Gillian Clark, Christianity and Roman Society - Huntington University

BOOK REVIEWS 119
Although I am not fully persuaded that evangelicalism sold out to the Enlightenment
or the Romantic mood in toto, I am convinced that this volume deserves a place in
reference collections, evangelical pastor’s studies, and seminary or undergraduate classes
dealing with nineteenth century religion or the history of evangelicalism. As I read with
pencil in hand, Bebbington’s outline emerged in each chapter. Such superb organization
increases the reference value of this work, making future consultations both more likely
and easier. The extensive bibliography (twelve pages of secondary literature) also adds to
its reference value. In addition, it is written plainly enough to be read by interested
laypeople. Overall, The Dominance of Evangelicalism is a valuable contribution to the
field of evangelical history.
Robert Service, Stalin. A Biography. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap
Press of Harvard University Press, 2005. Pp. xviii + 715. $29.95.
Reviewed by A. Paul Kubricht, LeTourneau University
Stalin is known as the greatest genocidal killer in history; yet at the same time, he
irreversibly changed the Soviet Union as he strove to build a modern industrial and
military power. He could check off names on lists of those accused of political crimes,
sending them to the gulag or even death, while presenting himself as a leader beloved by
children. Churchill has referred to the Soviet Union as a “riddle wrapped in a mystery
inside an enigma,” but the same inexplicable quality surrounds the life of Josef Stalin.
Even for the West, he presents a challenge that his one-time collaborator Adolf Hitler
does not. Stalin became the great World War II ally of the western democracies in the
struggle against Hitler, and his Red Army served Hitler some of his worst military
defeats. Western biographers, beginning with Isaac Deutscher’s study (1966), have
attempted to capture Stalin’s personality and explain his motivations. Although samizdat
material was circulating, Russian biographers had to wait a bit longer to publicly enter
the debate, with the appearance of Roy Medvedev’s Let History Judge(1989). In addition
many specialized monographs have attempted to explain various aspects of the Stalinist
era.
Some may question whether another biography of Stalin is needed. However,
Service’s study serves two important purposes. First, he has assembled an impressive
bibliography of both archival and secondary works and he has reviewed a wide range of
memoirs and first-hand sources. He has been able to present his portrayal of Stalin
without focusing on sources that rely on political agendas or rumors and gossip. Second,
Service offers a broad life and times narrative, noting: “while it is vital to examine
Stalin’s peculiar personality, it is equally necessary to analyse the environment in which
he grew up and the political and other pressures under which he operated” (x). As a