The story of the eighteenth century preacher David Brainerd has been told in dozens of popular biographies, articles, and short essays. Almost without exception, these works are celebratory, even hagiographic in nature, making him into a kind of Protestant saint, a model for generations of missionaries. This book will be the first scholarly biography of Brainerd, drawing on everything from town records and published sermons to hand-written fragments to tell the story not only of Brainerd's life, but of his legend.

Frail, prone to depression, Brainerd was an unlikely candidate for missionary work. Yet in the 18th century, he converted hundreds of Native Americans through his example of self-denial, commitment to prayer, and devotion to Christ. Edited by Jonathan Edwards, Brainerd's firsthand account chronicles his amazing ministry-one that continues to shape today's missions.

As the charismatic leader of the wave of religious revivals known as the Great Awakening, Jonathan Edwards (1703-58) is one of the most important figures in American religious history. However, by the end of the eighteenth century, his writings were gener

Volume 1 of this 1902 edition contains the diary of the short life of colonial American missionary David Brainerd.

Announcing the newest release in our well-received Popular Encyclopedia series-The Popular Encyclopedia of Church History, an ideal resource for anyone who want a clear, user-friendly guide to understanding the key people, places, and events that shaped Christianity. General editors Ed Hindson and Dan Mitchell have extensive experience with producing reference works that combine expert scholarship and popular accessibility. Together with a broad range of well-qualified contributors, they have put together what is sure to become a standard must-have for both Bible teachers and students. With nearly 300 articles, readers will enjoy... a comprehensive panorama of church history from Acts 2 to today a clear presentation of how the church and its teachings have developed concise biographies of major Christian figures and their contributions fascinating overviews of key turning points in church history This valuable resource will enrich believers' appreciation for the wonderful heritage behind their Christian faith.

They Served God to the Ends of the EarthIn his fifth God’s Generals volume, Roberts Liardon chronicles some of the great evangelists who risked their lives to take the gospel message to strange and unknown cultures around the world, including… Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf—the Austrian nobleman whose passion for Christ ushered in the Moravian revival of the 1700s. David Brainerd—the young American colonist who sacrificially reached out to Native Americans. William Carey—the British shoemaker and Bible translator whose passion to reach India birthed a missionary revolution. David Livingstone—the explorer who crossed the “unknown continent” and opened the heart of Africa to the gospel. Adoniram Judson—the “Father of American Missions,” who endured tragedy to reach the people of Burma. Hudson Taylor—the first missionary to use the phrase “Great Commission,” who pioneered the China Inland Mission, transforming millions of lives along the way. Hiram Bingham—the first Protestant missionary, who spent twenty years serving Christ in what is now Hawaii. Amy Carmichael—the selfless Irish missionary who dedicated her life to the forsaken children of India. Jonathan Goforth—the passionate Canadian revivalist who brought salvation and healing to hundreds of thousands of Chinese people. The sacrifice and courage of these spiritual pioneers are sure to stoke the fires of your faith and revive within your heart a spirit of evangelism and compassion for the lost.

Subversive Spirituality links the practice and study of Christian spirituality with Christian mission. It develops a twofold thesis: grace, spiritual disciplines, and mission practices are inseparably linked in the mission of Jesus, of the early church, and of several historical renewal movements, as well as in a contemporary field research sample; and amidst the collapse of space and time evidenced by our culture's increasingly hurried pace of life, more time and space are needed for regular solitary and communal spiritual practices in church, mission, and leadership structures if Christian mission is to transform people and culture in our time. This requires a subversion of the collapsed spatial and temporal codes that have infected our Christian institutions. Jensen employs methods and approaches from a variety of academic disciplines to explore both spirituality in terms of space and time and mission in terms of deed and word. Specifically, Jensen examines the spirituality and mission of Jesus, the early church, the apostolic fathers, Origen, the Devotio Moderna, the early Jesuits, David Brainerd, and several women in 19th century Protestant missions. He considers the spirituality and mission that have arisen within the postmodern generations born after 1960. Based on the theological, historical, cultural, and field analyses of this study, a model for spirituality and mission is proposed. The model addresses the contemporary collapse of space and time and appears to havewidespread applicability to diverse cultures and eras. Jensen's model is applied to the pluralistic and postmodern milieu of North America with recommendations for spirituality and mission in church, mission, and educational structures. A derivativemodel for teaching and practicing spirituality and mission in the academy, which also has application for non-formal leadership development structures, is also proposed.

Remembering the moves of God is a theme that runs throughout Scripture from the Passover to the Lord's Supper. By remembering and engaging these events, people encounter God's heart motivation of love to move again. Connecticut is rich in revival history with people who have encountered the love of God for their generation. Their intimacy with God brought a fresh move that went on to touch the world. Exploring Connecticut's rich revival history is an invitation for you to engage with God and reclaim the spiritual inheritance for the land and you.

The church's relationship with depression has been fraught, and we still have a long way to go. Drawing on her own experience with depression, Diana Gruver looks back into church history and finds depression in the lives of some of our most beloved saints, telling their stories in fresh ways and offering practical wisdom both for those in the darkness and those who care for them.