John Nelson Darby remains a pivotal yet often misunderstood figure in the landscape of modern Christianity. For those seeking to understand the roots of contemporary evangelicalism and fundamentalism, particularly within North America, delving into Darby’s history is essential. Two meticulously researched books by historian Donald Harman Akenson, Discovering the End of Time and Exporting the Rapture, offer an unparalleled exploration of this influential clergyman. These scholarly works, while demanding, provide crucial insights into Darby’s life, doctrines, and the lasting impact he had on global Christianity, particularly through the movement known as the Plymouth Brethren.
Akenson’s books are not for the casual reader seeking a light overview. They are dense, academically rigorous, and rich in detail, reflecting Akenson’s serious approach to historical craft. Footnotes stretch across pages, and the narrative delves deeply into the nuances of 19th-century religious and social contexts. However, for those willing to engage with their depth, these books offer a rewarding journey into the intellectual and historical currents that shaped a significant branch of modern Protestantism.
Discovering the End of Time: Irish Evangelicals in the Age of Daniel O’Connell, the first volume, lays the groundwork by examining the vibrant evangelical scene within the 19th-century Church of Ireland. It meticulously details John Nelson Darby’s early life and ministry as an ordained clergyman within this context. Darby was not an isolated figure but was embedded within a thriving evangelical network, supported by influential figures and operating under a sympathetic bishop. This volume traces the genesis of Darby’s distinctive theological ideas – doctrines he believed had been lost to the Church since the time of the apostles and which he felt divinely compelled to restore.
The second volume, Exporting the Rapture: John Nelson Darby and the Victorian Conquest of North-American Evangelicalism, explores how Darby actively and strategically cultivated the Exclusive Brethren movement. Starting from a small group within Ireland’s Open Brethren, Darby, through relentless preaching, voluminous writings, strategic publications, and often divisive actions like church splits and excommunications, carved out his own ecclesiastical domain. He ruled this movement with unwavering conviction, asserting the exclusive correctness of his doctrines and practices. Despite facing biblical challenges and lacking clear scriptural support for many of his innovations, Darby’s unwavering belief in his divine guidance fueled his determination. The irony, as Akenson highlights, is profound: Darby’s intentionally isolated and relatively small Brethren movement profoundly shaped the theological landscape of American fundamentalism and evangelicalism, often without American evangelicals even knowing Darby’s name.
The author’s personal interest in Akenson’s work stems from two key areas. Firstly, a desire to understand the historical development of White American evangelicalism, particularly its current state of fragmentation and internal struggles. Secondly, a personal connection to the “Christian Brethren” or “Plymouth Brethren” movement, having been raised within its traditions. This personal background provides a unique lens through which to appreciate Akenson’s historical analysis.
Akenson himself articulates the central question driving his research in Exporting the Rapture:
…to contribute to our understanding of a big, holy mystery: How was it that a set of ideas and practices that were virtually unknown in the early nineteenth century become by the mid-twentieth century so dominant among North-American evangelicals that they are taken as having been embraced forever, part of the primordial truth of Christianity? These consisted of a radically democratic view of acceptable ecclesiastic structure (an ecclesiology that was not entirely novel, being Protestantism at its European extreme); a brand-new way of reading the Jewish and Christian scriptures (a novel hermeneutic); and a previously unknown interpretation of prophecy and of the end of human time (a shimmeringly new eschatology). [ Exporting, p. 290]
Akenson succeeds in presenting a well-researched and lucid account. Discovering and Exporting are scholarly works, yet remain accessible to the serious general reader. While the intricate genealogies of Darby’s aristocratic supporters might occasionally lose some readers, the central narrative thread remains clear and compelling.
One significant challenge in chronicling Darby and the Brethren movement is their inherent aversion to record-keeping. Rooted in their eschatology, the belief in an imminent Rapture and the perceived decay of the world and the Church since the apostolic age, created a mindset that devalued historical documentation. Darby himself exemplified this reluctance, leading to a historical record that is both sparse and, at times, demonstrably inaccurate.
