======================================================================== HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY 1500-1950 by History of Christianity 1500 ======================================================================== A historical overview of Christianity from 1500 to 1950, covering major developments including the Islamic expansion, the Renaissance and Humanism, the Protestant Reformation, scientific discoveries, colonialism, and the Great Awakenings that transformed religious life across the globe. Chapters: 34 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ TABLE OF CONTENTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Section 01 2. Section 02 3. Section 03 4. Section 04 5. Section 05 6. Section 06 7. Section 07 8. Section 08 9. Section 09 10. Section 10 11. Section 11 12. Section 12 13. Section 13 14. Section 14 15. Section 15 16. Section 16 17. Section 17 18. Section 18 19. Section 19 20. Section 20 21. Section 21 22. Section 22 23. Section 23 24. Section 24 25. Section 25 26. Section 26 27. Section 27 28. Section 28 29. Section 29 30. Section 30 31. Section 31 32. Section 32 33. Section 33 34. Section 34 ======================================================================== CHAPTER 1: SECTION 01 ======================================================================== Section 1 Christianity Gains in Countries 1500- 1950 Russia France Italy Christianity Losses in Countries 1500- 1950 China Central Asia Western Europe Rural Culture Present 1500- 1950 Feudalism Humanism ======================================================================== CHAPTER 2: SECTION 02 ======================================================================== Section 2 Christianity in 1500 A.D. Islam, non-Christian New Civilization Meant Christianity extension In Western Europe Christianity in 1600 A.D. Turkish invasions Graeco-Romans Causes of recession Aspects were novel Nationalism Germany Italy Not sufficiently potent Political unification Seventeenth Century Spain & Portugal France Waning Forging Louis XIV in 1661 Austria under Hapsburgs Western Europe in Middle Ages Renaissance and Humanism Spirit and Mind Extension of knowledge Physical universe Koppernigk (1473-1543) Kepler (1571-1630) Science Inflicted suffering Africa slave labor Passion for gains Cheap labor for mines Industry and commerce Capitalism increased Larger vessels built Bourgeoisis Were influential Great Awakenings Transformed lives Geographic expansion of the faith ======================================================================== CHAPTER 3: SECTION 03 ======================================================================== Section 3 Protestant Reformation England Russia Two phases One movement Catholic Reformation Spain France Two phases One movement Roman Catholic Church Essential Christian teachings Rising nationalism Pope Matters of dogma Historic hierarchy Reformed Churches Anabaptists Socians Teutonic peoples Becoming self-conscious Assimilation to Latin culture New Orders Society of Jesus Barnabites Theatines Artisan ancestry Humble farming stock Roman Catholic fold Capuchins Franciscans Aristocracy Humble birth Rebellious ======================================================================== CHAPTER 4: SECTION 04 ======================================================================== Section 4 Martin Luther Chief Pioneer Leader Born Nov. 10, 1483 Eldest of seven Was a monk Inner Struggle for Assurance Monastic life Studied Theology Ordained priest in 1507 First mass Clergy distressed him The Light Breaks Believed Justification by faith Good works was by faith only New birth Rejected scholastic nominalistic philosophy Busy with preaching Outer conflict Moral reform of the Church Created 95 thesis Luther drafted them Sent copies to Pope Was charged with heresy and contumacy Conflict deepens Luther’s critics did not keep silent Articles of faith came from Scripture not Pope or Church Christian and evangelical All Hussites without knowing it Luther Advances Attack Declared that the noblest of all good works is to believe in Christ. Protested against limiting “good works” Luther held that Christendom had suffered. He held that Pope is a cause of offence to Christendom. Lutheranism in Sixteenth Century In Germany reached its greatest extent in 1566 Scandinavia, Iceland, and Finland In Denmark Imposed on Norway Prevailed in Sweden The East Coast of the Baltic Spreads to central Europe Wide Dissemination of writings Views stimulated churches Luther’s teachings were influential Writings spread widely in western Europe Reformed Churches were more prominent Writings were circulated in Great Britain In Venice were read in limited circles In Spain, Erasmus and his type of reform were more popular ======================================================================== CHAPTER 5: SECTION 05 ======================================================================== Section 5 Beginning of Reformed Churches Huldreich Zwingli (1484-1531) was leader Became priest at Einsiedin in 1516 