While the 1843 Disruption has been lauded as the “most important” event in nineteenth-century Scotland, its aftermath and legacy regarding evangelicalism within the established Church has warranted further attention (Michael Fry, Patronage and Principle [Aberdeen University Press, 1987], 52). In his seminal book, Andrew Jones goes some way to rectify this oversight by exploring this overlooked aspect of Scottish ecclesiastical history. Covering the period 1843 to 1900, Jones provides a thorough and convincing reappraisal of the place of evangelicalism within the Church of Scotland. Based on doctoral research Jones conducted under the guidance of Professor Stewart J. Brown, an eminent scholar in the field, this study will undoubtedly prove to be one of enduring importance.

Partly due to the prominence of Thomas Chalmers, the architect of the Free Church of Scotland, evangelicalism has come to be associated with those who left the established Church. As Jones writes in the introduction to The Revival of Evangelicalism, Chalmers's status as an “evangelical icon” was a key factor that led to the exodus of evangelical “young talent” from the Church of Scotland in favor of the Free Church (1). Jones's research suggests, however, that this narrative overlooks the key role the so-called Middle Party—those evangelicals who chose to remain within the Church of Scotland—played in reviving the established Church by the close of the century. As Jones writes, the Church of Scotland did “not become a mere ‘remnant’ of a Church, as many of the outgoing ministers had expected. On the contrary, it recovered its status as Scotland's national Church” (196). Jones's findings challenge the apparent contradiction between evangelicalism and the established Church, as suggested in his overarching argument that the Church of Scotland's evangelicalism of the later nineteenth century represented both continuity and evolution.

Although adding to scholarship from historians including Stewart J. Brown, J. R. Fleming, I. G. C. Hutchison, and Andrew T. N. Muirhead, Jones's ambitious study brings fresh approaches that expand our understanding of nineteenth-century evangelicalism in Scotland (“After the Disruption: The recovery of the national Church of Scotland,” Scottish Church History 48, no. 1 [2019]: 103–125; A History of the Church of Scotland, 1843–1874 [T. & T. Clark, 1927]; Industry, Reform and Empire: Scotland, 1790–1880 [Edinburgh University Press, 2020]; Reformation, Dissent and Diversity: The Story of Scotland”s Churches [Bloomsbury, 2015]). Drawing on the lives of three notable figures (William Muir, Norman MacLeod, and A. H. Charteris), together with an impressive array of evangelical literature from the period, Jones uncovers a complex and lively picture of evangelical action that enhances our understanding of the Victorian church. The Revival of Evangelicalism draws upon a rich and varied body of sources, reflecting the author's intention to provide in-depth biographical analyses, as well as an overview of the ways in which evangelicalism pervaded the Church's print culture.

Jones's book is comprised of six chapters, divided into three larger sections that consider the themes of continuity, breadth, and impact. An extensive array of religious magazines and journals comprises a core part of the analysis, with Jones consulting publications such as Good Words, Life and Work, and The Home and Foreign Missionary Record for the Church of Scotland. This vast body of material provides impressive scope that allows changing theological views to be charted over time. Rather than confining his study to the influence of three leading men, Jones succeeds in using the biographies as a lens through which to view religious culture in Victorian Scotland. The analysis of William Muir, for instance, demonstrates how, through the influence of the Middle Party, “evangelicalism continued to exert a notable influence in the post-1843 Church of Scotland” (15). In Jones's handling, the cache of unpublished letters that Muir wrote to his second wife, Anne, relate a heady blend of intimacy and evangelicalism that “show a sensitive and gentle side to the minister for whom intimate relationships surely conjured up memories of hardship and loss” (29). Beyond evidencing Muir's theology, the correspondence offers an insight into his schedule, his changing friendships (particularly with Chalmers), as well as providing a tentative glimpse into his emotional life.

While Jones's focus upon key individuals provides a strong testimony to their influence, I would have liked to have seen a broader and more critical analysis of support for evangelicalism among the general public. How were the activities of figures such as A. H. Charteris regarded by congregants? To what extent does Good Words, for instance, accurately represent the views of its readership? While Jones comments briefly on the active role women played with regard to the Church's social action (particularly in relation to the Deaconate and the Women's Guild), the voices of individual women remain largely inaccessible. While this omission may have been unavoidable, I wonder if it might have been possible to tease out the voice of Anne Dirom, for instance, from the correspondence addressed to her. Nonetheless, The Revival of Evangelicalism succeeds in bringing to light the critical role that figures such as William Muir, Norman Macleod, A. H. Charteris played in preserving and reviving evangelicalism within the Church of Scotland. More than this, it adds important substance to our understanding of evangelicalism, complicating and challenging the ecclesiastical scene in Scotland. In light of Jones's research, the “Aulk kirk” emerges as a more diverse, hardy, and vibrant institution, challenging traditional perceptions of the Disruption's impact and legacy.