The Way to True Excellence: The Spirituality of Samuel Pearce is a dissertation that seeks to understand why and how the late eighteenth century pastor, Samuel Pearce (1766–1799) was a model for spirituality. Pearce was the pastor of Cannon Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, England from 1790 until death in 1799. Pearce only lived to be thirty-three years old, but he had a very successful ministry in Birmingham, was sought after as a preacher through Great Britain, and was an integral part of the Baptist missionary movement that helped bring about a sea-change in evangelicalism. For decades after his death, John Ryland and other Baptist leaders referred to Pearce as the “seraphic Pearce.” One year after his death Andrew Fuller published Pearce’s memoirs, Memoirs of the late Rev. Samuel Pearce, and the latter became a model of eighteenth-century Baptist piety. In this thesis, three areas of his piety are examined against the backdrop of eighteenth-century evangelicalism: his preaching as a model for a spirituality of the word, his marriage and friendships as a model for a spirituality of love, and his commitment to the Great Commission as a model for a spirituality of mission. With the examination of these three areas, this thesis seeks to show to what extent Pearce’s spirituality captures the quintessence of late eighteenth-century Baptist spirituality.

This dissertation argues that the life and ministry of Basil Manly Jr. had remarkable impact on the spiritual lives of Southern Baptists. His ability to transform people through the diversity of his labors, which he personally felt were too broad, continues to exert meaningful sway upon his denomination, and more broadly, American evangelicalism. Manly must be remembered as a central figure in the establishment, shaping, and preservation of many of the enduring institutions of the Southern Baptist Convention—Sunday school, hymnody, and theological education—all while not compromising historic, orthodox beliefs of the church. By reviewing his primary sources, this dissertation develops a cohesive understanding of the themes and practice of piety demonstrated in the life and thought of Manly. The introduction explains the importance of Manly’s life, ministry, and piety in light of his influence within the Southern Baptist Convention. Chapter 2 analyzes the impact of the teaching and preaching of his father and the spiritual tradition that became known as the Charleston tradition with its emphasis on Calvinistic theology, orderly worship, and, most significantly in Manly’s life, an educated and professional clergy. Chapter 3 studies the influences upon Manly in the development of his piety during his theological education at two Northern institutions. Chapter 4 discusses the role of Manly played in the establishment of a Sunday school in every Baptist church for the conversion and spiritual growth of all but especially children and young people. Chapter 5 explores Manly’s work as not only a hymn writer but also an editor and compiler of hymns. The hymns written, tunes composed, and the hymnals edited by Manly are marks of a rich spirituality of worship. Chapter 6 examines Manly’s view of Scripture, chiefly his understanding of the doctrine of inspiration. Chapter 7, the conclusion, discusses the long-term impact of Manly not only on the Southern Baptist Convention but several Southern Baptist institutions. Manly’s piety, grounded firmly in and fashioned by Scripture, was instrumental in shaping the piety of future generations of Southern Baptists.

This dissertation is an inductive synthesis and study of the spirituality of Adoniram Judson. It argues that the center of Judson's spirituality was a heavenly-minded, self-denying submission to the sovereign will of God, which was motivated by an affectionate desire to please Christ, by obeying his final command revealed in the sacred Scriptures. Chapter 2 surveys Judson's life and the historical, theological, and spiritual contexts that formed him. Chapter 3 argues that the foundation of Judson's missionary spirituality was the Bible. His evangelical activism and conversionism grew out of his bibliocentrism. Chapter 4 contends for an all-consuming vision of God's sovereignty in Judson's piety. His submission to God's will affected his view of suffering, duty, and self-denial. Judson's response to his love for God was a self-denying asceticism. Chapter 5 demonstrates that Judson's interpretation of life's events was through the lens of eternity. His heavenly-mindedness permeated his vision for living and dying. Moreover, his eager expectancy of Christ's imminent millennial glory stimulated his evangelical activism. Chapter 6 highlights Judson's dominant spiritual motivation from his early days to his last days: to please Christ. Expressed many times in letters, journals, tracts, and sermons, Judson's supreme desire was to please him. Chapter 7 summarizes the research questions and the thesis, and it analyzes the unique features of Judson's spirituality. This chapter proposes other needed areas of research in the life and spirituality of Adoniram Judson, which were beyond the scope of this dissertation.