Bruce Hindmarsh: Holy Club 2.0 – Early Methodism in the Young George Whitefield’s Diary, 1735–36

Join us in Room 100 for a lecture and Q&A session with James M. Houston Professor of Spiritual Theology and Professor of the History of Christianity Bruce Hindmarsh. Bruce will discuss “Holy Club 2.0: Early Methodism in the Young George Whitefield’s Diary, 1735–36.”

ABOUT THE LECTURE

Bruce Hindmarsh has been editing the diaries of the 18th-century evangelist George Whitefield. Dating from Whitefield’s early twenties, just before he began his preaching career and revival began to spread, these cryptic and encoded diaries record what Whitefield was doing and feeling at every hour of the day. Rich with insight into the everyday life of an Oxford student in the 1730s, they also provide a view of Whitefield’s private life at a highly formative period. They reveal, for example that a group of young men met regularly at Pembroke College under Whitefield’s guidance for spiritual direction. This was an extension of the more famous “Holy Club” associated with John Wesley and the rise of Methodism—we might think of it as the Holy Club 2.0.

In this talk, Bruce will present some of Whitefield’s diary pages. Reading them together, we’ll see how Whitefield described the small group meetings for devotional encouragement that formed the matrix of a revival movement.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Bruce Hindmarsh took his D.Phil. degree in theology at Oxford University in 1993. From 1995 to 1997 he was also a research fellow at Christ Church, Oxford.  He has since published and spoken widely to international audiences on the history of early British evangelicalism.

His articles have appeared in respected academic journals such as Church History, the Journal of Ecclesiastical History, and the Huntington Library Quarterly. He is the author of three major books: John Newton and the English Evangelical Tradition (Oxford University Press, 1996), The Evangelical Conversion Narrative (Oxford University Press, 2005), and The Spirit of Early Evangelicalism (Oxford University Press, 2018). Bruce has been the recipient of numerous teaching awards, research grants and fellowships. He has also been a Mayers Research Fellow at the Huntington Library and a holder of the Henry Luce III Theological Fellowship.

ABOUT REGENT FORUM

Regent Forum offers opportunities to connect with Regent faculty as they share research on theological topics that matter to them. Designed to foster enriching dialogue among faculty, students, and the wider community, each forum features a 40-minute paper presentation followed by a 20-minute Q&A session. Regent Forum is free, open to the public, and available exclusively onsite. Visit rgnt.net/forum to view the Winter 2024 schedule.