A. J. Tomlinson: Plainfolk Modernist

by R. G. Robins

Overview

A.J. Tomlinson (1865-1943) ranks among the leading figures of the early Pentecostal movement, and like so many of his cohorts, he was as complex as he was colorful. Arriving in Appalachia as a home missionary determined to uplift and evangelize poor mountain whites, he stayed to become the co-founder and chief architect of the Church of God (Cleveland, TN) and the Church of God of Prophecy, which together with their minor offspring now constitute the third-largest denominational family within American Pentecostalism. R.G. Robins's biography recreates the world in which Tomlinson operated, and through his story offers a new understanding of the origins of the Pentecostal movement. Scholars have tended to view Pentecostalism as merely one among many anti-modernist movements of the early twentieth century. Robins argues that this is a misreading of the movement's origins-the result of projecting the modernist/fundamentalist controversy of the 1920s back onto the earlier religious landscape. Seeking to return the story of Pentecostalism to its proper historical context, Robins suggests that Pentecostalism should rightly be seen as an outgrowth of the radical holiness movement of the late nineteenth century. He argues that, far from being anti-modern, Pentecostals tended to embrace modernity. Pentecostal modernism, however, was a working class or "plainfolk" phenomenon, and it is the plainfolk character of the movement that has led so many scholars to mislabel it as anti-modern or fundamentalist. Through the compelling narrative of Tomlinson's life story, Robins sheds new light on late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century American religion, and provides a more refined lens through which to view the religious dynamics of our own day. v

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195165913
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	10/28/2004
Series:	Religion in America
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 6.40(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Roger Glenn Robins is Assistant Professor of History and Political Science at Marymount College in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

Editorial Reviews

"In this beautifully written account of the life of Ambrose Jessup Tomlinson, R. G. Robins manages to mix biography with an important theoretical revision. Few books on holiness-pentecostalism are as insightful or as delightful to read as this one." —The Journal of American History

"Plainfolk Modernist is a welcome addition to the history of the Holiness Pentecostal movement. Robins' persuasive thesis will force American religious scholars to reconsider the usefullness of the fundamentalist-modernist paradigm for interpreting the early history of Pentecostalism." — PNEUMA: The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies

"R. G. Robins has written an intriguing, insightful, and thoroughly researched revisionist interpretation of the radical holiness and early pentacostal movements. ...this will become a seminal work in the expanding discussion of plainfolk religion." —Journal of Southern History

"In A.J. Tomlinson, Robins has given us a vivid and unforgettable portrait of an early Pentecostal giant. His depiction of Tomlinson as a plainfolk modernist opens up a new interpretive prism for the study of the Holiness movement which gave birth to Pentecostalism. This book will also be essential reading for an understanding of the Churches of God centered in Cleveland, Tennessee which stand as monuments to Tomlinson's organizational genius."—Vinson Synan, Dean of the Divinity School, Regent University

"As the first book-length scholarly biography of this early pentecostal leader, R.G. Robins study is bound to make a significant contribution. This richly told account brings fresh insights into the most significant American religious movement of the twentieth centry." —History: Review of New Books

"Robins' biography of A. J. Tomlinson pulses with life, color, and incident. Robins uses Tomlinson (a prime shaper of one cluster of Pentecostal denominations) to limn the social and cultural world in which the holiness movement thrived and the Pentecostal movement emerged. This gripping narrative reconstructs a vanished past on its own terms by illuminating the strands of plainfolk culture that shaped vigorous popular Christian movements. Beautifully written and compellingly argued, it is a must read for anyone interested in turn-of-the-century American popular Protestantism."—Edith L. Blumhofer, Professor of History and Director of the Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals, Wheaton College

"Robins brings the best theoretical insights of others and his own brilliance to the biographical task of understanding a much misunderstood movement through the remarkable persona of A. J. Tomlinson. In the process, Robins writes a new model for understanding American religious history that will help students continue to reassess the coexistence of religion and modernity. Robins's love affair with the English language and his clear-sighted analysis make this an exceptional and exceptionally rewarding book."—Donald G. Mathews, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

"A wonderfully written biography... Robins's book ranks as a remarkable braided narrative of early pentecostalism. He expertly situates Tomlinson in teh context of his late-nineteenth-century world. At the same time, Robins provides piercing analysis of a movement that is still poorly understood by the larger religious studies and history professions." —Church History

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