Description
Baptist Noel (1798-1873) has been described by the American Evangelical Anglican historian Grayson Carter as a towering figure in nineteenth-century Evangelicalism, but he has been written out of its story because he was a saintly rebel who counted a good conscience more valuable than a good standing. This ultimately led him to abandon his glittering Anglican career and aristocratic family to become a Baptist minister.
A Rebel Saint is a comprehensive study of Noel’s life, work and thought, correcting the neglect of his remarkable Anglican and Baptist ministries and his many years of prominence in Evangelical life. Philip Hill ably illustrates his influence on issues including the Irvingite controversy, the opposition to the Tractarian movement, and Evangelical ecumenism, and explains his centrality in the establishment of the Evangelical Alliance and the London City Mission. Scholars of Evangelical history will greatly value this account of a pivotal figure, while all will be inspired by his story of sacrifice of fame and fortune for the sake of obeying religious conscience.
About the Author
Rev Dr Philip D Hill is a retired Baptist minister, missionary and theological college teacher, and was from 2013 to 2018 Pastoral Dean at Union School of Theology in Bridgend. Although his ministry has been mainly in the Baptist Union, he describes himself as a traditional Calvinist and admirer of Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones. His previous publications include Church of the Third Millenium and The Baptist Revival Fellowship.
Contents
Images
Foreword
1. Introduction
2. ‘Everyone had a Noel cousin’: Noel’s upbringing and marital home
3. ‘The Most Popular of Episcopalian Ministers’: Noel’s ministry in the Anglican Church
4. ‘Immersed in the dark pool of the Baptist chapel’: Noel’s secession and ministry within the Baptist denomination
5. ‘That Revered Man of God’: Noel’s wider ministry and final years
6. ‘A Knowledge That Leads to Genuine Piety’: Noel’s Theological, Social and Political Convictions
7. Conclusions
Bibliography
Index
Endorsements and Reviews
Baptist Noel was an outstanding nineteenth-century preacher and evangelical leader. His convictions led him to move from Anglican to Baptist ministry, but in many areas – spiritual, socio-political and educational – he transcended denominational boundaries. Philip Hill compellingly describes Noel’s striking personality and evaluates his remarkable work.
Ian Randall, Research Associate, Cambridge Centre for Christianity Worldwide
Philip Hill has produced the first comprehensive study of the Hon. Baptist Noel – the influential London preacher, chaplain to the Queen, political and social activist, prolific author, and one of the acknowledged leaders of Victorian Evangelicalism. Extensively researched, clearly written, and balanced, this volume makes an important contribution to our understanding of nineteenth century religious history.
Grayson Carter, Fuller Theological Seminary
One of the most popular of Evangelical authors and a very able preacher, whose secession from the Established Church at the height of his career was something of a cause célèbre, Baptist Noel was immersed in the very different world of Victorian Christianity. However, Hill demonstrates that Noel’s balance of doctrine, piety, and a well-developed social conscience have much to teach us in our distinctly secular age.
Michael A.G. Haykin, Chair and Professor of Church History, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
The book is meticulously researched … mainly about church politics and doctrinal disputes, so it largely caters to people interested in the genealogy of their churches.
Dr Roland Clark, in Premier Christianity, 30 August 2022
The author is diligent in tracking down primary sources which, together with Noel\rquote s wide engagement with church and society, provide a unique insight into the workings of an Evangelical cleric\rquote s mind in a period of great change and conflict, with such diverse movements as Irving\rquote s Pentecostal aspirations and Tractarian concern to protect the catholic associations of the English church”. – John Briggs (2023), University of Birmingham and Honorary in Baptist Quarterly.
Hill includes details about Noel’s parents and claims that Noel’s wife, Jane, shared her husband’s interest in social reform. However, tantalisingly, Hill claims that Noel and his wife, Jane were part of a network of friendships that included Queen Victoria and that ‘Mrs Noel remained in her elevated circles’ and in the Anglican Church even after Noel became a Baptist minister.” Karen E. Smith, Cardiff University in Journal of Ecclesiastical History, Volume 75, Issue 1, December, 2023, pp. 188 – 189.
