The Work; And The Workmen - Softcover

William T. Dwight

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0461846179 ISBN 13: 9780461846171

Publisher: HardPress, 2021

Synopsis

The Work; And The Workmen by William T. Dwight The Work; And The Workmen is an 1859 administrative and historical reference that surveys the domestic and international reach of Protestant ministry in the United States. Dwight traces the origins of modern home missions and explains the mission of the American Home Missionary Society: to assist congregations unable to sustain gospel ministry locally and to extend gospel work across the western territories. The work highlights central challenges: threats from Roman Catholicism and infidelity, the need for educated, converted ministers, and the cultivation of liberty and law within a rapidly expanding republic. Through exhortations for ministers, lay leaders, and ecclesiastical governance, it advocates a coordinated effort to train and empower clergy, promote evangelism, and build enduring denominational structures that sustain missionary activity and religious vitality. Dwight emphasizes the domestic mission as foundational for the church's unity and liberty, arguing that the West's vast fields require concerted effort, education, and a disciplined ministry. The catalog's programmatic sections present ministers as workmen, converted, educated, and prepared for effective service, whose labors are supported by society organizations and denominational governance. It frames the catalog as both a historical record and a practical governance tool, noting data collection methods, limitations, and the role of mission boards, colleges, and commissions. While primarily administrative, the work also reflects 19th-century Protestant confidence in reform, expansion, and the moral responsibility of churches to shape national life. The text thus serves as a window into the era's ecclesiastical strategies, educational ambitions, and the emergence of a broad, organized mission enterprise across the United States and beyond.

Edition details

• Publisher: HardPress
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0461846179
• ISBN 13: 9780461846171
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 752