The Restoration Literature

The Restoration Literature
  • 3.0 (2)
  • Christianity

Calum Hill, John Jones, and regular guests read Christian restoration literature from generations past to today’s audiences. Our hope is to promote the restoration of the New Testament church through a revived interest in restoration literature and by highlighting the successes (and failures) of men and women who bravely committed their souls to God alone and took His word to be their sole authoritative guide in life and religion. “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls…” (Jeremiah 6:16a)

Episodes

  1. 2d ago

    "Is the Restoration Movement Over?" - Doug Burleson

    Is the history of the Restoration Movement simply that—history? What relevance do the stories of nineteenth-century restoration figures have for our lives today, in the twenty-first century? Too often, the study of this material relegates its sources and authors to a niche corner of the bookshelf of American religious history—interesting to scholars, perhaps, but largely inaccessible and irrelevant to everyone else. We at the Restoration Digital Library and the Restoration Literature want to make something clear: our purpose in studying and circulating nineteenth-century restoration material is not merely to better understand “our tradition.” Nor is it to place the Restoration Movement alongside a multitude of competing religious traditions in the pursuit of an ecumenical “agree to disagree” project. To study these men and women simply as the forebears of a religious tradition is to miss the very cause for which they pleaded: that no honor be given to any religious teacher other than Jesus Christ himself, that no religious burden should be placed upon humanity beyond what God has revealed in His Word, and that the church should be restored to the New Testament pattern so that the unity our Lord desired and prayed for might be found. The people we study lived, acted, and worshiped in a world very different from ours. Yet their example still speaks to us—not because they were perfect, but because they were willing to sacrifice. They left behind family, friends, church communities, livelihoods, and personal security in the effort to restore the church according to God’s intent in their own day. They made mistakes. They had blind spots. None of them were perfect. But their ideal and plea was noble—and it ought to be ours as well.  The work of restoration cannot simply be inherited. Our predecessors could not do this work for us in our own cultural context, and neither can we do it for our grandchildren. Each generation must take up the Word of God, honestly examine the Scriptures, and do the work of restoration themselves. The Restoration plea begins with me. It begins in my personal relationship with the Lord, and then spreads through my family and closest relationships as I seek for those relationships to be restored to God’s intention. From there, the plea extends to our churches: that in every way, we would be restored to what God intends His church to be. We are not trying to restore the churches of Christ of the 1950s. Nor are we trying to recreate the cultural conditions of the first century. We simply want to be the church of God’s intent in our present day.  That is why restoration cannot merely be history. It is an ongoing work—beginning in our hearts, spreading through our families and congregations, and ultimately reaching into the world as we seek to honor the One who loved us enough to die so that we might be restored to His Father. In the following lesson, Brother Doug Burleson expertly outlines this ongoing nature of the Restoration Movement—and reminds us that restoration is not limited to the nineteenth century, nor to America, It is a plea that God expects each of us to live out.

  2. Aug 13

    "The Church, the Falling Away, and the Restoration” - PART 4 - The Restoration Movement in America - J. W. Shepherd

    The book you’re about to hear, J. W. Shepherd’s The Church, the Falling Away, and the Restoration, is one of his best known works and was first published in 1929. Within it, Shepherd examines three broad themes: the New Testament church (its nature, worship, organization, and mission), the falling away (the gradual departure from New Testament Christianity in areas of church organization, doctrine, and practice), and the restoration (the 19th century American Restoration Movement with special detail given to its leaders and events that sought to restore the faith and practice of the earliest Christians). We at ⁠Restoration Digital Library⁠ and ⁠The Restoration Literature⁠ ask that you consider Brother Shepherd’s words concerning the pattern that the Lord gave us so that we might be His church today in the 21st century. We hope you’ll recognize, along with Brother Shepherd, the pain it causes our Lord when those who believe in Him are divided by unbiblical traditions and teachings of men. Finally, we pray that you’ll appreciate the examples of the heroes of the restoration movements of past centuries and join us in the work of restoration today. Read by John Jones. Part 4 - The Restoration Movement in America Read along ⁠here⁠.

