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The Autobiography of Barton W. Stone
Barton W. Stone - a man who bravely left behind denominational names and creeds and doctrines to simply follow the Bible. With five friends who shared the same belief that God's word was sufficient for all things relating to faith and practice, he set out to bring the world to Jesus. His efforts proved very successful, even after two of the friends ran back to the Presbyterian Church, and two more were deluded by the Shakers. This is his autobiography, including the "Apology of the Springfield Presbytery" and additional chapters by John Rogers (who also put together the biography of John T. Johnson). If you're looking for Restoration Movement history, this is the book for you!
- GenresChurch HistoryBiography
356 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1847
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About the author
Barton Warren Stone
40 books1 followerBarton Warren Stone (December 24, 1772 – November 9, 1844) was an American Evangelist during the early 19th-century Second Great Awakening in the United States. First ordained a Presbyterian minister, he and four other ministers of the Washington Presbytery resigned after arguments about doctrine and enforcement of policy by the Kentucky Synod. This was in 1803, after Stone had helped lead the mammoth Cane Ridge Revival, a several-day communion season attended by nearly 20,000 persons.
Stone and the others briefly founded the Springfield Presbytery, which they dissolved the following year, resigning from the Presbyterian Church altogether. They formed what they called the Christian Church, based on scripture rather than a creed representing the opinion of man. He later became allied with Alexander Campbell, a former Presbyterian minister who was also creating an independent path, sometimes allied with Baptists, and formed the Restoration Movement. Stone's followers were first called "New Lights" and "Stoneites". Later he and Campbell brought the groups together that relied solely on the Scriptures.
Several church groups have historical roots in Stone's efforts. The three main groups are the Churches of Christ, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and the independent Christian churches and churches of Christ. Additionally, there are the International Churches of Christ, the International Christian Church, the Churches of Christ in Australia, the Churches of Christ in Europe, and the Evangelical Christian Church in Canada.
Stone and the others briefly founded the Springfield Presbytery, which they dissolved the following year, resigning from the Presbyterian Church altogether. They formed what they called the Christian Church, based on scripture rather than a creed representing the opinion of man. He later became allied with Alexander Campbell, a former Presbyterian minister who was also creating an independent path, sometimes allied with Baptists, and formed the Restoration Movement. Stone's followers were first called "New Lights" and "Stoneites". Later he and Campbell brought the groups together that relied solely on the Scriptures.
Several church groups have historical roots in Stone's efforts. The three main groups are the Churches of Christ, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and the independent Christian churches and churches of Christ. Additionally, there are the International Churches of Christ, the International Christian Church, the Churches of Christ in Australia, the Churches of Christ in Europe, and the Evangelical Christian Church in Canada.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 11, 2024
The actual autobiography is a short and worthwhile read for anyone interested in (or a member of) the Restoration stream of churches. I especially appreciated his emphasis on forbearance as a necessity for any congregation that hopes to be a uniting force for Christians as opposed to merely another schismatic one. We need forbearance no less now than we did in Stone's day.
Much of the rest of the book is skimmable and contains a lot of smoke-blowing that I found uninteresting, although I'm sure Stone was an honorable and well-loved fella. There are some interesting historical documents like the original apology of the Springfield Presbytery and some remarks on the gospel in general and doctrinal statements. These were valuable reads, even if I might not land in the same place on everything as Stone did. Forbearance, right?
Much of the rest of the book is skimmable and contains a lot of smoke-blowing that I found uninteresting, although I'm sure Stone was an honorable and well-loved fella. There are some interesting historical documents like the original apology of the Springfield Presbytery and some remarks on the gospel in general and doctrinal statements. These were valuable reads, even if I might not land in the same place on everything as Stone did. Forbearance, right?
September 9, 2024
A really important historical resource.
There are some questionable editorial choices—we could probably use an update—but this text offers an important glimpse into an era of American history and an aspect of American evangelicalism that is too often obscured.
There are some questionable editorial choices—we could probably use an update—but this text offers an important glimpse into an era of American history and an aspect of American evangelicalism that is too often obscured.
July 5, 2017
So, I fibbed. I only read the autobiographical portion of the book, written by Stone (the first 80 pages). Stone's biography is incredibly fascinating. The text sheds light both on his life (as he reviewed it in 1843) and the genre of early American autobiography.
The rest of the text includes additional information about the last 3 or 4 years of Stone's life, publications by the short-lived Springfield Presbytery, and numerous correspondences between Stone and various leaders within the Reformer-Christian movement. If you have any interest, whatsoever, in the early years of the Stone-Campbell movement (particularly from a Stoneite perspective), this is a MUST READ.
The rest of the text includes additional information about the last 3 or 4 years of Stone's life, publications by the short-lived Springfield Presbytery, and numerous correspondences between Stone and various leaders within the Reformer-Christian movement. If you have any interest, whatsoever, in the early years of the Stone-Campbell movement (particularly from a Stoneite perspective), this is a MUST READ.
August 15, 2015
Barton Stone was one of the founders of the denomination "The Christian Church (Discples of Christ)"...this is one of the textbooks for a course I am taking at Brite Divinity this Fall about the history of "Disciples of Christ"
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews