter Scott, and Barton Stone (among others).

In 1996, historian Richard T. Hughes wrote an in-depth history of one of the streams that emerged from this merger of the movements of Stone and Campbell (what is known more broadly as the Stone-Campbell Movement). While I come from another stream of the movement, I read and found fascinating the story Hughes told of the stream known as the Churches of Christ. It is a stream known for its embrace of non-instrumental music and an often narrow restorationist vision of the church. This stream reflects certain emphases of the founders, especially the narrow focus on the New Testament pattern for the church. In the nearly thirty years since Hughes wrote that original volume much has taken place within the Churches of Christ, meaning that it is time for a new history or at least a revision of that original history that I as a Disciple found so valuable.

James L. Gorman, associate professor of history at Johnson University, took up the task of revising Hughes' history of the Churches of Christ in consultation with the original author. Gorman's roots are Churches of Christ, though he currently teaches at a university affiliated with the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, a third branch of the Stone Campbell Movement.

While I read the earlier volume by Richard Hughes years ago and still have it on my shelves for consultation, which I have done numerous times over the years, I read this third edition without reference to the original volume. My review is based on the new edition and I do not plan on making any specific comparisons. What I can say is that the revision is seamless. Gorman has done an excellent job of making Hughes original his own. Of course, since this edition emerged three decades after the original, Gorman has brought it up to date. In his preface to this third edition, Gorman notes that he had three goals in mind. First, he wanted to bring the history up to 2022. Secondly, he brought in new scholarship that was not available to Hughes, and third to reduce the overall word count. While he reports not changing major arguments, he added nuance from more recent scholarship. He also trimmed the notes and reduced the number of images by half from the first edition, with most of the images being new. While Hughes' original edition had fourteen chapters divided into two parts, Gorman reduced the number of chapters (merging some of Hughes' chapters), and added a third section with three chapters that he framed as "Fragmentation of the Denomination." The chapters in this third section take the fragmenting of the movement from the 1960s to the 2020s. Chapter nine of the book, the third chapter in the third section, is completely new and focuses on the twenty-first century. While Hughes addressed the role of Black Churches of Christ in the original volume, Gorman has expanded that into a new chapter, and added to and updated Hughes's exploration of the history of these churches in the period running from the 1960s to 1990s (chapter 8), the penultimate chapter in the book.

I write this review from the perspective of being a minister within the Disciples of Christ, one of the three branches, and generally the more liberal branch of the movement. While I am not part of the Churches of Christ, I have had significant interaction with Churches of Christ folk, though mostly persons from the more progressive portion of the movement. The histories of the different branches of the movement tell different stories, and thus for a full picture of the larger movement, it behooves us to read each other's version of that shared history, especially when it comes to the points of departure. Disciples historians tend to focus on the trajectory that highlights the movement's focus on unity and downplays the restorationist part. Reading Gorman's updated version we get a broader view of the different trajectories present in the larger movement, and where they drew from. What we learn from this volume is that while the two streams, Disciples and Churches of Christ, officially divided in 1906 when David Lipscomb asked the census to list the two separately, the divisions were in play years before. While the Civil War contributed to the divisions, there were splinters taking place much earlier. Part of this has to do with the evolution of Alexander Campbell's thought and the different emphases of Barton Stone.

