"In the years prior to the American Revolution, George Whitefield was the most famous man in the colonies. Thomas Kidd's fascinating new biography explores the extraordinary career of the most influential figure in the first generation of Anglo-American evangelical Christianity, examining his sometimes troubling stands on the pressing issues of the day, both secular and spiritual, and his relationships with such famous contemporaries as Benjamin Franklin, Jonathan Edwards, and John Wesley. Based on the author's comprehensive studies of Whitefield's original sermons, journals, and letters, this excellent history chronicles the phenomenal rise of the trailblazer of the Great Awakening. Whitefield's leadership role among the new evangelicals of the eighteenth century and his many religious disputes are meticulously covered, as are his major legacies and the permanent marks he left on evangelical Christian faith. It is arguably the most balanced biography to date of a controversial religious leader who, though relatively unknown three hundred years after his birth, was a true giant in his day and remains an important figure in America's history"-- Provided by publisher.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"The circumstance of my being born in an inn" : George Whitefield and eighteenth-century England -- "The day start arose in my heart" : Whitefield's conversion -- "God is preparing me for something extraordinary" : Whitefield the Methodist missionary -- The fiery trial of popularity" : George Whitefield, field preacher -- "A tour round America" : the American South and the Bethesda orphanage -- "To revive the flame again" : Whitefield comes to New England -- "Hearing him preach, gave me a heart wound" : Calvinist preaching, Calvinist controversy -- "Thy maker is thy husband" : Whitefield goes to Scotland -- "Close attacks, but strong consolations" : the return to America -- "Hunting in the American woods" : Whitefield, slavery, and evangelical radicalism -- "As I grew moderate" : Whitefield mends rivalries -- "This pilgrimage kind of life" : the end of Whitefield's travels -- Conclusion: "Jesus Christ has got thee at last" : George Whitefield's legacy.