Zwingli broke with Luther Both taught salvation is by faith alone Stressed conformity with the sovereign will of God Spread of the Reformed Church John Hussgen better known as Oecolampadius (1482-1531) In Switzerland Guillaume Fare (1489-1565) Failed to heal the breach between Zwingli and Luther First Helvetic confession drafted at Basel in 1536 Farel ordered the “pure gospel” preached in every church and cloister John Calvin Reared in aristocratic society Born July 10, 1509 Never ordained Went to University of Paris Interested in Humanism Wrote elegant Latin Knew Greek & Hebrew First book, commentary, Dr. Clementia Calvin’s Institutes Wrote the most influential book of the Protestant Reformation, translated as the institution of the Christian Religion The final edition of the Institutes were four books. Philosophical and theological Intended to conform to the Apostles creed The Institutes dealt with the church Geneva became a haven for oppressed Protestants Theodore Beza (1519-1605) was elected as Calvin’s successor Confined the use of music to singing in unison of the Psalms and Canticles Reformed Churches Switzerland Waldensian remnants became associated Central Europe Germany Netherlands France Scotland The Huguenots and their fate In 1562 the Wars of Religion broke out Most famous was Massacre of St. Bartholomew, in August, 1572 Spread to France ======================================================================== CHAPTER 6: SECTION 06 ======================================================================== Section 6 The Anabaptists Believed in “gathered” churches Rejected infant baptism Had little to do with the State Never participate in war Withdrew from society and constituted communities of their own Worship marked by simplicity Bitterly persecuted by Protestants and Roman Catholics Early Anabaptists Sprung from heretical pre-sixteenth century movements Kind of Apostolic succession different from the Catholics Conrad Grebel (1498-1526) and Felix Manz Manz was first martyr to the Anabaptist cause. In 1520s the Anabaptists’ views spread to Switzerland, Austria, Southest Germany. Opposed all use of force, even in persecution Articles of faith rejected the Roman, Lutheran, and Zwinglian worship as “servitude of the flesh.” The Mennonites Took names from Menno Simons (1496-1561) Was ordained as an Anabaptist minister Various confessions of faith Dortrecht Confession, 1632, was attempt to bring union of the various bodies Differences were chiefly over degree to which members should shun those who had been excommunicated. Varieties of Anabaptists The Amish took their name from Jacob Ammann The Hutterites, or Hutterian Brethren, from Jacob Hutter They suffered severely in the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) Remnants took refuge in Hungary The Mennonites and other descendants of the Anabaptists became ingrown. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 7: SECTION 07 ======================================================================== Section 7 Mystics of the Inner Light A contemporary of Luther, Sabastian Franck (1499-1542) Friend of Franck was Caspar Schwenkfeld (1487-1541) Glorified in the heretics throughout the ages. Was a pacifist and regarded persecution as a crime. Was a zealous supporter of the Wittenburg reformer A mystic, was unhappy over the attempt to confine Christian faith by precise dogmas. Individualists and Pilgrims In Spain, Juan de Valdes (1500-1541) Martire Vermigli (1500-1562) Noble blood, shaped by Catholic heritage Became the center of a coterie of devout souls Was abbot of Augustinian monastery and friend of Reginald Pele Became regius professor of divinity at Oxford Anti-Trinatirians Have been traceable to writings of Servetus In 1553 the Grisons adopted the Rhartian confession Required subscription by all pastors By 1575 anti-Trinitarian ministers has been rooted out The Socinians Laelius Socinus - Born in 1525 Faustus Solinus - Born in 1539 The Polish Solinians were actively missionary Was chiefly of humanist origin, it found its most congenial soil among churches of Reformed tradition. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 8: SECTION 08 ======================================================================== Section 8 Reformation in England Reached back to the foutheenth century or earlier The old social, political, and economic order was passing Pluralism and absentee enjoyment of the revenues of benefits were common. Scholasticism and scholastic theology were beginning to be out of fashion. Lollardy had never completely died out. Moves towards Reformation The writings of Luther were not long in reaching Oxford and Cambridge. William Tyndale (1494-1536) was the most influential. Formed the purpose of putting the New Testament into English. Utilizing the Hebrew text, the Vulgate, the Septuagint, and Luther’s Bible. In 1528 Issued The Parable of the Wicked Mammon, flatly for justification by faith, used most of text of Luther’s sermon. Henry VIII (1491-1547) Set the Church of England on its independent course. Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556) was to have a major part in carrying out the Reformation in the Church of England. Parliament abolished the payment to the Pope of Annates. Was prepared for ecclesiastical office when brother died Convocation also undertook not to enact any canon affecting the laity without royal approval Henry made himself autocrat in both Church and State. Edward VI Policies during his reign were determined by his seniors. England was carried towards Protestantism. In 1553, “42 Articles of Religion,” giving the doctrinal position of his Church of England, were issued under authority of king. Their formulation was largely the work of Thomas Cranmer. The paraphrases of the Psalms began to have wide currency, their chief pioneer was Thomas Sternhold. The use of the revised Book of Common Prayer was made compulsory. The Catholic Reaction Mary reigned for 5 years, from1553 to 1558. Elizabeth reigned for half a century from 1558 to 1603. James, son of Mary Stuart “Queen of Scots,” got the throne. Roman Catholicism was being discreted and Puritanism was growing. Separatists and Independents continued and grew, although still small minorities. Lancelot Andrews (1556-1636) may be remembered for his Devotions composed in Greek. The Glorious Revolution of 1688 John Locke (1632-1704 - his treaties on Government went far to shape the governments of Europe and United States. The Reformation had not purified the religious life of the country or the church. Life of the time was finding expression in hymns The Bill of Rights was enacted in 1689. In 1714 the Schism Act was passed. In 1730s there began the Great Awakening in the English colonies in America. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 9: SECTION 09 ======================================================================== Section 9 The Core of Protestantism A strong religious impulse expressing itself Formulated by Luther Refused to regard Pope or general council as infallible To them the Christian was bound by his allegiance to God Protestant convictions Essence of the Gospel Retained a sense of community Their individualism was not irresponsible but submitted itself to the divine sovereignty. Held themselves accountable to God and believed to submit to Pope and council was to put authority above God. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 10: SECTION 10 ======================================================================== Section 10 Catholic Reformation in Spain Charles V restored religious unity. The Society of Jesus, the chief driving force Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) Francis Xavier (1506-1552) Peter Canisius (1531-1597) The most expression and instrument of the Catholic movement Were soldiers of God Great Spanish Mystics Mysticism characterized thousands of Spaniards. Was a form of Quietism Francisco Garcia Ximenes de Cisneros (1455-1510) Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) John of the Cross (1542-1605) Established reformed Carmelite houses for men They went from monastery to monastery, strengthening the brethren. Reformation captures the Papacy Alexander VI brought Papacy to lowest point. Popes were confronted by the Ottoman Turks. Christendom against Moslems divided Europe. Faced with a rising tide of nationalism headed by monarchs building total control Military weak, Popes attempted to play off one monarch against another. Further progress Decrees of the Council of Trent were made mandatory. A catechism was compiled. Papal administrative control of the church was blocked by the crown and national particularism. The missal and breviary were reworked. A central teaching institution, the Roman College, later the Gregorian University, was founded, Jesuits lectured Reformation in Germany Peter Canisus, an early Jesuits Duke Albert V of Balvaria (1550-1579) Clergy trained by them Jesuits and youths forbidden to attend Protestant Universities Reformation in Switzerland the Jesuits and Capuchins headed Archbishop of Milan Made journeys into mountain valleys Improved the quality of Catholic life Reformation in Poland Stanislas Hosius, studied in Italy The king, Sigismund II, enforced Trentine decrees. In 1549 became Bishop of Chelmno The first Polish Jesuit college was founded in 1565. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 11: SECTION 11 ======================================================================== Section 11 The Thirty Years’ War Catholics were eliminating the Protestants. The situation was complicated by economic distress. The renewing the vigor of the old church Organized themselves into the Evangelical Union Outbreak and course of the Way In 1618, Protestant nobles flung Hapsburg regents out window, began open rebellion All ecclesiastical property which Protestants had, in 1552 become the Catholics once more. Victorious Catholics were divided by internal dissensions. It was Richelieu who further dragged out the war. Fixing of Religious Boundaries The Peace of Westphalia, Oct. 27, 1648, affected religious boundaries. A settlement which fixed the boundaries between Catholics and Protestants. The Reformed were now officially tolerated along with the Lutherans. Were to be permitted to conduct worship and educate their children in the religion of their parents Religious Unity David Pareus (1548-1622) proposed Protestants seek unity with the Roman Catholics. Philip Jacob Spener (1635-1705) was to intent upon a moral and spiritual reformation. Had an intense desire to spread the Christian faith throughtout the world. Awakenings in Christianity, many fresh hymns issued ======================================================================== CHAPTER 12: SECTION 12 ======================================================================== Section 12 Older Eastern Patriarchates Before 1500, Turkish rulers treated Christians as social and legal entities. The Ruthenians, largely Russian stock, formerly Orthodox A nationalistic reaction drove out the missionaries and served the Roman connexion The connexion had been made during the Crusades of 1516. The Church in Russia Ivan (John) IV, “the Terrible” (1530-1584) The Poles and Lutheranians held lands, members of the Orthodox Church Under Polish leadership made the two peoples an even greater menace to Moscow Ivan IV would destroy monasteries and then found new ones. Internal Dissensions The translations and matters of form lead to disruption of the Church In 1551, the Soglar decided in favor of the double instead of triple repetition. In 1518 Maxim, a monk, revised the translations of some of the service books. Judiazers had regarded Christ as merely a created man. Other Dissident Movements The Khlysty, who called themselves the people of God Founder was a peasant, Daniel Filippov The Khlystys held that there were many incarnations of Christs, of whom Jesus Christ was merely one. The Dukhobors and Molokans were in existence at this time. The Great Division The rise of Protestantism was aided by nationalism. Those who refused to conform were known as the Old Ritualists. Schism is a general term which applied to all who withdrew from the Orthodox Church. The old believers were rebels against the upper ranks of hierarchy. Changes under Peter the Great Peter made the Church distinctly subordinate to the State. His changes aroused opposition amont the conservatives. He insisted that the Church keep out of civil affairs. Peter’s faith was not in full accord with the Orthodox Church. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 13: SECTION 13 ======================================================================== Section 13 Roman Catholic Preponderance From 1500 to 1750 Christianity spread by Roman Catholics Was because the Catholic Reformation coincided with explorations, conquests, commerce, settlements Africa Was mainly by Portuguese and Roman Catholics under their auspices At several points on the African coast Christian communities arose from the conversion of the Negroes. South and East Asia Francix Xavier, labored in several Asian lands. He inaugurated what was to be one of the most successful and tragic missions of the period. Christianity in India The orders which arose out of the Catholic Reformation, such as the Jesuits, Capuichins, and Theatines The Jesuits maintained a mission in the centers of Mongol power in the North. Ceylon Predominantly Buddhist in religion, a substantial Roman Catholic community arose on part of island By the 18th century Indochina had Christian communities. The East Indies Christianity was introduced by the Portuguese, Spaniards, and Dutch. In 1569 the Jesuits were said to be in charge of eighty thousand Christians. The Philippine Islands Magellan was the first European to the islands, there he lost his life (1581) Much of the Christianity was superficial and was mixed with remnants of pre-Christian beliefs. Japan In 1549 Francis Xavier introduced Christianity to Japan. In 1582 churches were about 200 and Christians about 150,000. Christianity in China Introduced twice, died out twice, do not know when or how Reintroduced by Roman Catholics in 16th Century, was planted so firmly, in spite of persecution it persisted and grew Christianity in Western Hemisphere Only minorities were won The faith was also challenged by Negroes, mostly non-Christian Christianity in Spanish America The Church and the spread of Christianity were under the direction of the crown. Ecclesiastical structure covered most of the vast area, with parishes, dioceses, and archdioceses. Christianity in the 13 colonies The 13 colonies had a church connexion, it was overwhelmingly Protestant, Roman Catholics only small fraction There was more religious liberty than in Europe. