Tractarianism
in Church history the name given to the Catholic revival in the Church of England which commenced at Oxford in 1833, whence it is sometimes called the Oxford Movement. The leaders of the movement were two celebrated Fellows of Oriel-John Keble and John Henry (afterward Cardinal) Newman, with whom were joined Richard Hurrell Froude, Arthur Philip Perceval, Frederick William Faber, William Palmer of Magdalen, and William Palmer of Worcester, Edward Bouverie Pusey, and Isaac Williams; and one cele- TRACT SOCIETY. In the 17th century several traces are found of associations for printing and promoting the sale of religious works, but none of them seems to have existed long. The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, founded in 1701, had for one of its objects "the dispersion, both at home and abroad, of Bibles and tracts of religion."
In 1750 was formed The Society for Promoting Religious Knowledge among the TRACT SOCIETY Poor, not, like the former, confined to the Church of England, but embracing Christians of all denominations. The Religious Tract Society (1799) originated with the Rev. George Burder. Its beginnings were humble, but it soon expanded, translating the Bible and tracts into over 200 languages. In 1825 the American Tract Society was founded and since then it has been publishing books, tracts, and periodicals, representing the best Christian literature approved by all Evangelical Christians, and is the almoner of their gifts to the destitute. Its total issues at home, in 20 languages, number 479,400,000 copies. It has helped foreign missions, in 100 languages, to many millions of copies. copies. Its colporteurs have visited 14,985,116 families.