British Roots in American Millennialism: Edward Irving and the Millerite Movement

Abstract

Edward Irving has been recognized as one of the most remarkable figures of nineteenth
century British premillennialism. Yet, despite this recognition, towards the
end of his life he had become an embarrassment to evangelical Christians. Among the
reasons for his tragic end were doctrinal and ecclesiastical issues. However, some
years later the foremost American premillenarian movement, namely Millerism,
would almost entirely replicate his understanding of eschatology, the latter rain, and
the concept of Babylon. The particular extent of the influence of Irving on Millerism
is intriguing and has not been thoroughly evaluated in the relevant literature. This
study suggests that some of the teachings of Millerism were rooted in Edward Irving's
ideas.

Key Words: Edward Irving, William Miller, premillennialism, eschatology, latter
rain, Babylon