According to Gorman/Hughes the churches that became the Churches of Christ tended to draw from Campbell's earlier writings, especially the more narrow restorationist perspective found in the Christian Baptist rather than the broader, more ecumenical, and more positive post-millennial perspective that emerged later, especially as Campbell let go of his more sectarian views and drew closer to mainstream Protestantism. At the same time, Barton Stone offered a more apocalyptic, separatist vision, by that I mean culturally. People like David Lipscomb drew from Stone's views, arguing against participation in civil government, including voting. There was a strong pacifist element that became more prominent during and after the Civil War. Then there was the sociological dimension since the Churches of Christ were centered in the border states, especially middle Tennessee and places like Texas. There were a few northern leaders of this emerging movement, such as Ben Franklin and Daniel Sommers, but most, like Lipscomb, came from the south. So there is an element that is rooted in the realities of poverty. Thus, the leaders of the churches that became churches of Christ tended to reject instruments and even educated ministers, while in the north, Disciples embraced instruments, especially organs, and an educated ministry. Part One, "The Making of a Sect, focuses on these nineteenth-century developments that laid the groundwork for the "official" divide at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Part Two of the book focuses on "The Making of a Denomination." Here we have chapters that show how the apocalypticism that Lipscomb and others embraced, drawing from Stone, began to decline, especially as segments of the movement strongly opposed premillennialism. At the same time, many within the Churches of Christ embraced the idea of Christian America, something Lipscomb strongly opposed. Thus, we see a coalescing of the conservative, rationalist, theology of the Churches of Christ, with conservative political streams, but also drawing more from Campbell. Gorman/Hughes also explores the emergence of grace as an element within the churches. One of the earlier emphases had been and continued to be a rationalist vision, an almost Pelagian view of salvation that assumed that had a limited view of the role of grace. This was a view that could be found in Campbell's Christian Baptist. But early in the twentieth century, some within this emerging movement discovered grace and sought to bring it forward, leading again to fragmentation. Added to this, as discussed in Chapter 4, were the competing journalism styles. It has been said that within the larger movement, we had editors rather than bishops. This was even truer for the Churches of Christ than the Disciples, since these churches had fewer structures. Thus, the editors of journals such as the Gospel Advocate, Firm Foundation, and others exercised significant influence, drawing followers to their perspectives and influencing preachers and churches. The twentieth century saw fights over what in the larger religious world called Modernism. While the modernist/fundamentalist divide was different in scope, there were differences of opinion as to how the culture influenced the churches, especially in terms of institutions and buildings. While Churches of Christ folks largely rejected missionary societies, they were not all on the same page when it came to buildings and the use of property.

Chapter six of this volume expands on what is present in the original edition when it comes to the question of race and segregation. Gorman adds a completely new chapter focusing on the Black Churches of Christ and the realities of segregation. The main body of the Churches of Christ was completely white, and its leaders tended to be highly racist, which fits with its location in the South. But there was a significant number of Black Churches of Christ, who embraced the highly conservative theology that emerged from the early Campbell but resisted and rejected the racist views of the white churches. For that reason, there was less theological interaction. Over time they became more separate from each other. There were significant Black preachers, including Marshall Keeble, who was a highly respected preacher and leader, but he was also known to be accommodating to white church leaders. At the same time, other preachers resisted more strongly the racist perspectives of the white churches. It was a point of contention, especially in the 1960s, when most of the Churches of Christ colleges, including Lipscomb and Abilene Christian University, were white only (Pepperdine was almost alone in its welcome of non-white students). It is important to note that among Black church leaders was a Black lawyer named Fred Gray, who represented many of the civil rights leaders, and was an important figure within the Civil Rights Movement.

Part Three, which focuses on "The Fragmentation of a Denomination," material that is largely new, is quite helpful in navigating the current situation among the Churches of Christ. While for a time the Churches of Christ were a fast-growing movement, they like many others have suffered a significant decline in recent decades. There is great concern about what that means for these churches. Much of this section is new. In Chapter 7, Gorman/Hughes takes note of the left/right fragmentation that took place in the 1960s and 1970s. While we had already seen how the churches had divided earlier over segregation, premillennialism, and institutionalization, in this period the divisions involved liberal/conservative divides. Thus, we see the emergence of a more progressive wing, centered in the academic world with people such as Don Haymes, Thomas Olbricht, and others. Many of these more progressive leaders had gone to elite universities and perhaps even took up teaching posts at universities including Yale, Harvard, and others. New publications, such as the Restoration Quarterly, a more scholarly journal, emerged, along with publications such as "Mission" that pushed social, cultural, and theological boundaries, including race relations. This wing tended to draw from the apocalyptic/ethical heritage of Stone. At the same time, a more conservative wing emerged, which drew from a radicalized version of Campbell's Christian Baptist. They focused on biblical authority, rationalism, and law. Folks in this group were concerned about what they viewed as the degeneracy and decay of the 1960s. What separated them from more mainstream Churches of Christ was context. the mainstream tended to be more urban and often more evangelical in their views. The conservatives for the most part resisted developments from the twentieth century. They created new journals and new schools, mostly preacher schools. Added to this was controversy over the Holy Spirit. many within the movement were convinced that the Spirit acted through the Bible and not outside it, but things changed in the 1960s and 1970s and people discovered a broader perspective and even embraced elements of the Charismatic movement. Altogether this was a season of dramatic change and thus more division. This continued from the 1970s through the 1990s. Among the emerging issues in this period was the role of women in leadership. Churches of Christ women were at the forefront of resistance to change, including the ERA amendment. But there were also women, such as D'Esta Love (I have come to know her quite well over the past decade and a half) who was at the forefront of the movement to openness, earning an M.Div. degree and later becoming chaplain at Pepperdine. A few churches even opened their pulpits to women in the 1990s, though the road forward was rough.

