Keith J. Hardman

Finney was the most important revivalist of the 19th century. His acclaim in his time matches that of Billy Graham in the 20th century. My interest in Finney stems from my home town -- Westernville, N. Y., a small village in rural central New York. Finney began his remarkable career of evangelism in our local Presbyterian church. An aspiring lawyer, he had come to religion through an intense personal conversion experience in Adams, N. Y. in the early 1820's. He was mentored there by the local pastor, George Washington Gale. Gale later moved to Westernville where he preached at the church. A chance encounter with his friend Finney resulted in an invitation to preach from the pulpit. During his evangelism in Westernville, Finney paid house visits on the occupants of the home where we now live. His recollection in his memoirs of the family's emotional conversions is vivid and powerful. (Finney "students" have knocked on our door to ask to see the drawing room where this vivid encounter occurred.)

Finney's career blossomed from there. He began preaching to large crowds in Rome, Utica, and all across New York State -- termed the "burned-over district" where there was no longer any "fuel" (unconverted souls) to "burn" (convert) . This is considered the onset of the Second Great Awakening that spread throughout the northeast and mid-west, even on two occasions to England and Scotland. Finney's means of emotional,intense conversions and his theology (the New School that abandoned the Calvinist concepts of election and the onus of original sin) was not without critics. Despite sniping by the Old School, it is certain that Finney's revivals reached hundreds of thousands of people throughout its decades.

The relationship between Finney's revivals and the intense social movements such as abolitionism, temperance and women's rights is a strong one. Oneida County (Westernville, Rome, Utica and Whitesboro) can truly be said one of the most radical of anywhere in the nation in its fervor for these movements. (For an excellent review of the many religious and spiritual outbreaks in central New York, see "Upstate Cauldron: Eccentric Spiritual Movements in Early New York State".)

Finney went on to be one of the early founders of Oberlin College, noted for its intense abolitionism. While continuing his revivals when he could, he taught for many years and became its president.

As an aside, Finney's friend and mentor became the founder of the Oneida Institute, a manual labor academy that pioneered mixed race education and was itself noted for its extreme views on abolition. Gale moved on the Illinois where he was a founder of Knox College, still today a fine liberal arts collage.

I would posit that one cannot fully appreciate the tumultuous mid-century 19th century with acknowledging the impact of Charles Grandison Finney.

This book is out of print but available from used book websites. Keith Hardman has given us an excellent biography.… (plus d'informations)

In his preface, Hardman's aim in writing this book is to "establish Finney's place in history" (p.ix).

Next to Finney's autobiography, this is the next essential book to read on his life. It is fair, balanced and, revealing not his strengths but weaknesses; it is thorough although, not tedious with small facts and dates. The book tells not only of Finney's relentless work in the Lord's vineyard, his successes and degrees of failures, but how much he was loved by many in America and in Europe, and the controversies he endured not only with grace but with a focus that could not be turned away from the work of saving souls.

Hardman has succeeded he placing a right emphasis on Finney's stature and influence in, at least, American and Europe, an influence that is even today, 145 years after his death, reflected in how the Church does evangelism, works for the salvation of men as sinners, and continues to rekindle in the hearts of succeeding generations the desire and need for revival.… (plus d'informations)