Reaction against both Catholicism and the Magisterial reformers Luther and Calvin who had state support. Radicals changed how Scripture was to be read, how membership was understood, meaning and practice of baptism and even doctrines about identity of God. Most significant was notion that Christianity was a private contract between believer and God that did not depend on any specific church or confession of specific doctrine.
Stage set by King Frederick William III, member of Reformed Church in Prussia. Wife was Lutheran - could not receive communion in each other's church. 1799 issued a new liturgical book to be used in common services between Reformed churches and Lutheran churches in Prussia. 1817 urged two churches to merge, founded on doctrinal pluralism Had common liturgical life but could hold differing doctrine. Laid groundwork for what is known as Radical Reformation.
PIETISM Began in Germany in late 17th & early 18th century within Lutheranism that combined Lutheran emphasis on Biblical doctrine with the Reformed emphasis on individual piety and living a vigorous Christian life. Focused on personal piety and commitment instead of doctrine or any state sponsored religion. Philip Jacob Spenser, a Lutheran theologian initiated small house gatherings to hear his sermons and discuss Bible. Insisted focus on strict moral life and sincere love of God.
PIETISM Six proposals for reform of Lutheran Church 1. Private small group Bible studies. 2. Congregational governance 3. Knowledge of Christ's teaching practiced daily 4. Kindly treatment to heretics and non believers 5. University training of clergy with emphasis on devotional life 6. Making preaching focused on inner life of individual.
PIETISM This movement became known as pietism. What became important was individual experience and earnestness. Now had little churches within churches Led to notion that doctrine is not important and community life secondary.
PIETISM Pietism influenced the formation of Methodism and prepared Europe for Enlightenment. One of most significant influences on all modern day Protestantism, especially Evangelicalism. It has also influenced the individualistic culture of US.
PIETISM Church is Body of Christ. Is beginning of end of Church for Protestants Orthodox Theologian Christo Yannaris claims Pietism undermines Truth of Church unity and personal communion. Salvation becomes an individual event, Possibility of man's salvation becomes individual moral endeavor without the Church.
PIETISM He says, "Pietism is not man's dynamic, personal participation in the body of the Church's communion which saves him despite his personal unworthiness and transforms even his sin, through repentance, into possibility of receiving God's grace and love. Rather it is primarily man's individual attainments, the way he as an individual lives up to religious duties and moral commandments and intimates the "virtues" of Christ, that insures him a justification which can be objectively verified. For Pietism, the Church is a phenomenon dependent upon individual justification. (Freedom and Morality 121-122) What issues do OC have with this?
Took Sola Scriptura to its logical extremes. Rejected any kind of Tradition Scripture became not just highest authority but exclusive authority. If Scripture was silent then it was forbidden.
Many Baptists teach that each believer has full authority to interpret Scripture for himself without correction from other authority - soul competency. Also supported Congregationalism where each congregation is autonomous. Local pastor becomes like a pope. Democracy applied not just to business side but even to questions of doctrine.
Saint Basil the Great in 4th Century Of doctrines and injunctions kept by the Church, some we have from instruction. But some we have received, Apostolic Tradition, by succession in private. Both the former and the latter have one and the same force for piety for were we to dare to reject unwritten customs, as if they had no great importance, we should insensibly mutilate the Gospel (On the Holy Spirit, 66)
Also led to rejecting ordained ministers and viewing sacraments as symbolic. Many Radical reformers continued to have clergy who were preachers and administrators, not priests who offered up the sacrifice to God on behalf of the people. Saw believers of a sacramental priesthood as believers in magic conducted by tribal witch doctors.
Also tended to look with disdain on Church art. Reason and logic were primary and art forms seen as carnal and denounced as idolatry. Fierce iconoclasm took hold in Europe Radical Church's became known as " four bare walls and a sermon." Physical matter could not be locus for presence of God. Implications?
OC view this as deeply misguided. Man is made up of both spiritual and material aspects and so salvation involves material world. Son of God became incarnate as real human being so makes sense that we can eat His Body and drink His Blood, that icons can depict Him, that Churches should be made beautiful to glorify Him and church services should be richly adorned appealing to all our senses to connect us with splendor of heaven.
Radicals saw baptism as symbolic, only an outward sign of God's spiritual work. In critical reading of NT saw baptism followed a profession of faith. Nowhere did they find infant baptism. Therefore baptism should be only for those who make a profession of faith in Christ. Saw it as act of obedience, not an act of grace.
