In Thundering the Word, Kurt Smith labors to unpack a fresh biography of Whitefield, fixing attention on the years 1736–1742, which S. M. Houghton described as “the most dramatic and remarkable period of Whitefield’s life.” Here we see Whitefield as the gospel awakener par excellence, preaching Christ at the center of revivals on both sides of the Atlantic while defending gospel truth in the face of error propagated by his closest friends. Assessing this season of Whitefield’s life in honest, pastoral candor, Smith helps us appreciate who George Whitefield was and why his faith should matter as worthy of imitation but only to that degree where it points us to Christ.