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 14: SECTION 14 ======================================================================== Section 14 Effect on Religion In the years between 1500 and 1750 Christianity gave rise to new and potent religions movements. Religious awakenings of the age touched every class. they owed their forms partly to the political and social environments. The Reformation stimulated the life of the spirit issued in a fresh surge of mysticism. Economic Theory and practice Surviving traces of feudalism was fading, commerance was mounting. Calvinism was a major source of capitalism. Guilds through which industry and trade had been conducted in the Middle Ages were disappearing. England Puritanism had its chief strong holds in the middle class in the cities. Aspects of social life Christian faith gave rise to many efforts on behalf of underprivileged and social reform. Protestants were slower than Roman Catholics to do much for poor, sick and the orphans. Both Roman Catholics and Protestants did much for women. In Sweden, Olavus Petri, denounced the use of torture as a means of compelling criminals to confess. Art and Music Christianity inspired some of the greatest paintings, sculpture, architecture and music ever produced. The Reformation, both Catholic and Protestant, called forth superb music. Christian churches continued to call forth the genius of Architects. More prominence was given to the pulpit and greater care was devoted to so building the churches that the sermon could be heard. Effects on Intellectual Life Deists attacked the reliability of the Bible and in general denied miracles. Philosophy had influence on many minds. Some literature was pagan. From Christianity came impulses to creative thought which did not issue in departure from the faith, but to reinforce it. Effect on Individual Lives Affected individuals over a larger proportion of earth’s surface than at earlier time Christianity had more different expressions than in any preceeding age. Christianity was producing distinctive and characteristic fruits. Christians traits contrary to the Christian virtues were accentuated. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 15: SECTION 15 ======================================================================== Section 15 Surge In Christianity Showed itself in the Eastern Churches, notably in Russia, independent of what was taking place in Western Europe Western Europe was free from Moslems and invasions that had poured into East from heartland of Eurasia. Complete separation from the Church of Rome known as Protestantism Roman Catholics won back some territory it had lost to Protestants. Severe blows to Christianity Presented a paradox A permanent de-Christianization of large elements in the traditionally Christian peoples of Europe Affected the Roman Catholic Church much more than Protestantism Geographic expansion of Christianity was more through Protestantism than through any of the others. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 16: SECTION 16 ======================================================================== Section 16 Adverse Factors Bore most severely on the Roman Catholic Church Thinkers went beyond Deism in their departure from Christianity. Rationalism and Deism had repercussions on the several churches. From the standpoint of Christianity were the French Revolution, and revolution in Western Europe Beginning of Revival After 1815 they were to swell to major proportions. Roman Catholic Church began the policies and their growth which were to give prominence in that country and in the world-wide life of that communion. The Church was an integral part of medieval culture. New monastic orders, congregations, and societies began to appear, always a sign of life. Signs of Life Arose from changes in the political situation Molokan was a nickname given to a movement the members of which thought of themselves as spiritual Christians. In some monasteries there was a revival of the methods of the hesychasts. After 1800 a revival in the state church gained momentum. Revival among Protestants Was in Protestantism that after 1750 awakenings was most marked It cut across existing denominational and confessional lines. Tended to draw together all who were committed to it It brought new vigor to Lutheran, Reformed, and Anglican bodies. Revival in United States War for independence was adverse to Christianity. Several denominations shared in the revivals. Largest gains were the Baptists, the Methodists, and Christians or Disciples of Christ Baptists became more numerous in the South and Methodists in the North. Currents in Protestantism in Germany Pietistic were occurring among minorities across the length and breadth of Protestantism Evangelical movements other than Protestantism were to have a greater effect upon other branches of faith. Awareness of moral obligation is the highest quality of man. There is an invisible Church made up of all the obedient. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 17: SECTION 17 ======================================================================== Section 17 The setting for Christianity Christianity was associated with a prodigious burst of creativity. Marked by the rapidly mounting exploration by man of his physical environment The name psychology was given they endeavored to disclose the workings of their own and others’ minds. The knowledge and mastery of the physical environment contributed to change the life of mankind. The Challenge of Threat Threatened the existence of Christianity Christianity might seem to be prepared for its own downfall. Influential intellectuals repudiated Christianity or promulgated views which shook the faith. Nationalism and the growing power and expanding functions of the nation state added to the threat. The Challenge of Opportunity Christianity was also challenged by an unprecedented opportunity. Here was an opportunity to help mold the future of non-Occidental mankind. Occidental peoples broke down political and cultural barriers which stood in way of Christianity. Wealth of Europeans supplied Christians with material means of support. Preview of the Response De-Christianization of much of Christendom continued Revolutions in non-Occidental cultures was the progressive secularization of mankind For the first time in its history Christianity made its inherent genius and became worldwide. Christianity in spite of adverse conditions was more remarkable when it is contrasted with the course of other religious. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 18: SECTION 18 ======================================================================== Section 18 Renewal of Monastic Life A forward surge of the Roman Catholic Church had been a revitalization of monasticism. None attained the dimensions of the Franciscans, Dominicans, or Jesuits. Most contained a trend which had been evident in the Roman Catholic Church for centuries Devoted themselves to prayer and intercession for others for the spread of the faith Enlargement of Missions Scores of communities of women were instituted for foreign missions. Numbers of brotherhoods and sisterhoods were created with the primary purpose of teaching. Societies were formed to enlist lay activity for the care of the sick and poor. Roman Catholic Scholarship again became vigorous. Religious Life of rank and file Religious life of laity and clergy displayed a growing earnestness. In the Nineteenth Century there arose what was known as the liturgical movement. First major impetus from Gueranger, Abott of Solesmes, who died in 1875. The liturgical movement was more attention to the music of the Church. Appearance of saints The Nineteenth Century witnessed several who adjudged by the Roman Catholic Church to be officially recognized for canonization. Two of them were John Bosco and Barnadette Soubirous. Jean Baptiste Marie Vianney (1786-1859), better known as the Cure’ of Ars Giuseppe Sarto (1835-1914), who was known as Pius X reigned from 1903 to 1914 Authority of the Pope The Roman Catholic Church became a world-wide organization under one administrative center operating through the territorial episcopate. The administrative authority of the Pope was augmented by increased acquiesce in his claim to have the right to define dogma. Had long been division of opinion as to the validity of doctrine The ecumenical succession, come out flatly for Papal administrative power The Newer Trends Restrictions on Roman Catholic influence and teaching in the schools were enacted. Roman Catholics were frowned upon by the Papacy. Came out against monarchy and advocated a theocratic democracy Sovereignty in civil government could be reconciled with Papal supremacy in religion. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 19: SECTION 19 ======================================================================== Section 19 Protestantism in Germany Religious developments of 19th Century Germany intertwined with other aspects of life French revolution brought the large majority of Germans into a new empire. Literature and music had a flowering which was admiration of the Occident. Vitality was paralleled by religious awakenings. Protestant scholarship Fredrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher (1768-1834) Albrecht Ritschl (1822-1889) To Schleiermacher religion was “the feeling of absolute dependence” Studied in several universities, and at Halle came under the influence of Hegelianism Attempts at Union Unsuccessful efforts at union had been made near the outset of Protestantism. Actual union came in part as a result of the wakening of the old patterns by Napoleonic conquest. Between 1815 and 1830, after the defeat of Napoleon and the opportunity for new beginning, unions of two confessions were achieved. Resistance to the Union developed in several Landeskirchen in the 1850s and 1860s. Party Strife In 1849 the Prussian Lutherans formed an association. In 1857 the more conservative friends of the Lutherans Reformed Union associated themselves with the Evangelical Alliance. In 1860s theological liberals formed the Protestantenverein Union. Between these various groups there was distrust which often broke out into open and bitter conflict. Free Churches As the 19th Century wore on, “free churches” appeared and grew, independent of the established ones. Some purely German, some liberals, others were by conservatives who were of strict confessional Lutherism Those in Prussia were aided by a Law of 1908 which made it easier for members of the Landeskirche to join them. Others of free churches arose from contracts with other countries. The Outreach to other lands British and American forms of Protestantism found footholds in Germany, even more did German Protestantism make itself felt in other lands. Much of the overseas expansion of German Protestantism was through missions to non-Christian peoples. The majority had no organic connection with the official ecclesiastical bodies. The pioneers in German foreign missions were the Moravians. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 20: SECTION 20 ======================================================================== Section 20 Christianity in British Isles Prominent both in the general life of the islands and its challenge to Christianity was rapid and progressive industrialization More challenging and perplexing were the altered social conditions produced by the industrial revolution A concomitant of industrialization was the rising power of the middle classes and declining gentry and aristocracy. Closely related to the industrialization of the British Isles was a vast and multiform emigration. England: The Established Church Taken as a whole, in 1815 the Church of England was far from healthy. The Evangelicals, although a small minority, were active. At the outset of the 19th Century the Evangelicals, although a minority, were the most active and zealous in that church. Another current making for revival was the Tractarian movement but more often as the Oxford movement. English Protestant Nonconformity Was fully as striking as that of the Anglican Communion Outstripped any other congeries of religious movements in Europe In the course of the 19th Century Congregationalists, Baptists, and Methodists, increased greatly, but the Methodists had the largest growth. Presbyterianism of the Scottish type reappeared, by migration from Scotland. Movements which crossed denominational borders Sunday Schools Young Men’s Christian Association Young Women’s Christian Association arose in 1850s In 1894 the World’s Young Women’s Christian Association was organized. The Irish Story The Scotch-Irish, in Ulster in the North and predominantly Presbyterian, had suffered from discrimination and been disaffected. Famine relief by the government and the emigration of more than 1.5 million in ten years after 1847 partly mitigated the misery. In 1831, a system of schools was inaugurated which worked especially for underprivileged Roman Catholics. In mid-century Protestants constituted a little less than a fourth of the population. Shaping Life of the British Isles In 1914 Christianity was a force in shaping the outlook and the purpose of life. Led in efforts for various aspects of social reform, some by legislation and others through private philanthropy Methodists local preachers led in the formation of several of the early labor unions. Some sought to make Christian principles effective in the actions of the government. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 21: SECTION 21 ======================================================================== Section 21 Shores of Africa and Near East The Christian Churches which had flourished had gradually disappeared under Moslem rule. Between 1815 and 1914 most of the North shore West Egypt was occupied by Western European powers. Here were ancient churches which had never died out. The chief strength of the Coptic Church was in the cities and Upper Egypt. Orthodox Churches in Europe The Ecumenical Patriarchs were under the control of the Turkish rulers. Under Turkish rule the Orthodox Church had been subjected to the Administration of Greeks. In 1856, as result of Crimean War, the Turkish government decreed the freedom of the Christians. In much of the Balkan Peninsula the ecclesiastical picture was further complicated by roman Catholics and in some places by Protestants. The Reemergence of Christianity Eastern Churches, regional branches of Catholic Churches had a chequered course in the 19th century. Turkish tide retreated, some reemerged and became national bodies and rallying centers of nationalism. Others suffered from the attrition which had been their lot since the Moslem-Arab conquest. These impelled and empowered by the awakenings of the nineteenth century. Complexity of the Russian scene Socialism, including that of Marx, won followers, and Anarchism, and Nihilism had their devotees. Much of the social radicalism was anti-religious. Tsar Alexander I (reigned 1801-1825) moved towards liberalism, but later became fearful of it. The formula Orthodoxy, autocracy, nationalism became the Tsars policy and entailed the reciprocal support of church and state. