Rare Jewel Magazine: Review, Sept-Oct 2005 edition

The September/October 2005 edition of Rare Jewel Magazine arrived and presented the question of can another Great Awakening happen in America. As a student of History--Church History to be exact--the theme of this edition enticed me. Truly, what greater era in the history of America was there than the seventeenth thru the nineteenth centuries? Looking back at the awakenings, we can review the good and the bad, the wheat and the chaff.

Let's look at the question posed on the cover of the latest issue: "The Next Great Awakening...Can it Happen Here?" To answer this question, the magazine presents a number of articles, an interview, historical surveys, and quick analyses directed primarily at the target audience: Christian Patriots. While I would not qualify as a Christian Patriot, I can look at the information as it is and learn, whether through application or criticism.

The key article (in my opinion) is actually two; one follows right after the other and they have similar points. The two are Kerby Anderson's "The Great Awakening and the American Revolution" and "A Fourth Great Awakening" by Bill Lewis. Both put forth a history of the original revival periods, and the names that hallmarked the respective era; no name to this day has been bigger than Jonathan Edwards in the mid-1700's. The attempt of the former article was to tie the American Revolution in the late eighteenth century, and the radical separation from British colonialism, to the sentiments and mindset established by the religious fervor of the Great Awakening. While there definitely is that connection between the two events, I do not know that Edwards or George Whitefield cared as much about the sovereignty of the seperatist American colonies as they did about ministering the need to be born again and justification by faith.

The latter article infers that the leaders of the three Great Awakenings were Christian Patriots (also referred to in his last paragraph as "kingdom patriots"). After giving a quick survey of the history, Bill Lewis concludes that leaders like Edwards and Charles Finney and Jeremiah Lanphier "are desperately needed in this hour as well; men and women willing to pray and act sacrificially for the sake of the spritiual welfare of America" (9). This conclusion is not one I would agree with as it seems to miss the mark on the practical side of the Great Awakenings themselves, within their time periods, and rely heavily on what happened years down the line as a result of the revivals. The actual revivals were not so concerned with "America" as a land, nor were the goals to exact a revolution in the government. The concern was the spiritual status of the people.

I believe readers would benefit from more writings on the history of the original Great Awakenings. Before we can look ahead (to either anticipate another or to create one) we have to understand what the originals were like in their own context. Today, we just do not have spiritual leaders like we did then, for whatever reason. The pluralism and liberalism that is so vital to America today infiltrates (and definitely has infiltrated) the Church and hurts our ability to raise up good, solid leaders who are grounded in the true Gospel of Christ (yes, we have many great Christian leaders, but who can you think of could be an Edwards or Whitefield?).

For the Christian Patriot, the target audience of Rare Jewel Magazine, I think this is an OK edition. There could have been more on the details of the history, at least by my take. For the conservative American, this will have plenty of useful information. The next issue will be on "Training the Child in the Ways He Should Grow." For a father of two, this issue will be quite inviting. For this edition though, there could have been more. This is such a great subject, and I think the submissions were limited. The design and look is very pleasing and easy on the eyes. Overall, 2.0 Tulips.


**This subscription was provided to me by Rare Jewel Magazine through Mind and Media. I received a year long subscription in return for these reviews, and nothing more.**

Filed in: Magazine Review