“Insightful”—Laura Porter, Catholic Historical Review
“Remarkable . . . [Brekus] displays real sensitivity toward Osborn’s struggles.”—Thomas S. Kidd, Gospel Coalition
"A magnificent book....Beautifully written, deeply researched, and effectively argued."—Edward E. Andrews, New England Quarterly
"This gracefully written book will appeal to scholars and others with an interest in early American history."—W.B. Bedford, Choice
“Part biography, part narrative history…. The study is, in fact, a melding of evidence, imagination, and rhetorical discipline that exhibits rare talent.”—David Thomas, Historian
“Sarah Osborn's World is a deeply intelligent and artfully written biography of an eighteenth-century religious woman. . . Brekus breaks new ground.”—Phyllis Mack, American Historical Review
“It's astonishing just how much Brekus is able to reveal about Osborn, 18th-century America, and the origins of evangelicalism—especially in light of the disparate and challenging sources she had to work with. . . . [A] master class in historical method.”—Elesha Coffman, Christianity Today
Winner of the 2013 Aldersgate Prize given by John Wesley Honors College, Indiana Wesleyan University.
Won an Honorable Mention for the 2013 New England Book Festival given by the JM Northern Media Family of Festivals, in the General Non-Fiction Category.
Received an Honorable Mention for the 2013 American Publishers Awards for Professional and Scholarly Excellence (PROSE), in the Theology & Religious Studies category.
Winner of the 2015 Outler Prize sponsored by the American Society for Chruch History.
“This will become the best biography we have on a female evangelical in colonial America, following naturally from Brekus’s earlier book on women preachers in early America. But I would also recommend this as simply one of the best books I have read on the life of an American evangelical, female or male, particularly because Brekus is able so successfully to combine historical analysis of evangelicalism with the details of Osborn’s life and writings.”—Thomas Kidd, Baylor University
Sarah Osborn’s World reflects unusually industrious research, profound historical insight, and extraordinary human empathy. It offers a superb depiction of the long and complex life of a woman who was at the heart of eighteenth-century American evangelical history. The remarkable character of that life is matched by the remarkable success of this book."—Mark A. Noll, University of Notre Dame
“Sarah Osborn’s World describes the emergence of evangelicalism with incomparable precision and profound grace, using the struggling life of one woman to convey the grand scope of eighteenth-century history. I defy anyone to read this book and not remain haunted by its subject.”—Kathryn Lofton, author of Oprah: The Gospel of an Icon
"Sarah Osborn’s World is written beautifully and reads like a novel. The beginning undergraduate or non-historian will turn the pages with delight, but the academic specialist will long ponder the significance of this book for his or her own work. The life of Sarah Osborn is not only narrated splendidly on its own terms but also carefully placed to illuminate a wide range of scholarly discussions of religion and culture in which Brekus is well-informed. There is no better biographical study of an eighteenth-century religious woman."—Bruce Hindmarsh, author of The Evangelical Conversion Narrative
“This will become the best biography we have on a female evangelical in colonial America, following naturally from Brekus’s earlier book on women preachers in early America. But I would also recommend this as simply one of the best books I have read on the life of an American evangelical, female or male, particularly because Brekus is able so successfully to combine historical analysis of evangelicalism with the details of Osborn’s life and writings.”—Thomas Kidd, Baylor University
~Thomas Kidd
Sarah Osborn’s World reflects unusually industrious research, profound historical insight, and extraordinary human empathy. It offers a superb depiction of the long and complex life of a woman who was at the heart of eighteenth-century American evangelical history. The remarkable character of that life is matched by the remarkable success of this book."—Mark A. Noll, University of Notre Dame
~Mark A. Noll
“
Sarah Osborn’s World describes the emergence of evangelicalism with incomparable precision and profound grace, using the struggling life of one woman to convey the grand scope of eighteenth-century history. I defy anyone to read this book and not remain haunted by its subject.”—Kathryn Lofton, author of
Oprah: The Gospel of an Icon
"Sarah Osborn’s World is written beautifully and reads like a novel. The beginning undergraduate or non-historian will turn the pages with delight, but the academic specialist will long ponder the significance of this book for his or her own work. The life of Sarah Osborn is not only narrated splendidly on its own terms but also carefully placed to illuminate a wide range of scholarly discussions of religion and culture in which Brekus is well-informed. There is no better biographical study of an eighteenth-century religious woman."—Bruce Hindmarsh, author of
The Evangelical Conversion Narrative
~Bruce Hindmarsh
“Fascinating . . . remarkable . . . an eloquently written, extraordinarily deep contextual portrayal of life in the 18th century.”—Jonathan M. Yeager, Books & Culture
~Jonathan M. Yeager, Books & Culture
“Illuminating . . . authoritative [and] accessible.”—Kirkus Reviews
~Kirkus Reviews
“[A] stunning achievement”—Janet Moore Lindman, William and Mary Quarterly
~Janet Moore Lindman, William and Mary Quarterly
Winner of the 2013 Aldersgate Prize given by John Wesley Honors College, Indiana Wesleyan University.
~Aldersgate Prize, Indiana Wesleyan University
Won an Honorable Mention for the 2013 New England Book Festival given by the JM Northern Media Family of Festivals, in the General Non-Fiction Category.
~New England Book Festival, JM Northern Media
Received an Honorable Mention for the 2013 American Publishers Awards for Professional and Scholarly Excellence (PROSE), in the Theology & Religious Studies category.
~PROSE Awards, American Publishers Awards for Professional and Scholarly Excellence
Winner of the 2015 Outler Prize sponsored by the American Society for Chruch History.
~Outler Prize, American Society for Church History
