History of the Reformation (VI)

Transcription

1 History of the Reformation (VI) English Religious Groups in 17 th and 18 th centuries Church of England (Anglican) conformists non-conformists; Dissenters Roman Catholic-Ireland Puritans (numerous variations), Separatists Baptists, Particular Baptists, Anabaptists, Reformed Baptists, General Baptists (Arminians) Methodist- John & Charles Wesley 1730 s Presbyterian (numerous variations)- Scotland Seekers (and many other groups) (Quakers) Pietists Mystics Jews (tolerance varies) forced to leave England in 13 th C; some Jews return Deism, Unitarianism, Atheists,????? AMERICAS Spanish missions & clerics in Mexico, southern frontier, California RCC New France 1608 Canada (Quebec) 1673 French exploration of upper Mississippi RCC Colonial America- European Christianity + renewal ± non-traditional beliefs +??? 1607 Jamestown (charter from King James I) 1619 Trade in tobacco & slaves secular motives (return on investments) but Anglican beliefs present; 1620 England (Puritan separatists) Holland North America Pilgrims sailed for Virginia but landed in Plymouth. Subsequent Puritan colonies in Massachusetts & New England Puritans & Separatists Congregational church Catholic- Maryland 1634 George Calvert (aka Lord Baltimore) for service to Charles I was given land Calvert s goal-provide haven for Catholics (tolerated Protestants) & make money st Catholic Bishop in USA John Carroll Baptists- several types of Baptists (general, particular, freewill) Pennsylvania, R.I., Southern colonies 1639 Newport Rhode Island 1st Baptist Church in America Roger Williams Anglicans- Virginia, Carolinas, Georgia, NYC (Anglican Episcopal) Presbyterian (from Scotland & Ireland- Scot-Irish) Calvinist + variations Maryland (1 st Presbyterian Church 1684) Quakers-1656 to Massachusetts (conflict with Puritans) PA & RI William Penn Religious tolerance: Offered religious freedom to all who believed in one God Quakers were 1st to organize an anti-slavery effort in Americas Reformed (Calvinistic) - Dutch & Germans New York (1624), New Amsterdam, Pennsylvania Lutheran-Germans, Scandinavians NY, Pennsylvania, Maryland

2 First 100 years- Population 800,000 Congregational (420), Anglican (240), Presbyterian (160), Baptist /Lutheran (95) Catholic (27) European patterns dominate religious life & many groups maintain contact with European church But environment (& distance) of the colonies changes in this European contribution. Distribution of churches reflects ethnic & denominational heritage of the early settlements Contact with non-traditional forms of religion, astrology, witchcraft Protestant denominations arose from convictions & devotion but influenced by political & social environment 2 nd generation effect in groups immigrating primarily for religious reasons Emphasis on education-especially of clergy Harvard (Puritan) 1638 Princeton (Presbyterian) 1746 Rutgers (Dutch Reformed) 1764 Dartmouth (Congregationalists) 1769 Brown (Baptist) 1764 Concerns about morality of slavery Rationalization that slaves were being taught Christianity BUT concern that conversion could lead to revolt of the slaves (as in Protestant Europe) largely ineffective due to language, culture, education barriers, slaves still slaves Colonial Americas --Indentured servants (first Africans from captured Spanish slave ship) 1705 Virginia Slave Code: Slaves only people imported from other nations that were not Christian Pietism Search for simplification, renewal, & reform in post-reformation Protestantism Rescue Protestantism from degenerating into acrimonious theological factions Practical Christianity + Reformed Orthodoxy + Mysticism To God's glory & my neighbors good Personal Christianity individual experience; devotion (spiritualism) -doers of the word & not hearers only ( deeds > creeds ) Not works righteousness but works of the righteous --apply the love of Christ to alleviate societal and cultural ills evangelism & missions; education; non-dogmatic Christianity Methodism Widespread Influence of Pietism: all forms of existing Protestantism underwent some form of pietistic reform incorporated into new forms of Protestantism (e.g. Methodism) stimulates development of Protestant missionary efforts Spirit of God chased away the darkness of my unbelief -Charles & John Wesley Holy Club ' 1726 Found Church of England apathetic to moral and spiritual needs of the people John Wesley 1738 reading Luther s preface to Romans heart strangely warmed Theological influences from Calvinism, Arminianism, Mysticism, Pietism, Anglican Emphasis of Methodism: faith in Christ, preaching of the gospel, prayer, group fellowship importance of Holy Spirit in life of believer and the church Holiness Movement organization of small groups for prayer and study (the method) distribution of Christian materials, education of the clergy life style changes-practical Christianity strive towards perfection in a state of holiness by the process of sanctification education of laity concern for the poor

