Prisoners of hope? Aspects of evangelical millennialism in Britain and Ireland, 1800-1880

This book presents essays on neglected aspects of the impact of the evangelical millennialism in Britain and Ireland between 1800 and 1880. A fervent millennial hope has often existed at the heart of the Protestant evangelicalism. Varieties of eschatology have exercised a profound impact on the movement's theology and history. Although millennialism had a respected lineage within conservative Protestantism it flourished with enormous energy in the early nineteenth century as evangelicals responded to the threat of the American and European revolutions and the cultural pessimism of the Romantic Movement. By mid-century, the millennialism which had first been articulated for the defence of Protestantism conservatism had paved the way for the subversion of historic theology and church practice, as a growing confidence in biblical inerrancy and the literal hermeneutic challenged many of the historical assumptions of the evangelical faith. This volume of essays expands on neglected aspects of the impact of the evangelical millennialism in Britain and Ireland between 1800 and 1880, and includes an essay charting recent trends in the study of millennialism.