The Age of Reason and Revival
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Transcript The Age of Reason and Revival
The Age of
Reason and Revival
RISE OF THE MODERN
WESTERN WORLD
Age of “Enlightenment”
Delimitations:
Began: 1687 Newton’s Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy
Ended: 1789 French Revolution
Descriptions:
Less a set of ideas than it was a set of attitudes
A critical questioning of traditional institutions, customs, and morals
Intellectual movement advocating reason as primary basis of authority
Keynotes of Enlightenment Era:
Governmental consolidation, nation-creation, greater rights for common
people
Decline in influence of authoritarian institutions such as nobility / church
Focus on science: natural philosophy was making astounding advances
Enlightenment Motifs
1.
Reason
2.
Autonomy
3.
Nature
4.
Tolerance
5.
Optimism
6.
Humanism
Post-Reformation Transitions in
European Governance
Devastation from religious wars
France
inherited bulk of political power on continent
Austria
the new political power in Eastern Europe
Ottoman empire repressed at Battle of Vienna
England:
leading hub of liberalism
Guy Fawkes Rebellion and Catholic intolerance
Netherlands:
leading hub of tolerance/commerce
Post-Reformation Transitions in
European Governance
Expanding power/influence of middle class
Period of political polarization
Trends
toward democracy vs. trends toward
centralization of power
England: monarchs appealed to “divine right” theory
Consensus politics prevailed
(Glorious Revolution of William & Mary in 1688)
France: Louis XIV (Sun King)
Held supreme power
Revoked Edict of Nantes
The Age of
Reason and Revival
CHANGING PHILOSOPHIES
in the
MODERN WORLD
Rise of Rationalism:
The Veneration of “Reason”
Genesis of new ideology
Exhaustion
from Medieval approaches to
religion
Cartesian Philosophy: René Descartes
“Cogito, ergo sum”
Cartesian philosophy as ally of Christianity
Leibniz:
truth uncovered by reason alone
Rationalism as means of reconciliation
The Risk of Rationalism/Reason
in the Court of Religion
1.
Socinianism / Unitarianism – Reasonable
denial of Trinity
Held to authority of Scripture, but felt some “nonrational” doctrines were unbiblical
Faustus Socinus – Father of Unitarianism
Racovian Catechism of Polish Brethren
Intellectual rationalists in England
John Biddle, Isaac Newton, Joseph Priestly
Theophilus Lindsey: first Unitarian Church
The Risk of Rationalism/Reason
in the Court of Religion
2.
Deism – Elite English/French version of
rationalistic religion
True religion was more basic/fundamental than
squabbles over orthodoxy
All men given reason, and true/common religion afforded to
all and reasonable
Reject teachings of Bible if unreasonable
A “watchmaker” God [William Paley]
Opposed religious dogmatism and the opposite,
apathetic religious skepticism
Empirical, tolerant and reasonable
The Risk of Rationalism/Reason
in the Court of Religion
Famous English advocates of Deism
John Toland: Christianity Not Mysterious
Matthew Tindal: Christianity as Old as Creation
The Risk of Rationalism/Reason
in the Court of Religion
3.
Latitudinarianism – 17th c. Anglicans who
were “gentlemen of a wide swallow”
High regard for authority of reason and tolerant, antidogmatic temper
Reacted against the Calvinism of the Puritans and were
broadly Arminian in outlook
Supported scientific developments
John Locke (d. 1704): British “empiricist”
Essay Concerning Human Understanding
The Reasonableness of Christianity
The Risk of Rationalism/Reason
in the Court of Religion
Allowed only a narrow core of fundamentals in religion
Held "true philosophy can never hurt sound divinity”
Theologically vague / spiritually insubstantial / strongly
moralistic
Foreshadowed skepticism of Hume
Precursors of the Broad Churchmen of the 19th century
The Risk of Rationalism/Reason
in the Court of Religion
4.
Philosophes – French rationalist / materialist intellectuals
Hostile deists replacing Christianity with more reasonable religion
The great name of Deist, which is not sufficiently revered, is the only name
one ought to take. The only gospel one ought to read is the great book of
Nature, written by the hand of God and sealed with his seal. The only religion
that ought to be professed is the religion of worshiping God and being a good
man. [Voltaire]
Voltaire: Leading voice denouncing RC church
Candide: satire attacking war, religious
persecution, unwarranted optimism
Philosophical Dictionary: humorously pointed
out inconsistencies in Bible narratives and
immoral acts of biblical heroes
Cultural influences of philosophes
1.
2.
3.
The Encyclopedia
Attack on established religion
The focus on human relationships / social laws
4.
Beccaria: “On Crimes and Punishments”
Physiocrats: philosophes on economic policy
Adam Smith
5.
laissez-faire economics
Political opinions
6.
Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations
Jean-Jacques Rousseau: “Social Contract”
Enlightened absolutism
Prussia: Frederick II
Austria: Joseph II
Russia: Catherine II
Portugal: Pombal
The Age of
Reason and Revival
ENLIGHTENMENT IDEALS
SPREAD BEYOND EUROPE
The Tolerant Church in Canada
Product of political necessity rather than
Enlightenment ideals
British
crown forced (pragmatism not idealism) to
provide level of religious liberty to large Catholic
population
Roots
of tolerance in Canadian churches
Enlightenment Ideals in America
Deism embraced by revolutionary figures
Jefferson
Pamphlets/books rocked American orthodox religion
Political
Religious tolerance for VA / Jefferson Bible
Thomas Paine
leaders influenced by French deists
Thomas Jefferson
/ Franklin / Allen / Palmer / Paine
Common Sense / The Age of Reason
Enlightenment thought: Catalyst for education
Harvard (1636)
& Yale (1701)
Russian Enlightenment
Tsar Alexis’ assistance to Ukraine draws Russian church into
western influence
Ukrainian Catholic Church imports Enlightenment ideals into Russian
Orthodox Church
Patriarch Nikon and the Old Believers
Attempted reform of church to restore Greek (not western) ways
Peter the Great: Russia pressed into modern age
Built St. Petersburg on Baltic Sea
Replaced patriarch with “holy synod”
Catherine the Great
Model of enlightened absolutism
System of schools for enlightened religious teachings
The Age of
Reason and Revival
ROOTS OF RELIGIOUS
RENEWAL AND VITALITY
A Unique Marriage of
Faith & Reason
“Reason” as viable route to vital piety
Where
“head and heart go hand in hand”
The studious vital piety of the 17th-18th century
Philosophers, Spiritualists, Pietists and Revivalists
Emergence of “New Theologies”
in Line With Reason
The “Cambridge Platonists”
Informal
group of moralistic Cambridge dons
Non-extreme (moderating) theology
Reason as the proper judge of all disagreements
Mystical understanding of reason as imprint of God
The Neologians
Liberal
theologians of Germany
Aim of religion reduced to production of human virtue
Targeted elimination of medieval Lutheran doctrines
New Catholic SpiritualityQuietism in France
Total passivity before God
All
activism of body or soul to be set aside
Visible signs of church as well
Madame Guyon
Emphasizing
contemplation and visions
A Short and Simple Means of Prayer
Francois Fénelon
Main
advocate of Quietism
Became
social model of compassion
German Pietism
Reaction to scholastic Lutheranism
German tradition of mysticism
Luther’s German Theology
Johann Arndt’s True Christianity
Philipp Jakob Spener (1635-1705)
“The Father of Pietism”
Conventicles (collegia pietatis / ecclesiolae in ecclesia)
Pia desideria (Holy Desires)
August Hermann Francke (1663-1727)
Educational reformist at Halle
Pietistic social action type of ministry
German Pietism
Impact of German Pietism
1.
Negative reaction among some who
felt it was too subjective, emotional
2.
Birth of Protestant Missions
Danish-Halle Mission
3.
Infiltrated German Reformed Churches
4.
Spiritual legacy of fostering vital piety
New hymn-writing (Tersteegen)
The Moravians
Origins: Legacy of Unitas Fratrum
Refugees
led by Christian David at Berthelsdorf
Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf
Pietist
upbringing at Francke’s Halle school
Conversion
Johann
Hutberg
via Ecce Homo (by Domenico Feti)
Rothe as pastor in Berthelsdorf
(Watch Hill) or Herrnhut (“The Lord’s Watch”)
Ministry of Herrnhut Community
Holy Spirit Revival of 1727
Missionary vision as body of soldiers for Christ
Community emphases as form of Protestant monasticism
Missionary emphasis leavened European Protestantism
Strong links to British evangelical revival
Circle of Hussite/Moravian influence completed by Wesley
Moravians 3-fold influence on Wesley
Visit to Herrnhut for ideas
The Age of
Reason and Revival
THE GREAT AWAKENING IN
AMERICA
Nation Ripe for Religious Revival
Reasons for the decline in vital religion
Development
Puritan
ideal society ruled by God collapsed
Spreading
of commerce
rationalism and cultural confusion
Clerical concern for situation was mounting
Increase
in the use of “jeremiad”
Earthquake
in 1727
Early Indications of Awakening
Dutch Reformed: Frelinghuysen
Raritan Valley, NJ revival
Presbyterian: Tennents
William Tennent Sr. – Log College
Gilbert Tennent – “On the Dangers of an Unconverted Ministry”
Old Lights vs. New Lights
Congregationalism: Jonathan Edwards
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”
Old Light resistance led by Charles Chauncy
Rise of Arminianism and Unitarianism
The Awakening Takes Hold:
Whitefield Colonial Tour (1739-40)
Came on wave of popularity in English Revivals
Gilbert Tennent retains Whitefield
Six week tour of revival
“Reason
congregations are so dead…
is because dead men preach to them.”
Consequences of Awakening
New emphasis on evangelism
Denominational barriers diminished
Mission enterprises expanded (e.g. Brainerd)
Church growth / expansion
Higher Education expanded
Dartmouth / Univ. of PA / Princeton / Rutgers / Brown Univ.