The final chapter focuses on the twenty-first century. In this new chapter, written by Gorman, the focus is on the decline in numbers experienced by the movement and an accompanying identity crisis. The fragmentation and diversity of perspectives that have emerged over time have continued into the new century. Gorman takes note of seven influences on the Churches of Christ identity that run the gamut from traditionalist to progressive. While some tried to offer going back to the old ways as a solution to the challenges of the moment others sought to find new pathways. There were influences from within the tradition and from outside, especially the drawing closer of the mainstream to evangelicalism and with it Christian nationalism. As for the Progressive wing, the focus was on social justice, though theologically most progressives remained relatively conservative. In other words, they did not exhibit a low Christology or low view of the Bible. Thus, Progressives sought to find support for their views in the Bible to support their views on social justice, human rights, and the inclusion of women in leadership. While the majority of Churches of Christ congregations maintained male leadership/patriarchy, there was a growing number of churches open to women leaders, including preachers. There was also a turn to evangelicalism, exemplified by Max Lucado, whose books had a wide audience beyond the Churches of Christ. In time his church removed "of Christ" from the name and eventually added instrumental music to their worship. Though the Churches of Christ are known as non-instrumental, growing numbers are dropping that emphasis, adding to the question of identity. Then there is the attraction of Christian nationalism within a tradition that had once rejected it. White Churches of Christ members/leaders are largely Republican in their political leanings, while Black Churches of Christ go the other direction. On matters of gender and sexuality, most Churches of Christ folk skew toward traditional views, though there are a few who are open and affirming when it comes to LGBTQ rights/inclusion. As for the role of women, their inclusion is moving much faster. Gorman draws on conversations with and the books by a number of women, most of whom I know personally, including D'Esta Love and Sarah Barton. But we also learn the stories of women such as Katie Hays who ended up being pushed out and ending up with the Disciples, where she has championed not only women but LGBTQ inclusion.

As a Disciple who has friendships with people within the Churches of Christ, and with family members who are graduates of Churches of Christ universities---Pepperdine (my wife), Rochester University (my son) ----I am quite interested in the history of this movement. While the primary audience might be Churches of Christ, the fact that the first and third editions are published by Eerdmans suggests that it should have a wider audience. There is much here for all of us to learn from, especially regarding the role that an American context played in the development of not only the Churches of Christ but the larger Stone Campbell Movement. For my Disciples friends, you will be well served in reading this, and reading it to the very end.

[Josh Olds · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up in the Church of Christ, but never really got into its history. The independent nature of the denomination (to the point some still wince at it being called that) means that the history of the church and its theological background was never really at the forefront of church life. But that history and background still existed and serves as an important factor in understanding the Churches of Christ today. Reviving the Ancient Faith: The Story of Church of Christ in America is written by historians Richard Hughes and James Gorman, both of whom work for Christian universities coming from the Church of Christ tradition.

This is an updated third edition of Hughes’s original 1996 work, also published by Eerdmans. Hughes is now in his 80s serving as scholar-in-residence at Lipscomb University and turned to James Gorman to update and rework the text. The end goal of this edition was to update the scholarship, add a section to discuss the Churches of Christ in the 21st century, and reduce the overall word count. Even with such a reduced wordcount, Reviving the Ancient Faith still weighs in at over 450 pages.

The book is divided into three sections. The first section covers the formation of the Churches of Christ as a sect and the leaders’ resistance to being called a denomination. The early leaders of the CoC saw their movement as a restoration of the church away from denominationalism to the “true” church. The movement, called the Restoration Movement, swept through the Midwest in the 1800s through the person of Alexander Campbell and the rise of apocalyptism.

The second part of the book details how the sect morphed into a denomination and began to establish itself in the first part of the twentieth century. Hughes and Gorman include a very interesting discussion on the creation and segregation of Black Churches of Christ and how, because of racist ideology within the church, historically Black CoCs created their own culture separate from the mainstream (read: white) CoC movement. Hughes and Gorman discuss all the major players in the movement, how the theological foundations shifted at this time, and how all that led to fragmentation.