3 18 th Century North America Church has fallen into as deep a sleep as ever Congregations are dead because dead men preach to them Non-Christians content with a society ordered by Christian beliefs (Ethical and moral standards, religious ideas) Great Awakening (Revivals) 1700 s Jonathan Edwards Revival begins in Northampton Mass George Whitfield emphasis on: doctrine of Christ & Apostles, reality of religious experience, ecumenical (not a representative of the established church) There are no Presbyterians, Anglicans, or Baptists in heaven...only Christians Influences of Great Awakening: impact across denominations & colonies but different effects in different areas temporary pause in the secularization of colonial society rise of democratic ideas religious and political power of the people rise of nationalism, religious patriotism, patriotic writings & sermons French & Indian War French were the epitome of evil monarchy & Roman Catholic Indian problem interfered with westward expansion After French & Indian War subset of population rise in opposition to British tyranny Regulations, taxes, quartering of troops, Anglican church, monarchy Scripture and Christian values used to support all three political movements 1) Supporters of independence 2) Loyalists 3) Pacifists American Revolution United States of America & Constitution Founding Fathers What did they believe? What did they mean? (Not always clear even from their own writings) Most were sincerely religious persons but often a mixture of traditional & non-traditional Christianity Necessary to overlook religious differences in order to form a government Separation of church and state is a benefit to both If government is for all people then government must not be involved in religious issues No prohibition for religious groups to benefit from government policies designed for the good of all citizens Post Revolution Libertarian spirit; ongoing disagreements about the role of church & state; Appeal to self-evident truth and inalienable rights; Enlightenment thinking Sovereignty of the people; fear of government tyranny Unwillingness to accept traditional or inherited beliefs; distrust of established churches of Europe Continue allegiance to historic Christian confessions Augsburg Confession, Council Trent, Westminster Confession, Heidelberg Catechism, Dordt Westward expansion mixture of traditional and non-traditional beliefs (Baptist & Methodist) individualism, needs of a harsh frontier There is no country in the world where the Christian religion retains a greater influence over the souls of men than in America A. DeToqueville 1835

4 18 th - 19 th century in America (ideas from Europe and??) Secularism, humanism, idealism, rationalism, skepticism, empiricism, science, atheism Liberal theology Theology of doubt, despair, denial, disillusion Search for new ways to justify not believing in God Unbelief becomes acceptable, Biblical criticism Deism- God wound the clock and then let it run without further involvement existence and nature of God based on reason and personal experience rejection of anything not validated by reason (miracles, divinity of Christ, inerrancy of scripture, etc.) Immigration Protestants (some seeking religious freedom from state churches) Catholics (Ireland, Germany, Italy, Poland) and birth Catholic church control contrasts with independent minded Protestants Promote education-catholic schools (Georgetown for training of priests) Conflict with Protestants especially in urban centers over work Nominal Christians and nonreligious people People of any and all religious beliefs and none Cycles of Religious Decline & Revival; Decline of traditional organized clerical and liturgical churches Shifting of denominational allegiances (marriage, generation effect, geography, etc ) The whole people appear to be divided into an almost endless variety of religious factions; a mirror of its wild society A. DeToqueville 1835 Issue of slavery Antislavery movements England-elimination of slavery; elimination of slave trade William Wilberforce ( ) 1860-estimated 4 million slaves in USA American churches separate over the issue of slavery (north-south schism) North Our cause is just War was God s judgment on a nation that tolerated evil ; Early defeats were God s punishment Link future of faith and future of the country to the end of slavery South Our cause is just Serve your masters, don t steal, if you obey your master you will go to heaven God ordained slavery to protect an inferior race; Slavery not condemned in the Bible War was God chastising His people; Abolition Movement: Slavery is sin, Broken churches equals a broken nation Sin cannot be solved through political compromise or social reform but only by repentance. Growing sense that God will punish America for the sin of slavery Slaves and freedmen tended to form separate churches Bethel Church for Negro Methodists 1793 (Philadelphia) African Methodist Episcopal church 1814 African Baptist Church (Boston) Abyssinian Baptist Church (New York) Plain and simple message Stress on sound doctrine and discipline Spirituals due to general illiteracy Belief that God will ultimately end slavery

