Lon Graham - "All Who Love Our Blessed Redeemer"

2021·3.2 MB·English

by  Lon Graham

VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT
“ALL WHO LOVE OUR BLESSED REDEEMER”
The Catholicity of John Ryland Jr
ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT
ter verkrijging van de graad Doctor of Philosophy
aan de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam,
op gezag van de rector magnificus
prof.dr. V. Subramaniam,
in het openbaar te verdedigen
ten overstaan van de promotiecommissie
van de Faculteit Religie en Theologie
op dinsdag 19 januari 2021 om 13.45 uur
in de online bijeenkomst van de universiteit,
De Boelelaan 1105
door
Lon Alton Graham
geboren te Longview, Texas, Verenigde Staten
promotoren: prof.dr. H.A. Bakker
copromotoren: dr. A.R. Cross

TABLE OF CONTENTS
SUMMARY ............................................................................................................... i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................... iii
CHAPTER 1: METHODOLOGY AND HISTORY OF RYLAND STUDIES ...... 1
CHAPTER 2: BIOGRAPHY OF RYLAND .......................................................... 39
CHAPTER 3: EARLIER CATHOLICITIES ........................................................ 59
CHAPTER 4: CATHOLICITY IN ACTION ........................................................ 97
CHAPTER 5: THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS ............................................ 157
CHAPTER 6: PERSONAL FOUNDATIONS .................................................... 185
CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION ............................................................................. 215
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................. 233
TABLE OF CONTENTS - DETAILED
SUMMARY ............................................................................................................... i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................... iii
CHAPTER 1: METHODOLOGY AND HISTORY OF RYLAND STUDIES ...... 1
DEFINING RYLAND’S CATHOLICITY ............................................................................. 1
WHY THIS STUDY ........................................................................................................... 8
SOURCES FOR THE PRESENT WORK ............................................................................ 11
Ryland’s Public Works .................................................................................................. 11
Ryland’s Private Works ................................................................................................ 14
Deeds of Ryland ........................................................................................................... 16
Secondary Literature: Early Memories of Ryland .......................................................... 17
Problems in the Literature: Ryland’s Name Used to Further Particular Agendas ............ 22
FADING HISTORICAL MEMORY................................................................................... 28
THE ONGOING RECOVERING OF RYLAND ................................................................. 32
CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................ 37
CHAPTER 2: BIOGRAPHY OF RYLAND .......................................................... 39
EARLY YEARS ................................................................................................................ 40
CONVERSION AND CALL TO MINISTRY ...................................................................... 42
MINISTRY AT COLLEGE LANE ..................................................................................... 44
MINISTRY AT BROADMEAD ......................................................................................... 49
BRISTOL BAPTIST ACADEMY ....................................................................................... 55
CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................ 58
CHAPTER 3: EARLIER CATHOLICITIES ........................................................ 59
HENRY JESSEY ............................................................................................................... 61
JOHN BUNYAN ............................................................................................................... 71
BROADMEAD ................................................................................................................. 78
CONFESSIONS................................................................................................................ 87
CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................ 95
CHAPTER 4: CATHOLICITY IN ACTION ........................................................ 97
CATHOLIC FRIENDSHIPS .............................................................................................. 98
JONATHAN EDWARDS AND EDWARDSEANISM ......................................................... 101
AMERICAN DIVINITY .................................................................................................. 104
Jonathan Edwards Jr ................................................................................................. 106
Jonathan Walter Edwards .......................................................................................... 109
Edward Dorr Griffin ................................................................................................. 112
Levi Hart .................................................................................................................. 115
Samuel Hopkins ......................................................................................................... 119
Stephen West .............................................................................................................. 122
SAMUEL MILLER ........................................................................................................ 124
THOMAS SCOTT ......................................................................................................... 127
WILLIAM WILBERFORCE ........................................................................................... 128
ROMAN CATHOLICISM............................................................................................... 131
EMPEROR ALEXANDER I OF RUSSIA .......................................................................... 134
JOHN FOSTER .............................................................................................................. 136
CORRESPONDENCE WITH WOMEN ........................................................................... 140
MINISTERIAL COOPERATION .................................................................................... 142
MISSIONARY WORK AND CATHOLICITY:THE UNIFYING NATURE OF WORKING
TOGETHER .................................................................................................................. 151
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................. 154
CHAPTER 5: THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS ............................................ 157
UNION WITH CHRIST AND CATHOLICITY ................................................................ 158
THE SPIRIT,SALVATION, AND CATHOLICITY .......................................................... 163
EPISTEMOLOGY OF CATHOLICITY ............................................................................ 174
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................. 183
CHAPTER 6: PERSONAL FOUNDATIONS .................................................... 185
JOHN COLLETT RYLAND ............................................................................................ 185
JOHN NEWTON ........................................................................................................... 201
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................. 213
CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION ............................................................................. 215
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS ............................................................................................. 215
THE ENCLOSED GARDEN OPENED:RYLAND’S INFLUENCE ON PARTICULAR
BAPTIST LIFE .............................................................................................................. 220
BAPTIST CATHOLICITY .............................................................................................. 225
IMPORTANCE OF PERSONAL NARRATIVE IN THEOLOGICAL FORMATION AND
EXPRESSION ................................................................................................................ 227
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................. 233
SUMMARY
John Ryland Jr (1753-1825) was a prominent and influential leader among the Particular Baptists.
He served as the pastor of two significant Baptist churches, College Lane in Northampton and
Broadmead in Bristol, as well as the President of the Bristol Baptist Academy. This dissertation
examines the context, theology, and sources of Ryland’s catholicity, which is defined in the work
as visible unity in Christ and in intimate fellowship, expressed in life and service together for
Christ. The necessity of the present work is shown through an overview of the last two centuries
of Ryland studies, and short biography is offered in order to explain the importance of Ryland and
situate him in his context. In order to show that Ryland’s catholicity is unusual but not
unprecedented in Particular Baptist life, the dissertation explores four examples of a similar
catholic spirit among in the seventeenth century, Henry Jessey, John Bunyan, Broadmead, and the
1677 London Baptist Confession. Because Ryland’s catholicity is defined as visible unity that finds
its expression in life and service together, the varieties of catholic practice in Ryland’s life are shown
in his broad correspondence and ministerial partnerships with those who differed from him. The
limitations of Ryland’s catholicity are also acknowledged. The dissertation also shows the
theological and personal foundations of Ryland’s catholicity. Ryland’s theology of catholicity is
shown to be christocentric, pneumatological, and experiential. Finally, the profound influence of
Ryland’s father, John Collett Newton, and mentor, John Newton, are explored, showing the
impact of personal narrative on theological formation.
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