Clearly an error based on Scripture. In NT whole families are baptized and Church has been baptizing infants throughout history. Christ even commanded that children should be allowed to come to Him (Matt 19.14, Mark 10.14, Luke 18.16)
Had to answer, How was it that True Christianity was absent for so long and only recently rediscovered in Reformation? Developed concept of Great Apostasy. Some point after Apostles church fell and ceased to exist. The Magisterial Reformers did not see the church as ceasing to exist but only in need of reform. Rome and Orthodox were an earlier but childish form of the Church. But RR had much more extreme view.
For OC this view is denial of Christ's promise that gates of hell would never prevail against His Church. Also, if Christ is it's Head how can whole church Apostasize? Church is "pillar and ground of truth." (1Tim 3.15) Most RR and most Protestants now accept some form of this concept. What does this imply?
They admit therefore Apostles failed in their mission. OC does not accept they failed. You only need to read writings of early church fathers Apostolic succession and continuous maintenance of same faith is a mark of Orthodox Christianity.
RR rejected institutions of Catholic Church, Lutheran church and other state backed churches. Organization of any Christian community had no theological value. Salvation dependent only on believers private relationship with God. They rejected sacraments and priesthood so was nothing the believer could get for himself in the Church. It was an invisible church made up of true believers and did not depend on any doctrine.
Where does this lead us? OC does not distinguish between visible and invisible church OC does not see Church as an organization or institution but an organism. Has both exterior and interior elements all governed By Christ as the head and members as the body. Neither did Christ found a philosophical or ideological movement. He established a concrete historical community called the Church.
Some RR read Bible divorced from all Tradition and revived ancient heresies. Unitarians rejected doctrine of Holy Trinity - the three Persons were merely modes or different masks. Many rejected the ancient Creeds especially Nicene Creed which was seen as product of the fall of the church engineered by Satan, St Athanasius was called by some the Antichrist. Most did not go this far.
DENOMINATIONAL FAMILIES AND MOVEMENTS Anabaptists Named because insisted on believers baptism. Baptism only valid when candidate confesses his or her faith in Christ and wants to be baptized. They only baptize when one is converted or declares their faith in Christ, even if they had been "baptized" as infants.
Appeared in 16th Century in Northern Europe Mennonites, Amish and Hutterites are in a direct and unbroken line back to the Anabapists of the early 16th century Their persecution in Europe caused mass emigrations to North America by Amish, Hutterites, and Mennonites
Mennonites Founded by Menno Simons Probably most conservative
Amish Jakob Ammann Split from Swiss Mennonites Wanted to include shunning and hold communion more frequently Insist of simple living Hutterites are similar but will wear bright clothing and don't reject modern technology.
Moravians Jan Has prior to Magisterial Revolution eliminated teaching of purgatory and indulgences and did not use Creed with Filioque. After Magisterial Revolution became similar to other anabaptists Today tend to focus on social questions. Winston-Salem in North Carolina restored Moravian community.
Quakers and Shakers George Fox 1647 Came to America to avoid persecution seeking religious freedom. William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania was a Quaker Believed each Christian should experience God directly participating in groups during their meetings.
Had no clergy and members speak as Spirit moves them Do not have physical baptism Not very concerned about theology - only important how God leads them in the moment. Very pietistic.
Baptists Offshoot of Anabaptists late 16th Century Two camps: Particular Baptists and General Baptist Particular Baptists were basically Calvinist General Baptists believed the individual believer could choose to be saved.
Today generally hold believer responsible for choosing God initially but then his free will is bound forever. Once saved always saved. Salvation is one time event based on making a personal decision for Christ Firmly believe in Sola Scriptura Each congregation can chose its doctrine so do not all agree on what Bible means.
Believe in individual believer responsibility before God w/o any reference to church community. Reject all sacramental theology See the "Lords Supper"and baptism as ordinances Have informal form of worshiping with emphasis on preaching. Southern Baptists Conference is largest Protestant denomination with 16 million members and 42,000 churches in US.
Radicals believed they were returning to ancient, pure, Christianity - Great Apostasy Common ground based solely on how Bible was to be read. Doctrine not so important. When disagreed formed new denomination. At heart RR is rejection of the Incarnation
For OC God became a physical man and His Church has a historical reality Ordination requires laying on of hands Eucharist has physical components Mental as well as spiritual Physical act of baptism accomplishes something spiritual Icons are witness to Incarnation and integral part of Church life. All these rejected by RR.
OC holds that individual believer is accountable to God for salvation, but within community of His Church. Not a private contract. Shares pietist view with emphasis on living a life of devotion an living moral teachings of Christ But only possible when based on dogma passed on by the Apostles, and support of Grace - Synergia.