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Richard F. Lovelace

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Richard F. Lovelace
Born1930 (1930)
California, U.S.
DiedNovember 4, 2020(2020-11-04) (aged 89–90)
EducationYale College (B.A. Philosophy); Westminster Theological Seminary (B.Div.); Princeton Theological Seminary (Th.D.)
OccupationsTheologian; Church historian; Author; Professor
Years active1969–2020
OrganizationsGordon‑Conwell Theological Seminary
Known forProfessor of Church History at Gordon‑Conwell Theological Seminary (1969–1996)
Notable workDynamics of Spiritual Life: An Evangelical Theology of Renewal (1979); The American Pietism of Cotton Mather (1979)
SpouseBetty Lee Agar
ChildrenThree

Richard F. Lovelace (1930–2020) was an American theologian and professor of church history at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He wrote Dynamics of Spiritual Life: An Evangelical Theology of Renewal and other works on evangelical spirituality, church renewal, and American religious history.

Early life and education

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Richard Franz Lovelace was born in California in 1930 and spent his childhood in New Mexico. He moved to the northeastern United States for his university education, graduating from Yale College with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy. Lovelace continued his theological education at Westminster Theological Seminary, where he earned a master's degree, and Princeton Theological Seminary, where he received a doctorate in theology. His 1968 doctoral thesis at Princeton was entitled Christian Experience in the Theology of Cotton Mather.[1][2]

Career

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Lovelace was on the faculty of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary from 1969 to 1996 and remained active as an emeritus professor for many years afterward. He advocated a postmillennial understanding of Christian history influenced by Jonathan Edwards. Lovelace taught a course titled "Dynamics of the Spiritual Life," which became the basis for his 1979 book Dynamics of Spiritual Life: An Evangelical Theology of Renewal.[3][4][5] In the book, Lovelace used the term "disenculturation" to describe the process by which churches distinguish Christian teaching from surrounding cultural assumptions. He regarded this process as important to church renewal.[6][7] He wrote several other books during his career including a widely reviewed book entitled The American Pietism of Cotton Mather: Origins of American Evangelicalism, also published in 1979.[8][9][10][11][12]

Lovelace wrote about spiritual renewal in contemporary Christianity as well as Puritan piety and historical revival movements.[13][14][15] He also addressed issues surrounding homosexuality from an evangelical Christian perspective.[16][17] Tim Keller and Charles Colson cited Lovelace's work as an influence.[18][1] Lovelace contributed to the Peniel Bible Conference in Lake Luzerne, NY, and participated in the PCUSA General Assembly, advocating for various church policies. He also wrote a column for Charisma magazine on revival movements and church history.[1]

Personal life and death

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Lovelace married Betty Lee (née Agar) in 1958, and they were married for fifty years until her death in 2009. They had three children: David, Margaret (Peg), and Jonathan. The Lovelaces were part of the Presbyterian Church USA and were involved in a church plant in Massachusetts in the late 1980s.[1] Lovelace died on November 6, 2020.[1]

Publications

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  • Homosexuality and the Church, Fleming H. Revell Company (1978), ISBN 0800709527.
  • The American Pietism of Cotton Mather: Origins of American Evangelicalism, W.B. Eerdmans Publishing (1979), ISBN 0802817505.
  • Dynamics of Spiritual Life: An Evangelical Theology of Renewal, Inter-Varsity Press (1979), ISBN 0830854932.
  • Homosexuality: What Should Christians Do About It?, Fleming H. Revell Company (1984), ISBN 1725202263.
  • Renewal as a Way of Life: A Guidebook for Spiritual Growth, InterVarsity Press (1985), ISBN 0877845948.

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Remembering Richard F. Lovelace". Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. 2020-11-06. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  2. ↑ "Review of Christian Experience in the Theology of Cotton Mather, by R. F. Lovelace". Journal of Presbyterian History. 52 (1): 79–81. 1974. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  3. ↑ Flores, Daniel F. (2021). "Dynamics of Spiritual Life: An Evangelical Theology of Renewal, by Richard F. Lovelace". Pneuma. 43 (2): 301–02. doi:10.1163/15700747-04301009.
  4. ↑ Dearnley, Pat (April 1981). "Review of Dynamics of Spiritual Life: An Evangelical Theology of Renewal". Evangelical Review of Theology. 5 (1): 106–107. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  5. ↑ Heideman, Eugene P. (April 1, 1980). "Toward Renewed Evangelical Unity". Reformed Review. 33 (3): 158–163. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  6. ↑ Sadlier, Glen R. (2015). "Resources for the Disenculturation of the Church: Benjamin B. Warfield and the Triangulation of Truth". Canadian Theological Review. 4 (1): 59–80. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  7. ↑ Starke, John (2022-01-28). "Disenculturation and Spiritual Formation". Carl F.H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding. Trinity International University. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  8. ↑ Holifield, E. B. (1982). "Review of The American Pietism of Cotton Mather: Origins of American Evangelicalism, by R. F. Lovelace". The American Historical Review. 87 (4): 1152–1152. doi:10.2307/1858048. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  9. ↑ Hambrick-Stowe, C. E. (1981). "Review of The American Pietism of Cotton Mather: Origins of American Evangelicalism, by R. F. Lovelace". The William and Mary Quarterly. 38 (2): 309–311. doi:10.2307/1918785. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  10. ↑ Lang, J. D. (1981). "Review of The American Pietism of Cotton Mather: Origins of American Evangelicalism, by R. F. Lovelace". Christianity and Literature. 30 (3): 93–95. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  11. ↑ Bernhard, V. (1980). "Review of The American Pietism of Cotton Mather: Origins of American Evangelicalism, by R. F. Lovelace". The Journal of American History. 67 (2): 388–388. doi:10.2307/1890428. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  12. ↑ Weddle, D. L. (1981). "Review of The American Pietism of Cotton Mather: Origins of American Evangelicalism, by R. F. Lovelace". Journal of the American Academy of Religion. 49 (4): 704–705. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  13. ↑ "An Interview with Author Richard F. Lovelace on Revival". Christianbook.com. 1999-08-26. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  14. ↑ Lovelace, Richard (September 1995). "The Surprising Works of God: Jonathan Edwards on Revival, Then and Now". Christianity Today. 39 (10): 28–32. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  15. ↑ Lovelace, Richard (March 1988). "Evangelical Spirituality: A Church Historian's Perspective" (PDF). Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society. 31 (1): 25–35. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  16. ↑ Murray, S. W. (1981). "Homosexuality and the Church by Richard F. Lovelace (Fleming H. Revell, Old Tappan, N.J.; Lamp Press, Glasgow. 158pp.)". Evangelical Quarterly. 53 (3): 189–90. doi:10.1163/27725472-05303016.
  17. ↑ Lovelace, Richard (May 1977). "Active Homosexual Lifestyle and the Church". Church & Society. 67 (5): 24–39. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  18. ↑ "A Tribute to 3 late Puritan scholars: J.I. Packer, Richard Lovelace and Dewey Wallace". The Lion & Phoenix: Theology, Society & Culture. 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
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