Great Awakening - Tracy - I - Preface

Required reading
The Great Awakening: A history of the revival of religion in the time of Edwards & Whitefield by Joseph Tracy (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read the Preface.

My summary
Today we read the Preface of a new book on the great revivals under Edwards and Whitefield.

Tracy explains in the Preface that:
(i) there is a need for such an historical investigation;
(ii) there is sufficient material to make such an investigation possible.

Then he spends quite some time looking at what is the 'new birth' that is such a prominent feature of the revivals.

What grabbed me
I liked Tracy's description of a Christian: 'In being a Christian, two things are implied ; the reception of the Christian system as our creed, and the conformity of our inward and outward life to its teachings. '

Nice and simple. 

But so often one or the other is overlooked.

Next week's reading
Read Chapter 1 (Introductory).

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.