The Fountain of Public Prosperity: Evangelical Christians in Australian History 1740-1914

Evangelical Christians in Australian History

by Stuart Piggin, Robert D. Linder

The official religion brought to Australia with the First Fleet was Evangelical Christianity, the 'vital religion' then shaping public policy through William Wilberforce and his fellow evangelicals. That it has shaped Australian history ever since, making a substantial contribution to the public prosperity of the nation, is an untold story. Christian values and identity were the main components of Australian values and identity. Evangelical 'moralising' may be understood as a concern to address the 'hard' cultures associated with convicts, the liquor industry, and male misogyny. The movement provided opportunities for women to work in reform, charitable, evangelistic, and missionary organisations, thus laying strong foundations for feminism. In their concern for 'Christlike citizenship', evangelicals cared for the nation's children in Sunday schools and its youth in societies for young people such as the YMCA, YWCA, and Christian Endeavour. The major component of the humanitarian movement, evangelicals ensured that the convict settlement of Australia was more humane than is generally recognised. They did most of the all-too-little that was done to protect the Indigenous population and to educate settlers, keeping alive in the latter a conscience over maltreatment of the former. In a profusion of charities, evangelicals in the nineteenth century, as today, provided most of the welfare for the population's disadvantaged. The Fountain of Public Prosperity presents propositions which require a radical revision of received understandings, an appreciation of unmined riches in the Australian experience, and reconnection with an often buried past. Drawing on these untapped resources is the safest route to reimagining a future for Australia.

Genres: History, Church History, Christian History

640 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Stuart Piggin is the Director for the Centre for the History of Christian Thought and Experience at Macquarie University and Head of the Christian Thought Department of the Australian College of Theology.

Reviews

[Thomas Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this behemoth that has taken me 3 years to finish. Despite that, it has still been great to read over an extended period of time because it would present both mini biographies & historical overviews and draw out insights along the way. Really captured how evangelical Christian’s from the outset striven to contribute positively to Australia… and have made mistakes along the way as well as significant improvements to peoples lives and institutions. The book covers such an expansive time span that it’s nearly impossible to summarise. Would recommend to read!

[Neil McKinlay · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fountain of Public Prosperity: Evangelical Christians in Australian History 1740-1914. Stuart Piggin and Robert D, Linder, Monash University Publishing, Clayton, Victoria, 2018, 674 pages.

I loved this book! Who knew that there had been a great deal of Christian influence and impact on the First Fleet and then the formative years of Australia? Also, it was great to read about the role, for example, though from afar, John Newton, (the ex-slave-trader of Amazing Grace fame), and William Wilberforce, (of Abolitionist fame), had in the founding of Australia. And the optimism of Christians back then is envious! Consider, for example, the following:
“At the end of the eighteenth century most evangelicals adopted postmillennialism, the belief, forcefully expounded by Jonathan Edwards, that the Holy Spirit would be poured out so copiously in revival plenitude that the Church would enjoy a thousand years of extraordinary prosperity before the return of Christ.” pgs. 30-31.
The flavour of the book perhaps can be best tasted in the following couple of quotes from p. 574:
“This study has argued for a range of propositions on the vitality of evangelical Christianity in the Australian story. They are propositions which require a radical revision of the received understanding, an appreciation of unmined riches in the Australian experience, and reconnection with an often buried past.”
“[The] white settlement of Australia was not the careless act of a brutal government, eager to rid itself of the problem of its poor and criminal classes. It was rather an extremely ambitious reform experiment, and by the standard of the time, remarkably humane. That fact and the reason for it need to be written into Australian history.”

[Geoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

The authors’ purpose is to highlight the contributions of evangelical believers to the advancement of Australian society from the period of first British settlement to 1914. They draw on a rich array of primary sources and reflect on many different previous histories to conclude with evidence to support 18 propositions.

I was aware of quite a bit of the history recounted but there was still much that was new to me, drawn from traditions or locations outside my previous experience.

I recommend this book to every thinking Australian, and especially every ministry leader, because you can’t understand our present and are going to struggle to meet the future if you don’t understand the past.

[Isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a magnificent volume, and should be read by every Australian.

[Tim Littleford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very engaging and readable considering its scope. Wonderfully fascinating.