The third part of Reviving the Ancient Faith covers the latter part of the twentieth century into the present and, honestly, this could be volumes in and of itself. The churches of Christ would eventually fragment into disparate denominations: the Churches of Christ, the Christian Church, and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). And there was friction between all of these churches. I can recall my childhood church, ___________ Church of Christ, appending “Christian Church” to its title so as not to be confused with the Church of Christ church in the town. The Disciples of Christ represented a more liberal wing of the breakup, something my parents were not aware of until we attended a DoC church on vacation once to find (to our horror) a woman preaching.

That liberal movement within the Church of Christ—not just the Disciples offshoot—is a compelling and interesting addition to the book. Gorman and Hughes tackle the history of the denomination’s views on women in ministry, homosexuality, and other cultural and religious issues that have fractured denominations.

Reviving the Ancient Faith is objective and comprehensive. The authors write in the introduction that, while they have affinities for and affiliations with the Church of Christ, they are historians foremost and they did not shy away from when the history of their denomination (or its present) is less than palatable. I appreciated their straightforwardness and ability to not lionize either the denomination’s present or past.

Reviving the Ancient Faith is an incredible work of scholarship, probably the seminal work on the Stone-Campbell movement, and should be a stalwart of church history classes, particularly within Church of Christ affiliated universities and Bible colleges. For me, it was a great look into the history of my religious foundation—even if that’s no longer a denomination I am affiliated with. Interestingly for me, Hughes would later serve within Anabaptist circles and write heavily on racial justice and pacificism, so I guess maybe there’s a Church of Christ to Anabaptist pipeline I got on somehow. In any case, this was a deep read that I very much enjoyed.

[L Frost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr Hughes presents the history of this movement as scholarly and historically as he can. He diligently avoids presenting it with a slanted or biased approach. At the start, he tells the reader he is a member of the Church of Christ but wrote the book as one of historical information.

He weaves the same themes throughout so even if you are unclear about certain things, they resurface multiple times to provide a better understanding of what they are and the role they played. The underlying perspectives of the Campbell line of thinking and Stone thinking are explained as well as how those merged, diverged, and influenced thinking through the years. Restoration and apocalyptic thinking are also presented and woven throughout. He uses the narrative of moving from sect to denomination as an underlying theme as well. He provides a clearer explanation of what defines a denomination that is somewhat different from the way we’ve traditionally viewed it.

While the chronology can get confusing at times, Hughes presents a long line of individuals, publications, congregations, and issues that affected the movement at every turn. I was somewhat surprised at how many names I recognized and even how many I knew personally. I gained even more respect for many of these people. I wish I had better understood their roles when I had the opportunity years ago to ask them questions and learn more directly from them.

He notes that the history of African-American Churches of Christ requires another entire book so he mentions some key points and events but clearly not the entire story.

It was fascinating how the various publications and their editors played such an important role in the evolution of the movement. Hughes states that without a centralized form of governance, the editors took on extremely influential roles. The animosity that existed at times was heartbreaking.

Hughes also provides insight into how demographics - geography, education, finances, etc - affected the churches too. He addresses how the various social issues such as slavery, war, voting, equal rights, science and others were debated. Social justice and the roles of women are addressed in the latter part of the book. I wish he had spent more time clarifying the timeline and debates on things such as instrumental music and baptism a bit more.

The history and roles of Christian schools and colleges are part of the overall history. The founders of these places are mentioned. That provides a deeper insight and appreciation for them than just a plaque on a wall or name on a building, even if you disagree with some of their positions.

It is fascinating how cyclical things can be - how old themes become new again. Today’s discussions aren’t far removed from those of the 1800s in many ways. Hughes argues that the concept of Churches of Christ being the true, original church of Acts 2 is in many ways a perpetuated myth. While that was what I was taught as a child, after reading the full history of the movement in America, I think it is valid to consider that position. The history of the movement is not a seamless, smooth, unbroken one. For us to have a honest understanding and to be able to truly discuss our history, future, foundations, and issues, I think it is extremely important to know the story Dr Hughes tells in this book. It must be read with an open mind of wanting to know the actual history. It should not be read with the purpose of trying to find evidence that supports an agenda - conservative, progressive, mainstream or other.

[Luke Merrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grew up attending the Church of Christ in New Zealand with my family every Sunday and Wednesday. As my faith matured, it became difficult for me to reconcile “Church” with an ever expanding understanding of religion and the world around me – what was I to make of the Church of Christ? How did the Church end up believing and practicing the things that it does? And perhaps most importantly, what is my place in all of this?

