The Church A.D. 1700-1900
The history of the church began to extend beyond its European dominance. In the 16th, 17th, and 18th century, church history moves into all hemispheres of the world. The church saw many different movements of renewal and revival. North America also became a prominent area of church history. There, the two Great Awakenings were seen. As a result, there was a new appeal toward the Christian faith. Additionally, movements of renewal in doctrine sprung forth during this era in church history. Ideas of fundamentalist challenged the evaluation of foundational doctrinal values of the church. This era also saw great battles and political conflict. This caused the church to question the nature of man and examine man's role in sin and destruction. Some areas where the church had held strong for many years saw the reduction of the church in daily life and an increase in the secular.
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Doctrinal Implications of the TimeFundamentalist:
Fundamentalism arose as a counter movement to the Protestant liberalism. Protestant liberalism was a movement that wanted to conform the Christian beliefs to the evolving scientific ideas of time. One of the most famous scientific ideas circulating at the time was Charles' Darwin idea of evolution. As a result, Protestant liberalism wanted to alleviate the tension between the traditional Protestant doctrine and the evolving scientific philosophies. To counter this movement, Protestant Fundamentalism fought for five fundamental elements that could not be compromised, especially to the liberalism that was arising. These five things were: the inerrancy of the Scripture, the divinity of Jesus, the virgin birth of Jesus to Mary, Jesus' death as a substitutionary sacrifice for one's sinfulness, and Jesus' resurrection and future return. These five fundamental elements continue to stand as central, uncompromising doctrinal elements of the modern church (Gonzales II: 342-343). The Great Awakenings: The First Great Awakening originated in Europe but found its way to the English colonies of North America. John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, and George Whitefield were the prominent figures of this first wave of the Great Awakenings. The first wave was known for its pietistic teachings that emphasized the personal experience of conversion as well as emotional teaching. This was known to be a trait of George Whitefield, a passionate character. The response to these preachings led to an increase of conversions and an increase in numbers of believers. The first awakening was known for its emotional experience of joy and conviction. The idea of a personal conversion is still held onto by the modern church. A single movement of conversion, that change of heart, is a modern idea still practiced in modern evangelism today. The Second Great Awakening began in New England toward the end of the eighteenth century. This second awakening was similar to the first in its characteristic of revival and conversion. However, it was distinct from the first in its lack of anti-intellectualism. In this second Great Awakening, there was a focus on both the social causes and missions. The movement became a common means of evangelism. The message was to call existing believers to greater devotion in their faith. Both of these Great Awakenings saw a great number of conversions and a lasting impact on the church (Gonzales II: 288-290, 326-328). Religion and Public Life: This era in church history saw much political unrest and revolution. The two largest revolutions of the time were the American Revolution and the French Revolution. With revolution came the question of freedom and its ties to religion. Slavery became a fundamental issue in regards to the fight for independence and freedom. The American Revolution led to the foundation of Christian principles, or religious freedom within the new nation. On the other hand, the French revolution brought a complete denial of religion in the public life. This resulted in an increase of the secular, and a division of the church and daily life. This can be seen as a modern separation of church and state. In many ways, the stripping of Christian religion in France was much more radical, but it was the beginning of a clear separation from religion and public life. |
Important VoicesJohn Wesley
John Wesley was a young Anglican priest. Wesley did work both in England and in Georgia. He was impacted by the Moravians and by the pietist teachings. He helped found Methodism (Gonzales 264, 265).
Jonathan Edwards
Jonathan Edwards was a Calvinist who had been trained at Yale. He believed in a personal experience of conversion and he began preaching this idea. Those who heard his message were responsive and began . Edwards' message led to an increase in the attention to devotional practices. Edwards was a primary figure in the first Great Awakening (Gonzales 288-290).
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