Rowland Hill (1744-1833) was one of the most intriguing and astonishing characters of early evangelicalism. As an independent preacher, he was admired by those who knew him, but ridiculed and criticized by his opponents, especially at Cambridge; he had connections with the General Evangelical Society, and helped spread the gospel across Britain. Touted as 'the second Whitefield' by contemporaries such as Lady Huntingdon, Hill's preaching spread evangelical feeling in an age when rationalism, deism, and enlightenment philosophies were sweeping the nation.
Through careful research and with an objectivity that is often missing in evangelical biographies, Tim Shenton has produced a definitive biography of this complex evangelical leader. This massive and extensive work will introduce Hill to a new generation of readers. Written in a lively and engaging style, The Life of Rowland Hill makes a vital contribution to the study of English society in the eighteenth century. Shenton transports the reader back to a dramatic age of conflict and upheaval. Published at a time when interest in the origins of evangelicalism, its spread, progress and decline, has gained impetus, this biography will reinstate Hill as a central and compelling figure in the progress of evangelicalism in the age of reason.