Hughes book on Reviving the Ancient Faith was a well placed book in my journey. Hughes was able to remain truly historical and objective, allowing us to see the socio-political factors that attributed to the beginnings of the Church of Christ, and subsequently the influence of thought from the pioneers; Barton W. Stone and Alexander Campbell.

The apocalyptic thought of Barton. W Stone especially caught my attention, how it manifested into a type of passivism and imminent refusal of corrupt governments. I would never have imagined that the Church of Christ (as analyzing it today) would have grown from such roots.
Also, The enlightenment era “Baconian”, scientific approach to the bible was a big “Aha” moment for me. I believe this is the result of a much bigger problem that I would call; “the protestant problem” originating in the teaching of Sola Scriptura. It is from this assumption that I was able to understand how the Church would see the bible as a book of facts or simply data needing to be deduced. Interestingly, the Church of Christ believed that it was this common sense approach that would unify all Christendom.

In an information obsessed society, many people end up rejecting their church traditions in search for a “pure” form of Christianity or perhaps abandon it all together. Ironically, nobody can be freed from the supposed burdens of tradition, for even liberating oneself from a tradition is a tradition in and of itself. Therefore, we owe it to our heritage to redeem the good that rests within it, that is where this book becomes an important milestone in my spiritual journey.

[Alison Giles]

Growing up in Church of Christ, my experience of the heritage of the Church was only Acts 2 (much like everything else). I was never taught anything about reformation movement.
This author did a mammoth job of research. He shares how the project could only be done correctly if done fully.
This is a vast bank of church knowledge and he did a great job comparing the historical links between the two main groups, periods and main characters. He narrates many controversies and hot topics with entertaining emotion.
I think this is helpful to also understand some of the knowledge and experiences of those from different periods that are now members together in the same church. Empathy and grace can be gleaned from better understanding the many points of view.
I would recommend to anyone wanting to better understand the church of Christ and the differences compared to mainstream Christian churches.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a slow, hard read…in the manner of digesting some really hard truths about my religious heritage and the messy history of the Stone-Campbell Movement.

It explains a lot of the reasons why we are where we are today, although the book was published 30 years ago.

It provides a comprehensive history and is a must read.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essential reading for those within the Stone-Campbell movement, though I hope my religious neighbors don't read it! There were certainly heroic figures within our history (and yet, many of them I would disagree with doctrinally) but one cannot help but be embarrassed by the many ignoble ones. As a Christian within the Stone-Campbell tradition, it was often difficult to read about the flaws of my spiritual ancestors. Yet it served as a valuable reminder that the church is made of people and people are flawed - sometimes wildly so! The central question this book seeks to answer is how Churches of Christ in America have defined and put into practice the restoration ideal of "undenominational Christianity" throughout their history. That ideal has been variously defined throughout our history in a myriad of sometimes contradictory ways. The author makes his case that by the mid-twentieth century, mainline institutional Churches of Christ had largely abandoned their sectarian heritage in the tradition of Barton W. Stone and merged Alexander Campbell's ecumenical vision with the ideals and assumptions of Protestant America. Striving for wider social acceptance, the mainline groups became for all practical purposes a denomination (though still claiming "undenominational" status). Meanwhile, many of its anti-institutional dissenters also abandoned Stone's sectarian vision for a radical, legalistic version of Campbell's rational, Enlightenment-based approach to Scripture. Thus they became largely irrelevant to an increasingly postmodern world that valued experience over reason. Caught up in battles over the form and structure of Christian restoration, they became rather lukewarm as disciples and evangelists. This story is helpful in demonstrating that Churches of Christ, despite their objections, are just as susceptible to the prevailing culture and philosophies around them as any other religious body. The degree to which our doctrinal assumptions within the church are influenced by - and sometimes originate from - social and intellectual forces other than the Bible is made plain in this history.

[Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

When someone seeks to speak honestly about their family, the account is both too harsh and too sympathetic. Such is the case with Hughes's treatment of Churches of Christ in America. Nevertheless, the book is well worth reading for those curious about a movement that has ignored, denied, or forgotten its history for over a hundred years.

[Daniel Crouch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d only heard pieces and anecdotes concerning my faith history before I read this book. For that reason, he illuminated my own history and demonstrated the two threads—Stone and Campbell—that can traced through the entire movement.

[Derek Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book for anyone interested in a comprehensive history of the Church of Christ.