A Few Notes on our European Roots
Here are the 5 major themes in American Religious History
A. A religiously oriented sense of mission
B. An abundant land
C. The idea of the American Hero
D. A Favoring Providence
E. Luck
2. The genius of the American experience lies in the fact that the seeds of European influence were always modified to meet the American landscape. So, diversity is a primary feature inherent in our religious heritage. [these people were first Americans, then Christians]
3. Historically, American religion is Euro-centric
4. The two strongest forces in settling America
A. The Protestant Reformation {the elimination of Catholicism}
B. The Renaissance with its influence toward rationalism
5. Some of the conditions I pre-reformation Europe!
A. Late in Medieval period, Catholics were having trouble retaining power in Europe
B. The Crusades of the 11th, 12th, 13th centuries unleashed commercial and mercantile impulses.
C. A spirit of acquisitiveneness was displacing religious fervor
D. Abuses within the church caused John Huss and John Wycliffe to find doctrinal fault with Rome.
E. 1415-1418 period of Council of Constance
1. Tried to heal schism
2. Dealt with heresy
3. Reform the abuses in the church.
I will now jump to the Reformation!!!!
6. A brief study of the Reformation
A. The spirit and character of the Atlantic coast colonies was shaped by the spiritual resurgence which broke the unity of the Roman Catholic church. That force is known as the Reformation
B. It began in the 16th century
C. Roots of the Reformation:
1. Papal decay and loss of prestige
2. Acceleration of the national feeling (pre-nationalism)
3. Increase in commercial activity
4. Emergence of new social groups
5. Political changes
6. Renaissance with its emphasis on experimentation and exploration and knowledge
7. Rising menace from Turkey on the Eastern frontier
-----Suleiman the Magnificat born in 1494
-----starts his attacks on Europe
8. The central theological, political and social influence of John Calvin in Geneva.
9. The work of Martin Luther in Germany
D. The theology of Luther and Calvin, borrowed mostly from Augustine of Hippo
1. Calvin is sometimes called the “founder of America.”
2. Calvinism is:
A world view
A view of human nature
(James Madison said that government was nothing but a reflection of human nature) [which is evil?]
3. The basic tenants of Calvinism, as found in the Westminister Confessions of Faith
a. total depravity of human nature
----Man by nature is sinful and unable to please God
----Gave strong credibility to the fall (this was what corrupted man)
—thought that man could do good
—very much anti-utopian (French were inclined toward it)
—government must be strong enough to restrain the evil nature
—there must be a balance of checks and balances on rulers
b. Priesthood of all believers
---no intermediaries like priests
—all man come before God’s throne with out the priests
— scripture must be read by all— hence the push for education
c. Covenant Theology
—God made two Covenants with man
—one a covenant of law–Old Testament
—one a covenant of Grace–New Testament
NOTE: Sam Rutherford in Lex Rex said that rulers are given their power and authority from God but that this power is through the people [2nd Sam. 16:18; Judges 8:22; 2nd Kings 14:21]
d. Limited Government
—The people acting under the will of God had given the government limited authority and reserved the right to revoke the contract if government becomes unchristian or oppressive.
e. Local Church Government
—Calvinists practiced presbyterian or congregational church government. Catholics and Anglicans practiced episcopalian or hierarchical forms— these were highly centralized forms and in the Calvinist produced an inclination toward self government politically.
f. God’s absolute sovereignty as a central precept
g. The doctrine of assurance {how could one tell if he/she had been predestined? Speculate on signs of election}
h. double predestination
God predestined some to eternal life while he predestined others to eternal damnation [how do you know you are one of the saved? Prosperity became a sign of salvation]
i. Intense concerned for God’s revealed law— authoritative.