Akenson reveals how Darby, in his later years, constructed an apocalyptic narrative around his own life. Events from his early ministry, such as disagreements with his archbishop, were reinterpreted through an apocalyptic lens. Archbishop William Magee became a symbolic antagonist, and Darby’s resistance transformed into a heroic stand against spiritual evil, framing his actions as the genesis of the “Church of God” destined for ultimate triumph. This ability to “create facts” and “ignore reality” was, according to Akenson, crucial to Darby’s emergence as a “religious genius” who established an alternative theological universe.
These books are particularly relevant for those within the Brethren movement. While reading them might not necessarily lead to a departure from the movement, it can provide a critical perspective, prompting a re-evaluation of the biblical foundations of certain Brethren distinctives. Historically, the Plymouth Brethren have also contributed positively to Christianity, producing figures like biblical scholar F. F. Bruce, and influential leaders within InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and Regent College. The Brethren emphasis on lay leadership has also fostered serious Bible study among its members.
However, the legacy of the Exclusive Brethren also includes less positive aspects. The movement, even in its less strict Open Brethren forms, can exhibit tendencies towards exclusivism, inwardness, and a rigid sacred/secular dichotomy. Practices like shunning and excommunication, aimed at maintaining doctrinal purity, can lead to painful schisms and fractured communities. A strong emphasis on separation from the “world” can result in isolation and the rejection of broader culture and non-Christian relationships. The doctrine of a secret Rapture has, at times, been criticized for undermining social engagement and environmental stewardship. Personally, the author recalls the damaging impact of discouraging honest theological questions within the Brethren context, often framing doubt as a sign of “rebellious heart.”
Despite these critiques, the author acknowledges positive elements from their Brethren upbringing: a deep respect for Scripture, a commitment to faith missions, and a strong biblical literacy. Akenson’s work provided new understanding of the deep emotional and social bonds within Brethren communities, making departure profoundly difficult. The concept of being “out of fellowship,” a term frequently used, carried significant emotional weight, implying spiritual alienation not just from the community, but from God. Even after intellectually rejecting such sectarian views, the emotional residue of these beliefs remained potent. The author has witnessed firsthand the damaging effects of shunning, even within Open Brethren circles, ranging from subtle social exclusion to severe family rifts.
Conversely, Akenson underscores the remarkable nature of John Nelson Darby’s story. Despite being a “difficult and hard man,” convinced of his absolute doctrinal authority, Darby was undeniably an original and impactful leader. His ability to develop novel theological ideas within a relatively obscure setting in rural Ireland, and to launch a movement that would profoundly influence global evangelicalism, is historically significant. Akenson argues:
It is possible to trace in a very tight causal ladder the Darbyite mode of reading the Bible through the seminal figures of some of the major strands of nineteenth- through twenty-first-century evangelicalism: those represented by Dwight L. Moody, William Bell Riley, and Billy Graham, however quietly each of these figures recognized his debt… One of the main points of this study is that in a brief and singular period historical events in Ireland and the personalities of keen biblical students met in a fashion that should be recognized as one of the formative causal intersections in the evolution of modern Christianity as a world religion. [Discovering, p. 6-7, 8]
John Nelson Darby’s influence, originating from a sectarian movement, is undeniable and far-reaching. Akenson’s books provide a compelling and essential exploration of this complex legacy, making them valuable reading for anyone seeking to understand the development of modern evangelical Christianity.
Books recommended:
- Discovering the End of Time: Irish Evangelicals in the Age of Daniel O’Connell by Donald Harman Akenson (McGill-Queen’s University Press; 2016)
- Exporting the Rapture: John Nelson Darby and the Victorian Conquest of North-American Evangelicalism by Donald Harman Akenson (Oxford University Press; 2018)
