David Bebbington
Encyclopedia
David W. Bebbington is professor of history at the University of Stirling
in Scotland
and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
. An undergraduate at Jesus College, Cambridge
(1968-71), Bebbington began his doctoral studies there (1971-73) before becoming a research fellow of Fitzwilliam College (1973-76). Since 1976 he has taught at the University of Stirling, where since 1999 he has been Professor of History. His principal research interests are in the history of politics
, religion
, and society
in Great Britain
from the eighteenth to the twentieth century, and in the history of the global evangelical movement
.
David Bebbington (along with Mark Noll
and others) has exerted a large amount of effort in placing evangelicalism on the world map of religious history. Through their efforts they have made it quite difficult for scholars to ignore the influence of evangelicals in the world since the movement’s inception in the eighteenth century.
, and is a long time member of Stirling Baptist Church, where he has held various positions of leadership. He is also a regular lay preacher for churches affiliated to the Baptist Union of Scotland
.
University of Stirling
The University of Stirling is a campus university founded by Royal charter in 1967, on the Airthrey Estate in Stirling, Scotland.-History and campus development:...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
Royal Historical Society
The Royal Historical Society was founded in 1868. The premier society in the United Kingdom which promotes and defends the scholarly study of the past, it is based at University College London...
. An undergraduate at Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...
(1968-71), Bebbington began his doctoral studies there (1971-73) before becoming a research fellow of Fitzwilliam College (1973-76). Since 1976 he has taught at the University of Stirling, where since 1999 he has been Professor of History. His principal research interests are in the history of politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, and society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
from the eighteenth to the twentieth century, and in the history of the global evangelical movement
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
.
Bebbington quadrilateral
He is widely known for his definition of evangelicalism, referred to as the Bebbington quadrilateral, which was first provided in his 1989 classic study Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730s to the 1980s. Bebbington identifies four main qualities which are to be used in defining evangelical convictions and attitudes:- biblicism, a particular regard for the BibleBibleThe Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
(e.g. all essential spiritual truth is to be found in its pages) - crucicentrism, a focus on the atoning work of Christ on the cross
- conversionismReligious conversionReligious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
, the belief that human beings need to be converted - activism, the belief that the gospel needs to be expressed in effort
David Bebbington (along with Mark Noll
Mark Noll
Mark A. Noll is a historian specializing in the history of Christianity in the United States. He holds the position of Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame...
and others) has exerted a large amount of effort in placing evangelicalism on the world map of religious history. Through their efforts they have made it quite difficult for scholars to ignore the influence of evangelicals in the world since the movement’s inception in the eighteenth century.
Personal life
David Bebbington is married to Eileen, and has a daughter Anne Bebbington and granddaughter Becky. He lives in the village of Bridge of AllanBridge of Allan
Bridge of Allan is a town in Stirling council area in Scotland, just north of the city of Stirling. It was formerly administered by Stirlingshire and Central Regional Council....
, and is a long time member of Stirling Baptist Church, where he has held various positions of leadership. He is also a regular lay preacher for churches affiliated to the Baptist Union of Scotland
Baptist Union of Scotland
The Baptist Union of Scotland is the main denomination of Baptist churches in Scotland.-From the 1650s to 1869:Baptists first arrived in Scotland with the armies of English republican Oliver Cromwell in the 1650s, who established small churches in Leith, Perth, Cupar, Ayr and Aberdeen, but they did...
.
External links
- Book Review of The Dominance of Evangelicalism: The Age of Spurgeon and Moody (2005) http://www.christianitytoday.com/bc/2005/006/17.17.html
- University of Stirling Department of History http://www.history.stir.ac.uk/staff/DavidBebbingtonHistoryStirlingStaffInformation.php