Jealousy

November 1, 2014

Kidd (religion, Baylor Univ.; The Great Awakening) aims to push one of the greatest early evangelicals out of the shadows of Jonathan Edwards and John Wesley--and into the limelight of American history. This comprehensive study of George Whitefield's (1714-70) sermons, letters, and journals serves as the foundation of what Kidd introduces as "a scholarly biography that places [Whitefield] fully in the dynamic, fractious milieu of the early evangelical movement." Kidd's religious scholarship and authority allow him to achieve this, although he admits that a controversial subject like Whitefield balances him on a fine line. Arguably, it was his open support of slavery and other shortcomings that caused Whitefield's popularity to fade before and after his final sermon. Rather than shirk or sugarcoat these faults, the author seeks to put them into greater secular and spiritual context. VERDICT Kidd deftly outlines Whitefield's significance and astutely analyzes the man's words, and those of his contemporaries, to provide a broader landscape of his pioneering role in the development of evangelical identity. It should be noted that Kidd himself is an evangelical who admits early on that he holds Whitefield in high regard. Despite this, the author manages to provide a largely objective and rich biography.--Erin Entrada Kelly, Philadelphia, PA

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