Overview

Benjamin Hoadly, Bishop successively of Bangor, Hereford, Salisbury and Winchester, was the most controversial English churchman of the eighteenth century, and he has unjustly gained the reputation of a negligent and political bishop. His sermon on the nature of Christ's kingdom sparked the Bangorian controversy, which raged from 1717 to 1720 and generated hundreds of books, tracts and sermons, while his commitment to the Whigs and the cause of toleration for Dissenters earned him the antagonism of many contemporary and later churchmen. In this powerfully revisionist study, Hoadly emerges as a dedicated and conscientious bishop with strong and progressive principles. His commitment to the ideology of the Revolution of 1688 and to the comprehension of Dissenters into the Church of England are revealed as the principal motives for his work as a preacher, author and bishop. Gibson also shows how Hoadly's stout defence of rationalism made him a contributor to the English Enlightenment, while his commitment to civil liberties made him a progenitor of the American Revolution. Above all, however, the goal of reuniting of English Protestants remained the heart of Hoadly's legacy.

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Reviews

William Gibson's Benjamin Hoadly set a new standard for ecclesiastical biography on its first publication in 2004 and rescued its subject from caricature. This welcome second edition, taking account of the most recent scholarship, restates the convincing case for Hoadly's enduring influence and his centrality to theological debate for most of the eighteenth century. Nigel Aston, Honorary Fellow in History, University of Leicester, and Research Associate, University of York

The concern for 'peace and unity' emerges as a main theme in Gibson's interpretation and compels us to reshape our understanding of Hoadly as a champion of religious pluralism in a modern sense. By restoring Hoadly to his proper place in the history of the English Church, Professor Gibson adds new information to a subject much studied over the latest generation. Archives Gibson's study of Hoadly is to be greatly welcomed. It is certainly a major piece of reassessment. Journal of Religious History Although Gibson assembles a great deal of information about his subject's life and works, and although he discusses many points that are relevant to Hoadly's theology, the book is not primarily an analysis of his philosophical and theological beliefs. Gibson's main concern, he avows, is with Hoadly's manifold contributions to the defence and reform of the Anglican Church and its estabilishment as a truly National Church, serving as many of the people as possible.There can be no doubt that Gibson has shown that Hoadly was a much more substantial figure than many have been willing to believe. Enlightenment & Dissent The book has made a major contribution to knowledge of Hoadly's career and its broader meaning and it will be required reading for all who have a serious interest in early eighteenth-century British political and religious history. The Journal of the Historical Association

William Gibson's Benjamin Hoadly set a new standard for ecclesiastical biography on its first publication in 2004 and rescued its subject from caricature. This welcome second edition, taking account of the most recent scholarship, restates the convincing case for Hoadly's enduring influence and his centrality to theological debate for most of the eighteenth century. Nigel Aston, Honorary Fellow in History, University of Leicester, and Research Associate, University of York

Benjamin Hoadly, Bishop successively of Bangor, Hereford, Salisbury and Winchester, was the most controversial English churchman of the eighteenth century, and he has unjustly gained the reputation of a negligent and political bishop. His sermon on the nature of Christ's kingdom sparked the Bangorian controversy, which ranged from 1717 to 1720 and generated hundreds of books, tracts and sermons, while his commitment to the Whigs and the cause of toleration for Dissenters earned him the antagonism of many contemporary and later churchmen. In this powerfully revisionist study, Hoadly emerges as a dedicated and conscientious bishop with strong and progressive principles. His commitment to the ideology of the Revolution of 1688 and to the comprehension of Dissenters into the Church of England are revealed as the principal motives for his work as a preacher, author and bishop. Gibson also shows how Hoadly's stout defence of rationalism made him a contributor to the English Enlightenment, while his commitment to civil liberties made him a progenitor of the American Revolution. Above all, however, the goal of reuniting of English Protestants remained the heart of Hoadly's legacy.

Author Information

William Gibson is Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Oxford Brookes University, and Director of the Oxford Centre for Methodism and Church History. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Society of Antiquaries. His recent books include Samuel Wesley and the Crisis of Tory Piety, 1685-1720 and The Oxford Handbook of the British Sermon 1689-1901.

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