Description
Book SynopsisThe Salvation Army is nowadays viewed with fondness, but William Booth''s evangelical crusade of the 1880s and early 1890s sparked violent riots led by an opposition group, the Skeleton Army. These riots caused destruction to property, injury to many people and, on occasion, loss of life. Spreading across the South and West of England, the Skeleton Army''s aim was to eject Salvationists from their towns. Rather than facing repercussions themselves, however, it was often the peaceful parading Salvationists who were imprisoned.In With God on Their Side, James Gardner follows the spread of violence in the context of the popular conservatism of late-Victorian England, with close study of particular towns creating a rich tapestry of historical narrative that will be of interest to scholars and enthusiasts alike. The motives and actions of both groups are considered, along with the subsequent shift in the Salvation Army''s focus towards social welfare. It is this shift that enabled the organ
Trade ReviewA very important piece of historical research. Dr Peter Jackson, formerly Senior Lecturer in History, University of Brighton With God on Their Side is by far the most comprehensive account to date of the opposition faced by Salvationists in the south of England during the 1880s and early 1890s. Well-written, well-researched, and balanced in its assessments, James Gardner's book is required reading for anyone wishing to understand the Salvation Army's remarkable beginnings in Victorian Britain. Andrew M. Eason, Associate Professor of Religion and Director of the Centre for Salvation Army Studies, Booth University College, Winnipeg, Canada
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Author's Note Acknowledgements Prologue Introduction 1. The Salvation Army 2. Widespread Opposition and Prison 3. The Birth of the Skeleton Army, 1881 4. Hell in Honiton, 1882-84 5. London and the East End, 1882-83 6. Worthing, 1884 7. Brighton, 1884 8. Torquay, 1886-88 9. Chipping Norton, 1887-88 10. Eastbourne, 1891-92 Conclusion Epilogue Bibliography Index
