Let Truth Prevail: An Introduction to European Christian Renewal Movements

by Allen Diles

Overview

Through the centuries, marginalized Christian renewal movements have challenged the status quo of the religious establishment, often at great cost. These nonmainstream religious movements generally receive little attention in standard introductions, but Let Truth Prevail tells their story, surveying the history, beliefs, and practices of various medieval and post-Reformation European renewal movements:

17th-century German Pietists
18th-century Scottish restoration movements
Hussites
Hutterites
Magisterial Protestants and Catholics
Mennonites
The Moravian Brethren
The Schwarzenau Brethren
Swiss Brethren
Taborites
The Unity of the Brethren
Waldensians

Allen Diles classifies these groups as restoration movements, calling attention to their enduring legacies. Each reacted against perceived corruptions in the church and sought to renew faithfulness to God's truth and his intended ideals as they applied Scripture to their historical context.

Though Let Truth Prevail demonstrates the strengths of these renewal movements, the book also considers their limitations. Current readers can challenge their own self-understanding of history, God, faith, Scripture, and the practice of the Christian way by reflecting on these marginalized believers.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940162611295
Publisher:	Leafwood Publishers
Publication date:	07/13/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Allen Diles received his ThD in Church History/Historical Theology at Charles University, Czech Republic (1990-91, 1994-2005). He has taught Bible, missions and church history at Harding University since 2005 and has published several scholarly articles. In addition to preaching in several states and foreign countries, Diles also served seven years as an elder of the College Church in Searcy, Arkansas. In 2018, he helped plant the Living Way Church of Christ, and he currently leads its missions ministry. He and his wife, Laurie, have two sons, Andrew and Luke.

Editorial Reviews

"Today, there is a longing for a Bible-based Christianity that takes discipleship seriously. But this same longing can be found throughout the history of the church. Anyone interested in church renewal needs to be familiar with the stories that Diles so engagingly tells. The faith of these Christians—many of whom died for their convictions—is inspiring, and there are valuable insights to be gleaned from Diles's comparison of these European renewal movements."

Dean and Professor of Theology, Harding School of Theology, Memphis, TN - Mark E. Powell

"In this survey of select Christian renewal movements of the last eight centuries, Diles proves to be a reliable guide through what many consider the margins of church history. Readers are effectively introduced to a variety of groups united around the primacy of the New Testament, sacramental renewal, clerical reform, moral living, and, above all, the courage to pursue the truth at all costs. These accounts should inspire our current generation to join this ongoing pursuit of truth."

author of The Reformation to the Modern Church - Keith Stanglin

"Something important happens when we set our own restoration movement alongside the stories of earlier ones. We begin to see how time, context, and tradition always shape the restoring agenda. Allen Diles's stories of earlier restoration efforts in Europe are compelling—and guaranteed to enrich and reorient our perspective on faithful Christian discipleship today."

author of In the Great Stream: Imagining Churches of Christ in the Christian Tradition - Leonard Allen Allen