Christians yearn for rapid advances in the progress of conversion in the world, holiness in their lives, and fruitful labor for the cause of God and truth. They want God-sent revival. These twelve chapters explore the periods and persons in American history that saw observable advances in these pervasive Christian hopes. Some manifested greater doctrinal purity than others, some highlighted distinctive personalities more than others, and some generated impressive statistics in the number of persons affected.Readers are encouraged to consider the relation between zeal, doctrine, spirituality, prayer, preaching, experience, and attempts to discern evidence of a true work of the Spirit. The author has sought to avoid authoritative judgments on the messengers and their movements while hopefully including enough information and analysis to provoke thought and productive discussion on the subject.