5 Both sides fought a war to defend republican Christian values and virtues in a world where these values and virtues become less important than ever before. Mark Noll Protestantism 19 th and 20 th century Changes in society (no longer a society of hereditary white Protestants of British background) Roman catholic church becomes largest denomination but RCC also affected by changes African-American churches Public vs private religion; Conform society to Christian values vs accommodate to the times Immigration of non-religious peoples & religious peoples but some for non-religious reasons Intellectual challenges rise of liberal theology leads to numerous divisions within protestant churches Non-Christian philosophical systems-nihilism, atheism, enlightenment, Darwinism, etc Change from religious based education to secular universities; Science and scientific thinking Industrialism Urbanization (population changes, social & economic issues) Response of Protestantism: (not just in America) Revivals DL Moody Moody Bible Institute Christian message (3 R s) Ruined by sin, Redemption by Christ, Regeneration by Holy Spirit I look upon this world as a wrecked vessel. God has given me a lifeboat & said-moody save all that you can. CH Spurgeon England Missions (Evangelicalism) RCC with long history of mission activity Protestant mission societies missionaries William Carey (Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God) David Livingston, Hudson Taylor, Adonirum Judson, Amy Carmichael Social gospel (social movements by religious and non-religious groups) Quest for moral & social reform-key to changing society is to convert individuals prohibition (free the nation, free the slaves, end alcohol) political action (woman s suffrage, rights) reform in cities (incredible deprivation just beyond the boundaries of prosperity) Holiness Movement (pietistic, mystic, spiritualistic) widespread effects deeper and closer walk with Christ, victorious living, lay all on the alter, higher life post conversion experiences Influence on Methodist, Pentecostal, Church of God, Church of Christ, others

6 Fundamentalism - return to fundamentals belief in the historic doctrines of the Christian faith respond to liberalism, defend (and in many cases redefine) orthodoxy opposition to secularism, separation from apostasy, militant evangelism The Fundamentals 90 essays in 12 volumes edited by A.C Dixon (later) R.A. Torrey The essays were written to affirm conservative Protestant beliefs, especially those of the Reformed tradition, and defend against ideas deemed inimical to them. Fundamentalist movement(s) Many variations and cycles Some fundamental disagreement with fundamentals Influence and effect on Protestant denominations but difficult to define Later criticized (many criticisms accurate) for tendency towards legalism, reactionary and unchristian spirit, anti-intellectualism, separatism, exclusiveness (often over minor issues which become tests of faith), preoccupation with defending against modernism, post modernism, liberalisms. Now the term fundamental has mostly negative connotations Evangelical Free Church: Scandinavian Lutheran pietists seek freedom from government interference Emigration to America- Growth in America 1884 Swedish Evangelical Free Church (Iowa) 1909 Danish-Norwegian Evangelical Free Church (MA & WA) 1950 Evangelical Free Church of America merger of the Swedish Evangelical Free Church and the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Free Church (275 local congregations) For further Reading Mark A. Noll A History of Christianity in the United States & Canada (1992) Excellent overview Many other excellent books by this author on specific topics of NA Christianity