Catechizing Revival

Learning how to pray for revival with a 19th-century Anglican clergyman

Our cultural moment is shifting in some unexpected ways in 2025. Cultural analysts have identified a “rebirth” of faith, a move from atheism and agnosticism to theism. The church is experiencing outbreaks of renewal, and there has been an increased conversation amongst Christians about praying for revival. Is the idea of revival or praying for revival limited to Baptist, Methodist, or Pentecostal traditions, or can Anglicans pray for or seek revival? Is talk of revival a contemporary anomaly rather than part of the Anglican tradition?

In this post, I want to introduce you to a 19th century tract from an Anglican clergyman who explores what it looks like for Anglicans to seek, and pray for, revival.