13 L E S S O N The Rise of Denominationalism A.D. 1700-1900 The concept of denominations is such an accepted part of our culture that we seldom think about its benefits or how it came into being. It is largely an American invention. Weary of violence within the church, there eventually developed a tolerance for difference of opinion and separate church structure within the same country. The idea of church and state being separate, with the government endorsing or promoting no specific religion, found its way into the United States Constitution and ultimately into the world. We know it as denominationalism, the coexistence of different factions of the church, even different religions, within the same country without government interference. In America, at least, this arrangement has reduced the bloodshed. The culture in general helped make tolerance more acceptable, because people in the West were becoming less concerned about the details of doctrine and religious beliefs. The early part of this period witnessed a move away from faith toward secularism and the worship of reason. It saw the birth of modern science, with scientists such as Isaac Newton and others helping people see there were natural causes to explain some of the phenomena in the world. Unfortunately, many now began to think that God and creation were no longer necessary factors in understanding the universe. At the same time, John Locke and other philosophers were promoting ideas of individual liberty and religious toleration. Deism, the belief that God created the world and then left it to run on its own, was becoming popular. Deists reject the idea of a God who is personally concerned about individuals or the affairs of this world. They also deny the possibility of miracles or special revelation from God. They regard the Bible as a purely human product. With this kind of cultural background, the Reformation movement spilled unto American shores. The four major branches of the Reformation were Anglican, Lutheran, Anabaptist, and Reformed. During the eighteenth century, the greatest activity was taking place in the Anglican branch not within the Anglican Church itself, but among the dissidents who were eventually forced out and started their own denominations. The story of the Anglican Church, its splits, and the formation of the Methodist as well as Congregational churches is probably best represented by a simple diagram in the Chart of Anglican Tradition page 157. John Wesley, a PK (preacher s kid), was one of nineteen children born to Samuel and Susanna Wesley. His father was an Anglican minister and his mother was the daughter of a nonconformist minister. Nonconformists was the name given to ministers in the Anglican Church who objected to its practices and distanced themselves from it. Puritans and Separatists were among the nonconformists. Wesley entered Oxford University at age seventeen. His brother Charles was also a student at Oxford. Charles became alarmed at the spread of deism at the university and started a small group for prayer and Bible study. Those who attended were accountable to each other for their Christian walk. Sharing his brother s concern, John joined the group and soon became its leader. Other students at the university ridiculed the little group and called those who belonged to it names such as The Holy Club, Bible moths, and Methodists. The Methodist name came about because the LESSON 13 153
group talked about and practiced a method to grow in personal holiness. This name stuck. The group didn t just read the Bible and pray. The members were active in Christian service as well. They visited jails, gave to the poor, and sought other ways to share their faith. They were encouraged when one of the undergraduates from Pembroke College, George Whitefield, joined their group. John Wesley was constantly restless and unable to find inward peace. He was invited to go on a missionary trip to Georgia in the American colonies. The trip was a disaster. He described Native Americans as gluttons, thieves, liars and murderers. He didn t even get along well with the white colonists. They resented his criticism of their fancy clothes and gold jewelry in church, and they objected to his rigid ways. John was cultured and high church, and just didn t fit into the frontier. After an unfortunate love affair fell apart, he returned to England totally discouraged. He wrote: I went to America to convert the Indians, but, oh, who shall convert me? A great benefit of his trip to America, however, was the opportunity to meet some Moravian missionaries. The Moravians were highly dedicated and missionary minded Christians who established a colony in Moravia. They were under the leadership of a wealthy Lutheran nobleman, Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf. Zinzendorf, a deeply committed Christian, invited Christian refugees to the safety of his estate, then led them into his vision of uniting all Christians in the task of worldwide evangelism. While in the colonies, Wesley was impressed with the Moravians complete confidence in Christ and bold witness. Back in London, Wesley met Peter Bohler, a Moravian preacher who talked with Wesley about being born again and having a personal faith in Christ by which he could attain true holiness. On May 24, 1738, Wesley had a spiritual experience that he describes in his own words: In the evening, I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter to nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt that I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death. (11) Following this conversion experience, Wesley preached the Gospel with an enthusiasm seldom equaled in the history of the church. It is estimated that, during his lifetime he traveled some 250,000 miles by horseback preaching the Gospel. Though Anglican, he was repeatedly barred from preaching in the church because of the opposition of some Anglican clergy. Undaunted, he preached in the open air to as many as 30,000 people at once. He preached in inns, in jails, on ships, at coalmines and industrial plants, in courtyards wherever people would listen. Once, refused entrance to his family s church, he stood on his father s tombstone and preached. He said he saw the world as his parish, and considered it his duty to preach the glad tidings of salvation to anyone who would hear. John Wesley was joined by his brother, Charles, the famous hymn writer. Charles wrote over 7,000 sacred songs and poems. John was the organizer and