4. The basic Presupposition
The church and the world exist’s in a relationship of tension
The magisterial reformation
—Luther, 1483-1546
—the church and the state were linked together
—sola scripture
—pulpit replaced the altar
—sermon replaced the Mass
—salvation by faith alone
—careful training of Ministers
—general education of the laity
—this is called the ‘right wing’ of the reformation
B. The radical reformation
—this is called the “left wing” of the Reformation
—looked for patterns and thus were more radical than Luther (inherent in the church of Christ)
—saw a voluntary body called out from society–no church and state thing
—strict moral and ethical standards
6. The ideas of Calvin and Luther would flourish in America like no place in the world. America was ripe for theses ideas—they were —explosive and —expansionist in principle.
7. While all of this was going on, Ignatius Loyola started his Catholic order called the Society of Jesus.
8. The Reformation coincided with the discovery of America
—a new country ready to absorb (or reject) the social and intellectual ferment of the age
9. The impact of the Reformation
A. A desire to build a new social order
B. A desire to check despotism and arbitrary government
C. A desire to exercise this sense of mission
D. A desire to transform the human character
E. Pervasive nature of religion into all of the land
F. Emphasis on the vocation as a channel of divine service and work became the glory and duty preached from the pulpit. (Duty of upward mobility)
G. Controlled and occupied reformed theology (Calvinism)
H. Belief in the priesthood of all believers (all men are created equal) but retained an intense sense of individualism.
I. Moralism replaced the idea of sacerdotalism
10. A quick portrait of the religion of this new age
a. people in general were very religious
b. there were evangelistic motives mixed with merchant movites
c. there was a strong urge to defeat Catholicism
d. they were very aware of providence
e. they had a sense of divinely appointed destiny
11. The English Reformation and Puritan Beginnings
a. trouble in 1520s— Henry VIII wants to divorce Catherine of Aragon because she cannot produce a male heir
—Henry fall for Anne Bolyen
--- Cardinal Woolsly shows him a was out—severs ties Vatican and starts the English Version of the Roman Catholic Church.
b. 150 years before John Wycliffe and his followers the Lollards preached the same thing
— a reliance on the Bible and separation from Rome
— this message was very well received by the lower class
— by the 16th century this prepared lower represented a latent force that came into action when bothered.
c. Henry dissolves all ties with Rome
d. The Act of Supremacy makes the King or Queen the protector on the New church
e. Edward VI succeeds his father and he is a protestant (so called)
f. Mary the daughter of Catherine succeeds Edward and she is a devout Catholic
g. called bloody Mary— condemns 300 people to death
h. Elizabeth reigns after Mary
—establishes the Anglican Church as a compromise
Called the ELIZABETHAN SETTLEMENT
—in 1559 the Puritans oppose her
i. The emergence of the Puritan Faction
1. Puritans called for more purification of the Anglican Church
2. They were divided
3. Civil War now breaks out
j. The Characteristics of Puritanism
1. Believed in Redemption by the God of the Bible
2. Tried to reach the non-religious
3. Sternly attacked whatever they considered to be false religion
4. Wanted to convert all England
5. Willing to experiment with new forms of religious authority
6. Emphasized the new birth
7. Believed in the “Original Sin”
8. Believed in a liberating religious experience.
9. Supreme authority of the Bible
10. Never achieved any degree of unity among themselves
11. Believed in the solidarity of society under God
12. Basically intolerant to anyone or anything
j. Puritanism in contrast to Anglicanism:
1. Anglican opted for and episcopal form of government
2. Kept their ties to the Catholic past—traditions-liturgy-
3. Anglicans were very anti-Calvinistic, tended to be Arminian and rationalistic.
4. Anglicans kept a strong link between the church and the state
5. Very open to philosophic change
k. The difference between the Puritans and the separatists:
1. Puritans stayed in England and tried reform
2. Separatist emigrated to the new world.
3. The Puritans were postmillenialsitc
a. thought the millennial reign was starting
b. Saw Christ working to bring about a new world order
c. Calvinist were a-millenial and rejected the literal millennium heaven on earth .
d. saw the church as successor to Israel’s promises and her obligations—very strong in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries.
e. America was a city on a Hill (Augustine)–the promised land
f. led to a work ethic
g. obsession with the protection of individual rights.
By Lane Rogers