The Eucharistic Theology of the American Holy Fairs

Sacramental occasions, or "Holy Fairs," practiced by Scots-Irish Presbyterians in mid-nineteenth-century America were intended to bring conversion to nonbelievers and spiritual renewal to baptized Christians. Kimberly Bracken Long examines the chief texts of American revivalism--sermons, devotional writings, and catechetical materials--to gain insights into the sacramental theology at work in these events, as well as into the nature of revivalism in the American Presbyterian context. She also explores several implications for twenty-first-century Reformed and Presbyterian worship.

Kimberly Bracken Long is Assistant Professor of Worship and Coordinator of Worship Resources for Congregations at Columbia Theological Seminary. She is the author of The Worshiping Body: The Art of Leading Worship.