Compelling Lives: Five Methodist Abolitionists and the Ideas That Inspired Them
Ebook
What motivates people to work for justice? Recent studies have moved away from an emphasis on specific principles and toward an understanding of social and cultural forces. But what about times in history when distinct ideas were critical for positive change?
The pre-Civil War abolitionist movement represents one such time. During an era when race-based slavery was buttressed by the machinery of civil law, many people developed arguments for freedom and equity that were grounded in divine law. There were Methodist witnesses for justice who lived by this distinction between civil and godly authority. While Methodism, as an institution, betrayed its founding opposition to slavery, many within the movement expressed a prophetic vision. A vibrant counterculture borrowed from Scripture and modern philosophy to argue for a "higher law" of justice.
The world-changing ideas that overcame slavery in America were not disembodied and ethereal. They were mediated through the lives of multidimensional individuals. Sojourner Truth, Luther Lee, Laura Haviland, Henry Bibb, and Gilbert Haven were very different from one another. Yet they were animated by similar ideas, grounded in faith, and shaped by a common commitment to human rights.
“Christopher Momany inspires us through the stories of these complex, diverse, and faithful heirs of John Wesley—people who witnessed to and embodied love, power, and justice. Through their witness we see that these core values are still needed to keep us ‘upright’ in a ‘world that is downright lost.’”
—M. Kathryn Armistead, managing editor, Methodist Review
“Remembering that history is story, Compelling Lives weaves together overlooked narratives of the American Methodist movement. In this telling, a biblical strand of life and faith is knotted with the impact of the Wesleyan revival on five individuals. Christopher Momany points readers to practices of holiness that call us to a new life in Christ, bringing reconciliation across still-existing human social divides.”
—Joy J. Moore, professor of biblical preaching, Luther Seminary
“We find here the stories of five compelling lives, compelling not only for the courageous advocacy displayed but also for the ideas which grounded and motivated their abolitionist activity, ideas rooted in faith and philosophy. These lives not only draw us in and hold our attention; they invite self-reflection. How might we embody ideas about human dignity in our own time? This book about compelling lives is itself compelling.”
—David A. Bard, bishop, Michigan Conference of The United Methodist Church
“A must-read for ministers, religious scholars, students of history, and others genuinely interested in studying models of effective antiracist work. Christopher Momany uses the lives of five Methodist abolitionists to demonstrate how they lived and practiced biblical ideals about higher law and natural rights and made them a centerpiece of their antislavery activism. At a time when so many are using Christianity to justify and reinforce division and hate, this is a timely message about its capacity to positively transform humanity.”
—Nikki Taylor, professor of history, Howard University
“In an evangelical Christian world that is running away from the idea of wokeness, particularly in the context of the twenty-first-century rise of white Christian nationalism, it is refreshing to read Christopher Momany’s interpretation of the lives of five nineteenth-century radical abolitionists of the Methodist persuasion. Momany skillfully weaves the theological, philosophical, and biblical ideas that lead each of these individuals to ‘think, feel and act’ in sacrificial ways as advocates of both Christ’s freedom and also his attendant temporal freedom.”
—Albert G. Miller, associate professor emeritus of religion and Africana studies, Oberlin College
“In Christopher Momany’s riveting new book, not only are the lives that he describes compelling, but so is his writing. Indeed, Momany draws the reader in, allowing us to identify with the challenges and struggles encountered by five Methodist social activists. Even though they lived nearly two hundred years ago, the ethical dilemmas they faced seem all too familiar. And that’s what makes this book critically important for Christians today; these ordinary people acted with courage and conviction. The implication is clear: we, too, can act with similar determination and fearlessness.”
—Douglas Strong, professor of Wesleyan studies and the history of Christianity, Seattle Pacific University
- Title: Compelling Lives: Five Methodist Abolitionists and the Ideas That Inspired Them
- Author: Christopher P. Momany
- Publisher: Cascade Books
- Print Publication Date: 2023
- Logos Release Date: 2023
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781666744644, 9781666744637, 1666744638, 9781666744620, 166674462X, 1666744646
- Resource ID: LLS:9781666744644
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-06-26T23:18:36Z
Christopher P. Momany is a former chaplain and professor at Adrian College in Michigan and an ordained United Methodist pastor. He is the author of For Each and All: The Moral Witness of Asa Mahan (2018).