The Renaissance in Andrew Fuller Studies: A Bibliographic Essay Nathan A. Finn INTRODUCTION1 error of his day. In many ways, he was a Baptist ver- n 2007, John Piper gave his customary biograph- sion of Piper’s personal theological hero, Jonathan Iical talk at the annual Desiring God Conference Edwards. Piper’s talk was subsequently published for Pastors. His topic that year was Andrew Fuller as I Will Go Down If You Will Hold the Rope (2012). 2 (1754–1815), a figure considerably less well-known By all appearances, Fuller had finally arrived. The than previous subjects such as momentum had been building for years. Nathan A. Finn is Associate Professor Athanasius, Augustine, Martin Andrew Fuller was the most important Baptist of Historical Theology and Baptist Luther, John Calvin, J. Gresham theologian in the years between the ministries Studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary where he Machen, and Martyn Lloyd- of John Gill (1697–1771) and Charles Spurgeon received his Ph.D. and has served on the Jones. In his talk, Piper argued (1834–1892). He was part of a group of like- faculty since 2006. that Fuller played a key role in minded friends that included John Ryland, Jr. bringing theological renewal to (1753–1825), John Sutcliff (1752–1814), Samuel Dr. Finn is the editor of Domestic Slavery: The Correspondence of Richard the British Particular Baptists Pearce (1766–1799), Robert Hall, Jr. (1764– Fuller and Francis Wayland (Mercer in the late eighteenth century. 1831), and William Carey (1761–1834). These University Press, 2008) and Ministry That renewal, in turn, helped men, but especially Fuller himself, emerged as By His Grace and For His Glory: Essays in Honor of Thomas J. Nettles (Founders to launch the modern missions the fountainhead of a soteriological movement Press, 2011). He has also contributed movement, led by Fuller’s friend among the British Particular Baptists that came to numerous books and journals, William Carey. For Piper, Fuller to be called “Fullerism.” Over the course of a including such journals as Journal was a faithful pastor-theolo- generation, the so-called moderate Calvinism of Baptist Studies, Puritan Reformed Journal, Midwestern Journal of Theology, gian who espoused a missions- associated with Fuller became the mainstream and Baptist History and Heritage. Dr. minded evangelical Calvinism understanding of salvation among a majority of Finn and his family are members of the and successfully challenged vir- Particular Baptists, as well as other broadly Cal- First Baptist Church of Durham, NC. tually every major theological vinistic British evangelicals. Many Baptists in 44 SBJT 17.2 (2013): 44-61. tury North America also drank deeply from Ful- (and likely others), until relatively recently only lerism, which informed the development of early a handful of significant studies related to Fuller American Baptist denominationalism around the had been written over the past century. central theme of cooperation in missions. This bibliographic essay explores the most Baptists have always appreciated the influ- important works related to Fuller, with partic- ence of Fuller within their tradition. Many Bap- ular emphasis on the growing corpus of mate- tist leaders preached dedicatory sermons upon rial that has been written since the early 1980s. Fuller’s death, some of which were published. I argue that the last three decades constitute Several book-length biographies appeared, all of a renaissance in Fuller Studies, the roots of which were written by men who had been closely which began in the mid-twentieth century. associated with Fuller. Fuller received a lengthy In the past dozen years, this renaissance has entry in William Cathcart’s The Baptist Ency- matured considerably. The rising generation of clopedia (1881) and was referenced in numerous scholars and pastors interested in the study of other entries. Several editions of Fuller’s works Fuller and/or the ressourcement of his thought were published, both in Britain and in North find themselves with a growing body of litera- America. Baptist theologians interacted with ture that includes published and unpublished Fuller’s thought, especially his understanding of scholarly studies, semi-popular writings, pop- the atonement and his (unfinished) attempt at a ular summaries, and reprinted primary source Christocentric systematic divinity that ordered material. These writings are complemented the theological loci around the work of Christ. by scholarly conferences that regularly focus Nevertheless, by the turn of the twentieth cen- upon Fuller and related topics and a wide vari- tury, Fuller, though still appreciated, was pushed ety of websites including blogs and online pri- further to the margins of Baptist life, especially mary source repositories. among Baptists in North America. The trend toward downplaying Fuller’s leg- KEY EARLY STUDIES acy can likely be attributed to a combination Prior to 1980, most of the writings dedi- of factors. First, more Baptists began writing cated to Fuller fell