Wednesday, March 13, 2024

It is the 13th of March 2024. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

Before American Evangelicalism became whatever it is today (a question for another day and another pod) there were the great British Evangelicals of the Victorian era. These were the men and women who transformed the church with their hymnody, care for the poor and the lower classes amidst the industrial revolution. These were sometimes Anglicans and sometime non-conformists, only recently given rights as Christians outside of the established church.

One such British Evangelical was a giant in his day, but for various reasons has become hardly a footnote today- but if we untangle his life and prioritize his concerns we can rightly see Robert William Dale as the force he was in the church and British society.

Robert William Dale was the eldest surviving son of Robert and Elizabeth born in December of 1829 in Surrey. HIs family worshipped at the Moorfields Tabernacle under the leadership of the Scottish congregationalist John Campbell. Robert would show an interest in church work and education from an early age. Reverend Campbell dissuaded the young Robert from taking a theological education and instead arranged for him to serve in parishes in Surrey, Andover and Leamington. By the age of 16 he was preaching and publishing articles in evangelical magazines.

He would eventually receive and education at Spring College, Birmingham and took an M.A. in philosophy at the University of London. In 1852 at the age of 22 he began to assist John Angell James at Carr’s Lane Chapel. He would become a popular preacher and would begin to associate with the circle of men and women known as proponents of the “Civic Gospel”- unlike the later American “Social Gospel” that de-emphasized theological distinctive in favor of social work the so-called “Civic Gospellers” balanced firm theological convictions and work amongst the poor- arguing for free non-denominational schooling, trade unions, and expanded voting rights. He would work in the circles associated with Joseph Chamberlain but disassociated his politics from his pastoral role- refusing to preach on political matters and splitting from the Liberals over the question of Home Rule in Ireland.

To some he was an overly dogmatic preacher, reading from printed sermons but replied that he believed the Holy Spirit was just as active in the pulpit as He was in the study. He elevated the teaching of doctrine but was also deeply concerned with the devotional lives of his parishioners. A story is told by his son of his father preparing an Easter sermon when he was struck with the need to preach the “living Jesus”- he wanted his parish to know that the doctrine of the Resurrection tells us that we are in the presence of a living Jesus. He preached a series that season on the living Christ and began his practice of including an Easter hymn in all of his services.  

He would gain fame as a preacher, he travelled across Europe, the Near East, Australia and America on preaching tours. He delivered a series of lectures on preaching at Yale and was given an honorary degree. However, he refused to acknowledge his academic prowess and would not even accept the title of “reverend” he claimed that “Mr.” was as good as anything.

He was a low church congregationalist who invited D.L. Moody and Ira Sankey to his church when local churches were wary of the American evangelists. However, he one again defied common conceptions of a nonconformist by writing about the significance of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper- believing them to be more than “mere” memorials. He wrote of the presence of Christ in these sacraments- surely puzzling many of his contemporaries. Furthermore when his congregations predecessor was a firm Calvinist Robert de-emphasized the doctrines of total depravity and particular grace. We see in his popularity despite this a latitude in later 19th century British Evangelicalism.

Perhaps we see here the cause of his relative obscurity today- Robert William Dale doesn’t fit the strict categories as a low church, non-conformist, sacramentalist and political liberal. But his peers recognized him- when he died, on this the 13th of March in 1895 the Guardian wrote “let us all be thankful for everything in his life that lifted municipal and imperial politics into a higher platform, that enriched theological literature, New Testament exposition, and above all, Christian life with a true scholarship, a large charity, and a manly Christian character.” Amen, today we remember Robert William Dale- British Evangelical who died on this day at the age of 65.

The last word for today is from the daily lectionary and Isaiah 30:

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:

“In repentance and rest is your salvation,
    in quietness and trust is your strength,
    but you would have none of it.

You said, ‘No, we will flee on horses.’
    Therefore you will flee!
You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses.’
    Therefore your pursuers will be swift!

A thousand will flee
    at the threat of one;
at the threat of five
    you will all flee away,
till you are left
    like a flagstaff on a mountaintop,
    like a banner on a hill.”

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
    therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
    Blessed are all who wait for him!

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 13th of March 2024, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man, also a proponent of “manly Christianity” as a founder of the underground Random Lake Fight Club- he is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man whose beard belies his noted lack of manliness- I’m the “delicate Dan van Voorhis.” 

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.