Word on Wednesday: Richard Turnbull on the Countess of Huntingdon
At the Church Society conference this year we were privileged to hear the annual St Antholin Lecture. Dr Richard Turnbull, former Principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, opened up the evangelical revival of the 18th century, with a particular look at the Countess of Huntingdon.
In particular, he considered the way in which her parallel system of evangelical chapels eventually moved away from the Church of England to become the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion, a small group of churches with Anglican roots. I found this especially fascinating in our current context and there was much which resonates with our contemporary experience.
It's a riveting 57 minutes, so once you've caught up with news of the tennis from Wimbledon, it's well worth a listen.
There is also a written-up version of the lecture, complete with footnotes and extra material, available from the Latimer Trust here. (Those of us who attended the Church Society conference got this free!)