    "The Church, the Falling Away, and the Restoration” - PART 4 - The Restoration Movement in America - J. W. Shepherd

  3. Aug 13

    “The Church, the Falling Away, and the Restoration” - PART 3 - The Reformation in Europe - J. W. Shepherd

    The book you’re about to hear, J. W. Shepherd’s The Church, the Falling Away, and the Restoration, is one of his best known works and was first published in 1929. Within it, Shepherd examines three broad themes: the New Testament church (its nature, worship, organization, and mission), the falling away (the gradual departure from New Testament Christianity in areas of church organization, doctrine, and practice), and the restoration (the 19th century American Restoration Movement with special detail given to its leaders and events that sought to restore the faith and practice of the earliest Christians). We at ⁠Restoration Digital Library⁠ and ⁠The Restoration Literature⁠ ask that you consider Brother Shepherd’s words concerning the pattern that the Lord gave us so that we might be His church today in the 21st century. We hope you’ll recognize, along with Brother Shepherd, the pain it causes our Lord when those who believe in Him are divided by unbiblical traditions and teachings of men. Finally, we pray that you’ll appreciate the examples of the heroes of the restoration movements of past centuries and join us in the work of restoration today. Read by John Jones. Part 3 - The Reformation in Europe. Read along ⁠here⁠.

    “The Church, the Falling Away, and the Restoration” - PART 3 - The Reformation in Europe - J. W. Shepherd

  4. Aug 13

    “The Church, the Falling Away, and the Restoration” - PART 2 - The Falling Away - J. W. Shepherd

    The book you’re about to hear, J. W. Shepherd’s The Church, the Falling Away, and the Restoration, is one of his best known works and was first published in 1929. Within it, Shepherd examines three broad themes: the New Testament church (its nature, worship, organization, and mission), the falling away (the gradual departure from New Testament Christianity in areas of church organization, doctrine, and practice), and the restoration (the 19th century American Restoration Movement with special detail given to its leaders and events that sought to restore the faith and practice of the earliest Christians). We at ⁠Restoration Digital Library⁠ and ⁠The Restoration Literature⁠ ask that you consider Brother Shepherd’s words concerning the pattern that the Lord gave us so that we might be His church today in the 21st century. We hope you’ll recognize, along with Brother Shepherd, the pain it causes our Lord when those who believe in Him are divided by unbiblical traditions and teachings of men. Finally, we pray that you’ll appreciate the examples of the heroes of the restoration movements of past centuries and join us in the work of restoration today. Read by John Jones. Part 2 - The Falling Away. Read along ⁠here⁠.

    “The Church, the Falling Away, and the Restoration” - PART 2 - The Falling Away - J. W. Shepherd

  5. Aug 13

    “The Church, the Falling Away, and the Restoration” - PART 1 - The Church - J. W. Shepherd

    The book you’re about to hear, J. W. Shepherd’s The Church, the Falling Away, and the Restoration, is one of his best known works and was first published in 1929. Within it, Shepherd examines three broad themes: the New Testament church (its nature, worship, organization, and mission), the falling away (the gradual departure from New Testament Christianity in areas of church organization, doctrine, and practice), and the restoration (the 19th century American Restoration Movement with special detail given to its leaders and events that sought to restore the faith and practice of the earliest Christians). We at Restoration Digital Library and The Restoration Literature ask that you consider Brother Shepherd’s words concerning the pattern that the Lord gave us so that we might be His church today in the 21st century. We hope you’ll recognize, along with Brother Shepherd, the pain it causes our Lord when those who believe in Him are divided by unbiblical traditions and teachings of men. Finally, we pray that you’ll appreciate the examples of the heroes of the restoration movements of past centuries and join us in the work of restoration today. Read by John Jones. Part 1 - The Church. Read along here.

    “The Church, the Falling Away, and the Restoration” - PART 1 - The Church - J. W. Shepherd
  • 5 Episodes

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About

Calum Hill, John Jones, and regular guests read Christian restoration literature from generations past to today’s audiences. Our hope is to promote the restoration of the New Testament church through a revived interest in restoration literature and by highlighting the successes (and failures) of men and women who bravely committed their souls to God alone and took His word to be their sole authoritative guide in life and religion. “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls…” (Jeremiah 6:16a)

Information

  • Creator
    The Restoration Literature
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Restoration Literature
  • Show Website
    The Restoration Literature