God's Empire: William Bell Riley and Midwestern Fundamentalism

by William Vance Trollinger

More than any other individual, William Bell Riley, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Minneapolis, inspired the resurgence of Protestant fundamentalism in 1930s America.  Trollinger explores the development of Riley’s theology and social thought, examining in detail the rise of the Northwestern Bible and Missionary Training School and other similar institutions.  He sheds light upon the nature, successes, and failures of fundamentalist crusades and makes it clear that, to understand fundamentalist religion in America, one must focus upon its regional and local roots.

Genres: Fundamentalism, History

244 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found my way to this book indirectly, but it provided a lot of context for understanding the cultural, political, and of course religious context of the Midwest in which I find myself.

The key point made by other scholars of fundamentalism- that it is a response to modernity and not a renewal of classical/traditional/ancient theology- is made compelling here. And Riley's life as a raging anti-modernist (and anti-semite and lunatic conspiracist, among other things) is a helpful personal window into that reality.

Frankly, the contribution of the book most meaningful was to understand the origin story of the University of Northwestern- formerly Northwestern Bible College- and how its present social location as a very conservative institution in the heart of a progressive metropolis- can be understood.

[Read1000books · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book attempts to recount the life and influence of once well-known preacher William Bell (“W.B.”) Riley (1861-1947). If your interests are church history and/or the development of the Christian fundamentalist movement in America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this book might be of interest to you. To simplify terms for those less knowledgeable (and since the terms have been assigned faulty meanings in our current culture): in approximately the first 50 years of the 1900’s, “fundamentalist” referred to Christians whose theology was conservative, while the liberal position was called “modernist”. Keeping these differences in mind will help clarify viewpoints as you read the book. As for being a biography of Riley, it succeeds in that a general outline of the subject’s life is given. As a balanced or even fair portrayal of Riley in particular and fundamentalism in general, it fails miserably. The repetition of terms in the text such as “militant”, “indoctrination”, “empire”, “emperor” and the like do not represent an unbiased approach. Not to mention all the supposed conspiratorial allegations (an entire chapter’s worth), which prompted me to ask who was more guilty of furthering a conspiracy, the subject or the author? In short, read this book for an interesting biography but not as an accurate history of Bible fundamentalism in the United States.

[Anson Cassel Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

William Bell Riley (1861-1947) was an early fundamentalist minister and evangelist who in 1897 became pastor of the First Baptist Church of Minneapolis and from that pulpit launched both a briefly significant fundamentalist association and the influential Northwestern Bible and Missionary Training School (1902-1966). Bright, energetic, and combative, Riley spent a full life fighting alcohol, gambling, evolution, and religious liberalism without a hint of personal scandal. Nevertheless, he was also dogmatic, autocratic, and a persistent anti-Semite.

Trollinger’s work is more monograph than biography, an attempt to explain how fundamentalism developed in the 1930s and ‘40s after its supposed post-Scopes demise rather than a study of Riley's personality. The writing, though unexciting, is careful and workmanlike.