Isaac Backus and the Second Reformation

Whatever happened to the Christian Reformation which began under Martin Luther? When did it end? Or better yet, where did it end? Some would say in Puritan England. Others would argue that its terminus ad quem was in the failed Puritan experiment in Colonial New England. But the actual answer lies in the aftermath of the Great Awakening when the Congregational system gave up thousands of people to genuine conversion and a search for a biblical church and, ultimately, the exponential growth of the Baptist denomination. If the separation of Church and State has provided the healthy environment out of which American Evangelicalism has developed and thrived, then this volume provides essential reading as to an important part of the story. - John Briggs, Senior Research Fellow in Church History at Regent’s Park College, Oxford University.