Oliver Hart and the Rise of Baptist America

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Baptists in America began the eighteenth century as a small, often harassed sect amidst a multitude of religious options. By the early nineteenth century, they had evolved into a unified and rapidly-growing denomination, ready to send missionaries globally. A pivotal yet overlooked figure in this transformation was Oliver Hart, the longtime pastor of the Charleston Baptist Church. This biography presents Hart as a crucial evangelical leader in the pre-Revolutionary South. Over his thirty years in Charleston, he became the region's key Baptist denominational architect. His strong patriotism led him to flee Charleston during the British invasion in 1780, yet he left a lasting impact on the southern Baptist community through his dynamic ministry. Hart's accommodating view on slavery allowed him and subsequent white Baptists to integrate into southern society, but it ultimately undermined the national Baptist denomination he envisioned. More than just a biography, this work intricately connects Hart's narrative to the broader story of eighteenth-century American Baptists, offering one of the most comprehensive accounts of this significant yet underexplored religious group's evolution. It significantly enhances the understanding of Baptist life and evangelicalism in the pre-Revolutionary South and beyond.