Donald Harman Akenson, Queens University

Donald Harman Akenson grew up in Minnesota, received his B.A. from Yale and his Ph.D. from Harvard, and is Douglas Professor of Canadian and Colonial History, Queen's University, Ontario. He has published several award-winning books on the history of Ireland and on the development of the Judeo-Christian tradition.

"Recommended." - CHOICE

"Akenson's engaging style and appreciation of human foibles make the story come alive. It helps that there is an interesting story to tell and a fascinating, if not always attractive, cast of characters." - Andrew R. Holmes, Queen's University, Belfast, American Historical Review

"Akenson's provocative portrayal of both John Nelson Darby and the Plymouth Brethren gives readers much to chew on concerning the sociological and cultic aspects of particular denominational histories and the power politics that drive those histories. Celebrity and power combine into a lethal combination that shape the life of organizations. Akenson reminds organizations to be aware of their possible need to curb their organizers." - Joseph T. Cochran, Presbyterion: Covenant Seminary Review

"This captivating study explores the takeover and mobilization of radical Protestants who embraced John Nelson Darby's dispensational reading of the Bible and a novel doctrine of a secret-Rapture. With vivid language and erudite analysis, Akenson succeeds in making the movement's ecclesiology as fascinating as its eschatology, disclosing the machinations that created a global network and transformed 19th-century evangelicalism. To grasp the mindset and tactics of today's evangelicals, read this book." - Phyllis D. Airhart, Professor of the History of Christianity, Emmanuel College, University of Toronto

"A brilliant, deeply original study of transatlantic religious history. Akenson reveals the complex dynamics and roots of North-American evangelicalism, and he does so in a manner that is both compelling and magnificently erudite. A major work on a major topic." - Richard English, Professor of Politics, Queen's University Belfast

"Focusing on the premillennial dispensationalism of John Nelson Darby, Akenson presents a radical reappraisal of American apocalyptical evangelicalism, from its origins in Ireland to its entry through Canada to the northern states of the USA. This is revisionist history in the best sense of the term. No one will ever see American fundamentalism in quite the same way again." - David A. Wilson, Professor of Celtic Studies and History, University of Toronto, and General Editor of the Dictionary of Canadian Biography