Sources of Division in the Disciples of Christ, 1865-1900: A Social History of the Disciples of Christ, Volume 2 (Volume 2)

Religion and American Culture

by David Edwin Harrell Jr.

The definitive social history of the Disciples of Christ in the 19th century

The Disciples of Christ, led by reformers such as Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone, was one of a number of early 19th-century primitivist religious movements seeking to “restore the ancient order of things.” The Disciples movement was little more than a loose collection of independent congregations until the middle of the 19th century, but by 1900 three clear groupings of churches had appeared. Today, more than 5 million Americans—members of the modern-day Disciples of Christ (Christian Church), Independent Christian Churches, and Churches of Christ, among others—trace their religious heritage to this “Restoration Movement.”
 

480 pages, Paperback

First published September 29, 2003

About the author

Breeden Eminent Scholar in the Humanities David Edwin Harrell, Jr., Auburn University.

Reviews

[David Blankenship · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is perhaps one of the saddest books I have ever read. By its very title one can see that it's about division (and bitterness and distrust) within a religious body rather than about any good that came during this time. The division that took place in the Disciples of Christ/Churches of Christ/Christian Church during the last half of the 19th century came about in part because of how its leaders (personified by editors of 'brotherhood newspapers') read Scripture, but also by social forces such as the Civil War, income inequality, rural vs. urban concerns, and piety issues such as alcohol and other 'vices'. Nobody comes out of this period looking good; all were guilty of finger-pointing and blaming others within the church and rarely was there a sense of humility to be found.

Much as in Harrell's previous book about Disciples history (Quest for a Christian America), one wonders how this would have read if there were more voices heard from minorities and women and even non-leaders, but this is still a fascinating insight into how a church loses its sense of mission and purpose and fractures because of secondary issues. A must-read for anybody in the various streams of this movement who wants to know why we are as we are.