Harnessing the Devil

by Maynard Nordmoe

The revitalization of sleeping churches is within the reach of all who desire it. This book examines where and how the Methodist revival that swept England (and America) in the 1700’s ignited hearts and minds by exploiting and redeeming those passions that are common to all. Not by some clever manipulation but by naturally following the gospel of Jesus Christ to its natural conclusions.

128 pages, Paperback

Published July 15, 2020

About the author

An early product of the baby boom generation, Mr. Nordmoe grew up a Norwegian-bachelor farmer in Illinois and was a late blooming scholar of eclectic tastes (degrees in art, education, Bible, and History with suppressed interests in chemistry and writing). He admits to being a thoroughly remade man through 52 years of marriage and the fathering of three children who provided the ultimate in educational enrichment. He was given to periodic fits and spurts of teaching experience over the years ranging from first grade art to college level history but has not yet decided which was of greater significance. He is a person of many interests who loves to tinker in his garage as well as forage the darker side of Russian History and prefers the title ‘Renaissance Man’ to ‘jack-of-all-trades-and-master-of-none’ though they may be horribly synonymous. Among his weaknesses are the lure of the mountains on a sunny day, old compilations of Bloom County and The Far Side, Masterpiece Theatre, freshly made chocolate chip cookies, and students who actually listen to old teachers.

Reviews

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a fan of looking to history to understand what is going on in the present and using that knowledge to find possible solutions to present problems. Mr. Nordmoe is doing just that in this sleek volume. Historians have discussed how England avoided a bloody revolution while the French were burning their country to the ground. John Wesley is often credited with saving England from a blood revolution through his revivals. Here, Nordmoe examines the key buzzwords of the French revolution--liberty, equality, and brotherhood--and how John Wesley's Methodist movement spoke to those themes in a biblical way.

This book examines those three central ideas of the revolution and why they are important today. By looking at how Wesley's Methodist movement met the needs of liberty, equality, and brotherhood, Nordmoe speaks to the need to engage these same three ideas at present and suggests some practical applications for today's churches.

This book is written in an erudite and clear style. It felt as though I were reading something from fifty years ago, but, to my mind, that is a good thing. Let me offer a few examples:
"It is a frank, if not morose tribute, to the French Revolution that was fired through and through with a devotion to these three ideals: Liberte, egalite, fraternite." (xiii)

"It is both a strong and odd testimony to the power of the Gospel to change lives that some 30 years hence, Wesley would soon take to preaching about the dangers of riches to these same folk he had rescued from some of the lowest classes of all England." (9)

"You will never know me in depth until you have visited in my home, put your feet under my table, and viewed the history of my family on display throughout my house. And that street goes both ways." (64)

There were a few places that I wish he would have expanded his argument--where I felt he had more to say but was pulling his punch. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book as an examination of the present through the lens of history