Dean of College of Bible and Ministry Allen authors pair of new books
Shelby Bratcher |
Leonard Allen discussing Answered by Fire
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Leonard Allen, Dean of the College of Bible and Ministry, is already the author or co-author of over 10 books. Recently, Allen has added another work to his personal library.
Answered by Fire: The Cane Ridge Revival Reconsidered has been a heavily anticipated book following the Carroll Ellis Symposium in August 2019. At the symposium, four scholars —Richard Hughes, James Gorman, John Mark Hicks, and Allen—joined together to discuss and present research on the Restoration Movement.
The book was formed out of the symposium’s presentations. Besides editing the volume, Allen authored two of the chapters which were originally his speeches.
The Restoration Movement, dated in the early 19th century has been crucial in identifying the origins of the modern-day Church of Christ. One of the most notable events of the movement, the Cane Ridge Revival, is the main component of the recently released book.
The Cane Ridge Revival aimed to unify a long network of churches in the rural region of Kentucky during a six-day event filled with spiritual disciplines. Thousands of people, regardless of denomination differences, were joined together during their “search for renewal.”
The name of the book comes from an analysis of the revival from the presiding Presbyterian pastor, Barton Warren Stone. He explained that God answered their prayers for revival “by fire.” Many were converted, and due to the experience many congregations with similar missions were formed.
This revival is responsible for many roots of the Churches of Christ we see today, Allen said.
This topic aligns very closely with Allen’s personal research interests. “I’ve been studying the history and theology of Churches of Christ for 40 years, and have published many books and articles in this area,” explained Allen.
This book only sparked more interest in the topic of the revival which prompted Allen to write another book—the soon-to-be-released In the Great Stream: Imagining Churches of Christ in the Christian Tradition.
“My newest book traces the surprising transformations in the doctrine of the Holy Spirit over this two-hundred-year modern history,” said Allen.“