administrator, while Charles touched the hearts of people with his awesome music. Later, their college friend, George Whitefield (1714-1770), joined the movement and experienced extraordinary results in open air evangelism. Whitefield was one of the greatest preachers of all time. David Garrick, a famous actor, once said he would give a hundred guineas if he could say Oh like Mr. Whitefield. The Methodist revival was on, and it shook England and America to its foundations. Whitefield toured the colonies on a very successful preaching mission. His ministry, however, was separate from the Wesleys, because Whitefield was a thoroughgoing Calvinist; whereas, Wesley was committed to the Arminian position. The breach was never healed. The ministry of Whitefield joined with others in the colonies in what is known in history as the Great Awakening. The Great Awakening was a spiritual revival in America that remains unprecedented. People everywhere were turning to God. When and where it started is still open to dispute, but Jonathan Edwards sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, was certainly one of the major influences used by the Holy Spirit to sweep across the young nation. In December, 1734, Edwards wrote: The Spirit of God began extraordinarily to set in...there was scarcely a single person in the town, old or young, left unconcerned about the great things of the eternal world. (12) It was only the beginning of America s greatest period of revival. The Great Awakening saw Methodist, Baptist, Congregational, and Presbyterian evangelists join in an awesome spiritual harvest. The revivals lasted throughout the 1730s and 1740s. Most church historians 154 LESSON 13
claim the Great Awakening affected all of American life, including social organization and politics, and changed church life in America dramatically. This was also a time of revolution in society and culture. There was economic revolution, with the writings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, and the publication of the Communist Manifesto in 1848. There was political revolution, including the French and American revolutions. There was scientific revolution, with Charles Darwin and Charles Lyell promoting theories that seemed to negate the necessity of a creator. There was theological revolution, with the onset of theological liberalism that discounted the theories of biblical inerrancy and the necessity of the new birth. There was the industrial revolution that left hundreds of thousands of people in desperate conditions in large cities and led to serious abuses of child labor. In addition to all this, the slavery issue was fanning the flames of controversy in churches and the halls of government. The church responded with massive social movements. Among theological liberals, the Social Gospel had its beginnings. The Social Gospel purported that the healing of culture and society, rather than personal conversion, should be the church s main concern. Conservative and traditional Christians on the other hand, adhered to the necessity of personal salvation and linked it to massive relief efforts. God raised up specific individuals to bring healing to England and America. Among them were William and Catherine Booth, founders of the Salvation Army; Robert Raikes, founder of the Sunday school movement; George Müller, organizer and director of orphanages, and William Wilberforce, the untiring defender of liberty in the English parliament. Wilberforce was also the leading individual in the formation of Clapham Village, a neighborhood of influential leaders near London who addressed a variety of social concerns, the most important being slavery. Wilberforce was the major influence behind the abolition of slavery in England. His stirring speeches in Parliament are legendary! Around this time, the term evangelical emerged in reference to people like Wilberforce and others involved in Christian social causes. Evangelicals were Christians who believed in the inspiration and authority of Scripture, the importance of being born again, and the return of Jesus Christ. The term is still in use today. The latter part of this period saw a Second Awakening in America. Evangelists such as Charles G. Finney (1792-1875) and Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899) were experiencing remarkable success. The work of D.L. Moody led to the formation of the Moody Bible Institute (Chicago) and its various publishing and educational ministries. A significant individual during this time was Alexander Campbell (1788-1866). A Presbyterian minister who left the Presbyterian church because he rejected the idea of denomination and what he considered to be repressive church government, Campbell preached no creed but Christ, no law but love, and wanted his group to be known only as Disciples. He joined with Barton W. Stone, who had similar ideas. Stone simply called his group Christians. Both had Presbyterian backgrounds, but attracted many former Baptists to their group. But they did not fully identify with either Baptists or Presbyterians. They practiced immersion, which separated them from Presbyterians, and believed in baptismal regeneration, which separated them from Baptists. Baptismal regeneration is the belief that baptism is an essential part of salvation. They were often called Campbellites, because they were identified with the teachings of Alexander Campbell and his father, Thomas Campbell. From this group the Disciples of Christ/Christian church of our day evolved. In Europe during this time, impressive missionary activity emerged from the rank and file of Protestant Christians. In addition to the Moravian missionary movement already described, this was the time William Carey went to India, David Livingstone to Africa, and many other missionaries risked (and often lost) their lives to carry the Gospel to other continents. So many things happened during this period that we suggest you read these six pages over two or three times before we meet in class. Much of twentieth century church history in America is rooted in this 200 year period of 1700-1900. LESSON 13 155
Assignment Ponder the question, Do you see any relationship between what was happening in European and American society and culture during this time and what was happening during the same period in the church? If so, what is the connection? Write your answer in a few sentences and be prepared to share it with the class. 156 LESSON 13
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