Famous Christians of American History?

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Who are America’s most famous Christians? Could you name 10 Christians from colonial times to today who had a significant impact on the church or our country? Perhaps you can name 3 or 4, but how about 10 or 12? *Post a comment below, and give me your list (even if it is only a few names).

Actually, there are dozens we should know! Here’s a picture of one — do you know him? (it is not Jonathan Edwards). My fear is that American Christians are terribly ignorant of our own history. And I’d like to do something about that.

This summer, I would like to do a brief series of biographies of famous American Christians at our church (and then also here on the blog!).

I’ll watch for your input here, and post my own top ten list by month’s end.

– pdb

9 thoughts on “Famous Christians of American History?”

  2. Allrighty….in no particular order:

    1. Cotton Mather (my guess on the picture)
    2. Increase Mather
    3. Thomas Hooker
    4. Roger Williams
    5. John Eliot
    6. David Brainerd
    7. George Witherspoon
    8. Archibald Alexander
    9. Charles Hodge
    10. Samuel Hopkins
    11. Joseph Bellamy
    12. B.B. Warfield
    13. Joel Osteen

    (OK, I was just kidding on that last one)

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  3. Last night, just before I fell asleep, I realized I forgot to list Adoniram Judson. Can’t leave him off any such list….

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  4. sorry, my reading comprehension isn’t very good. I just saw this was supposed to be a top ten list….so I’d remove Increase Mather, Joseph Bellamy, Samuel Hopkins in order to add Judson and, of course, Jonathan Edwards. That’s 10, right?

    Whitfield wasn’t American, not to be nit-picky…

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  5. Hey guys, this is great to get input! (more than ten is fine too).

    As for country of birth, even our dear Jonathan Edwards was born pre-1776 — so I am using the term “American” more broadly than mere citizenship….

    And, here’s a hint on the fellow in the picture: a Virginian who influenced Patrick Henry, among others…. He had been dubbed the “Spurgeon of early America” by Dr Lloyd Jones.

    pdb

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