The first critical biography of Alexander Campbell, one of the founders of the Stone-Campbell Movement A Life of Alexander Campbell examines the core identity of a gifted and determined reformer to whom millions of Christians around the globe today owe much of their identity—whether they know it or not. Douglas Foster assesses principal parts of Campbell’s life and thought to discover his significance for American Christianity and the worldwide movement that emerged from his work. He examines Campbell’s formation in Ireland, his creation and execution of a reform of Christianity beginning in America, and his despair at the destruction of his vision by the American Civil War. A Life of Alexander Campbell shows why this important but sometimes misunderstood and neglected figure belongs at the heart of the American religious story.

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Description: In these pages, laymen will find themselves and their condition of life the center of attention at all times. Consequently they will not find a specifically spiritual vocabulary or an alien pious rhetoric. They will not find a long list of prayers, practices and penances. They will not find a list of things to be given up. Patiently and gently, these souls will open up to God. They will see that true peace comes from true love, and that love means an entire giving, and that giving means some changes. Such transitions are sometimes easy, sometimes not. But in the end what was once unwisely loved is now put aside, and what was once foolishly despised is now embraced with gratitude. Every man who has gone even a part of the way knows this. The purpose of the book, then, is to open the soul to the grace of God and to show some practical consequences of the love of God in a life that wants to find love and peace. --from the Introduction