Enlarged appreciation of religious / political liberty
United colonies along entire seaboard
The Age of
Reason and Revival
BRITISH REVIVALS
of the
18TH CENTURY
Scotland:
Ebenezer & Ralph Erskine
Ebenezer preached in fields outside his church
to accommodate crowds
The
Marrow of Modern Divinity
Formed independent presbytery (Seceders)
Whitefield tours promoted revival fires
Wales:
Simultaneous Revivals
Griffith Jones
Morning Star of the Methodist Revival
Howell Harris
Lay minister
Evangelized north Wales
New House at Trevecca (Welsh Calvinist Methodists)
Daniel Rowland
“The Welsh John Wesley”
Worked with Howell Harris in Welsh Revival
England:
Multiple Awakening Forces
Launching Point: Fetter Lane Society
John Wesley emerges as key leader
Love feast with Holy Spirit outpouring
Methodism was to Anglicanism what Pietism was to Lutheranism
Three distinct but related strands
1.
Anglican Evangelicals
2.
Calvinist Methodists
3.
Operating within parish setting
Whitfield / Countess of Huntingdon
Methodist Societies
John and Charles Wesley
Evangelical Revival
Within Church of England
Cradled in Cornwall area
Moderate Calvinistic form of Methodism
Significant figures
William Grimshaw: Pioneer of loose-knit group
Henry Venn: Famous evangelical missiologist working in North
John Newton
Slave-trading shipmaster turned preacher and hymn-writer
Curate of Olney (published Olney Hymns hymnbook)
Friend William Cowper was great English poet contributor
Augustus Toplady
Famous evangelical hymn-writer
George Whitfield:
Calvinistic Methodists Revival
Biography
Oxford Holy Club
Persuader, not administrator
Peak Period – Split time Britain & America
14 visits to Scotland / Frequented Wales
7 trips to America (1739-40 Great Awakening Tour)
Association with Wesleys
Invited John to join in open air preaching at Bristol
Parted over Calvinistic doctrines
Association with Countess of Huntingdon
Calvinist Methodist Connexion
Polemics with John Wesley and John Fletcher
Checks Against Antinomianism and Further Checks
Charles Wesley (1709-1788)
Sweet Singer of Methodism
Always in shadow of John’s efforts
Lacked
his iron constitution and even temperament
for hard ministry
Most gifted English hymn-writer
Methodist Hymn Book of 1780
“A little
body of experimental and practical divinity”
John Wesley: “A Burning Heart”
Itinerant Preacher / Teacher
Adaptation
of means to circumstances
Unequaled Evangelist
Popular
effectiveness – earnest, practical, biblical,
fearless
Remarkable
Appealed
responses to his bold expositions
to working classes
John Wesley: “A Burning Heart”
Writer: Balance of scholarship & piety
Letters,
books, notes on Bible, sermons
Journal / 52 Standard Sermons / Plain Account
Virtually
Edited
invented the religious tract
the “Christian Library”
Pioneered
idea of a “monthly magazine”
John Wesley: “A Burning Heart”
Social Activist
Clinical
Officer: opened a medical dispensary and
treated for free
Loan
Officer: operating credit unions for poor
urbanites
Labor
Supporter: defended rights of coal miners and
others in sweat shops
Abolitionist:
Prison
pressed for an end to slave trade
reformer: urged better conditions
John Wesley: “A Burning Heart”
Tireless servant
Active
life for all 88 years
Began
every day at 4 AM
Spent
2-4 hours in study every day
Pastoral implementation of holiness message
Traveled
over 250,000 miles on horseback
Preached
Wrote
42,000 sermons
over 200 books
Organized
most powerful movement in England
Key Contributions of English
Methodist Revival
1.
Spiritual enrichment
2.
Christian agencies multiplied
3.
Passion for social justice
4.
Evangelical Hymnody
5.
Isaac Watts inspired “man-made” hymns
August Toplady / John Newton / William Cowper
Wesley Brothers
The Collection of Psalms and Hymns / The Collection
Charles Wesley wrote over 6000 hymns
Concept of evangelical holiness as a social holiness
Resources Drawn From…
Cairns, Earle E. Christianity Through the Centuries: A History of the Christian Church,
Third Edition, Revised and Expanded. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.
Dowley, Tim, ed. The History of Christianity: A Lion Handbook. Oxford: Lion
Publishing, 1990.
Gonzalez, Justo. The Story of Christianity Vol. 2: Reformation to the Present Day.
San Francisco: Harper, 1985.
Hill, Jonathan. Zondervan Handbook to the History of Christianity. Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 2006.
Kagan, Donald, S. Ozment and F. Turner, eds. The Western Heritage. New York:
Macmillan Pub. Co., 1987.
Miller, Glenn T. The Modern Church. Nashville: Abingdon Press: 1997.
Needham, N.R. 2,000 Years of Christ’s Power Pt. 3: Renaissance and Reformation.
London: Grace Publications Trust, 2004.
Noll, Mark . Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity. Leicester,
England: IVP, 1997.
Walker, Williston A History of the Christian Church. New York: Charles Scribner’s
Sons, 1985.
Photo Sources
Christian History & Biography Magazine
http://www.christianitytoday.com/history
Wikipedia
http://www.wikipedia.org/