into three categories. First, systematic theologies after the mid-nineteenth two short biographies were published. Andrew century. Fuller, who had been an occasional and Fuller: Pastor, Theologian, Ropeholder (1942) polemical theologian, provided a less compre- by Gilbert Laws is the more significant study, hensive source for many Baptists. Second, Bap- while Arthur H. Kirkby’s Andrew Fuller (1961) tist soteriology was increasingly carving out a was published in a series of short biographies niche between Dortian Calvinism and Classical on leading English Nonconformists. Both vol- Arminianism; though a creative thinker in this umes are now long out-of-print and difficult regard, Fuller always identified himself with to acquire. Second, several studies highlight Dort. Third, perhaps Fuller was being eclipsed Fuller’s role in the formation of the Baptist as subsequent generations of Baptists looked Missionary Society (BMS) and the subsequent to role models such as Charles Spurgeon, John influence of the BMS upon Particular Baptists. Clifford, and F. B. Meyer in Britain and Adoni- Many of them discuss Fuller in relation to his ram Judson, James P. Boyce, Augustus Strong, friendships, especially his relationship with and E. Y. Mullins in North America. Finally, the better-known Carey. Fuller’s role in the Baptist systematicians engaged far more with missions movement and its effect on British contemporary theologians than they did with Baptists was also a regular topic of discussion older thinkers such as Fuller. For these reasons in Baptist history textbooks.13 In an important 45 article (1973), W. R. Ward argues that the mis- FULLer REDisCOVereD, 1980–2000 sions movement transformed Particular Bap- The early 1980s witnessed a marked increase in tist life by introducing new structures into a interest in Fuller among both scholars and pastors. heretofore more decentralized movement.14 Most of the scholarship written during this period Third, and by far the most numerous, several was in the form of unpublished dissertations and unpublished dissertations and theses and pub- theses, journal articles, and book chapters. Some of lished essays and journal articles focus upon this material was biographical in nature. Two of the Fuller’s evangelical Calvinism and the challenge book chapters summarize Fuller’s life and thought: it mounted against the reigning High Calvin- Phil Roberts’s contribution to Baptist Theologians ism of the era. Dissertations include Pope Dun- (1990) and an essay by Tom Nettles in the second vol- can’s (1917), A. H. Kirkby’s (1956), and John ume of The British Particular Baptists (2000). 21 Three Eddins’s (1957) respective studies of Fuller’s short dictionary entries were also written during this soteriology.15 Edwin Allen Reed’s Th.M. thesis period by E. F. Clipsham (1995), Brian Stanley (1999), (1958) provides a comparative study of Fuller’s and William Brackney (1999), respectively.22 These atonement theology with that of John Gill, John resources remain helpful starting places for those inter- Smyth, and Thomas Helwys.16 Though broader ested in Fuller Studies. Fuller also received increased in its focus, Fuller’s soteriology also received sig- attention in broader studies of Calvinism, missions, nificant treatment in O. C. Robison’s dissertation Baptist history, and English Dissent. The key themes (1963) on Particular Baptist theology in England among scholars remained Fuller’s influence upon the between 1760 and 1820.17 James Tull wrote a missionary movement and his soteriological convic- chapter on Fuller emphasizing the relationship tions, though gradually others topics emerged as well. between soteriology and missionary zeal for his Fuller was regularly linked to the missions move- book Shapers of Baptist Thought (1972).18 ment. Studies of the BMS and biographies of Wil- During the mid-twentieth century, the most liam Carey frequently discuss the role Fuller played significant Fuller scholarship was published by in leading the BMS during its earliest decades. Brian scholarly journals in the United Kingdom. A Stanley’s bicentennial history of the BMS (1992) handful of articles from this period stand out as gives extensive treatment to Fuller’s role in the for- especially useful. In 1965, G. F. Nuttall wrote an mation of the BMS and his term as secretary of the important article on the “Modern Question” of society.23 Timothy George’s biography of William whether or not the non-elect are under obliga- Carey (1991) covers the same material.24 That same tion to repent and believe the gospel message. year, Bruce Shelley wrote a short article for Christi- This issue was at the center of the debates over anity Today wherein he argues that Fuller was “the High Calvinism. Fuller offered the most influen- unsung hero” behind Carey’s missions career.25 In tial affirmative answer to the Modern Question a 1992 journal article in Baptist Quarterly, William in his The Gospel Worthy of All Acceptation (1785; Brackney situates the early BMS in the context of revised 1801).19 E.