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 22: SECTION 22 ======================================================================== Section 22 Conditions confronting Christianity One of the conditions was the rapid and enormous growth in area Along with growth in territory went an even greater one in population. The result of an even more striking multiplication of wealth. Christianity seemed ill-prepared to meet the threat and the challenge. Advance of the Frontier It was on the frontier that Christianity made some of its most striking advances. In 1847 most of its 267 colporteurs were in the Mississippi Valley, in much of which frontier conditions still prevailed. After 1815, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, more generally known as the Mormons was added. The chief growth was not by Mormons but by Baptists, Methodists, and the Disciple of Christ or Christians. Winning the Immigrants: Roman Catholic Whether Roman Catholic or Protestant, the success of the Church in holding the immigrants was not due entirely or even chiefly to sociological factors. Theological seminaries for training youths for priesthood were begun. Several of the Uniate Churches were represented among the immigrants. This meant that the clergy and especially the bishops were of necessity promoters, organizers, and administrators. Winning the Immigrants: Protestant It was Pietists and those who held staunchly to unmodified older Lutheranism who were mainly responsible for the founding of Lutheran Churches in United States. The Protestant denominations of the older American stock attracted a greater number from the immigrants of Protestant background than they did from Roman Catholic and Orthodox. Of the Jewish immigration only a small minority became Christians. Christianity, mainly Protestantism, made headway among the Chinese and Japanese. The intellectual challenge Many believed that science was outmoding Christianity. On campuses voluntary student Christian movements sprang up and flourished. Theological seminaries went to other lands to spread the faith and to plant and nourish churches. The reaching out across ecclesiastical barriers in the effort to unite Christians in the endeavor to win all mankind to the faith. World-wide spread of the faith The Protestants, not content to winning the Indians and Negroes, and de-Christianized whites about them, spread the faith on the other side of the Atlantic. As the 19th Century progressed American Protestant foreign missions were augmented. By 1914 more missionaries served from the U.S. in the overseas extension of Protestant Christianity. Americans served in every continent. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 23: SECTION 23 ======================================================================== Section 23 British North America These were scattered minorities of Indians and, in the far north, of Eskimos. The Church Missionary Society sent missionaries and substantial sums of money for both whites and Indians. Famous among the Anglican missionaries was Charles James Stewart (1775-1837) One of the outstanding missionaries from the British Isles was Wilfred Grenfell (1865-1940). Latin America In 1914 the Roman Catholic Church in Latin America was distinctly weaker than in 1815. The Protestantism which entered through immigration was of varied origin. Latin America held the largest body of Roman Catholics outside of Europe. The numerical strength of Protestantism varied from country to country. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 24: SECTION 24 ======================================================================== Section 24 Australia In Australia Christianity was strikingly successful in weaving itself into the warp and woof of the nation. Here was a vigorous Christianity which was holding the immigrant, was doing much to shape the ideas, morals, and education of the new nation, share in world-wide spread of faith New Zealand Christianity first entered New Zealand in the form of Protestant missions to the Maoris. In 1914 all but a small fraction of them claimed a church connection. Other Islands of the Pacific The first generation of Christians, some went as missionaries to distant islands, facing perils both of the sea and of hostile reception. A mass movement in 1863 brought about a sixth of the population into the membership of the Church. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 25: SECTION 25 ======================================================================== Section 25 Madagascar It was under chieftain that Christianity was effectively introduced and entered on what was to be a drastic course. By 1890 Christians numbered about a third of a million. Africa South of the Sahara In the 19th Century, contained the largest primitive cultures found anywhere on the planet. Religion was chiefly animism in one or another of its protean manifestations. Rapid Christian Expansion The Congo Free State, by 1914, reconstituted as the Belgian Congo, was another area of rapid Christian growth. Both Protestants and roman Catholics attracted large numbers of converts, but the latters’ growth was particularly spectacular. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 26: SECTION 26 ======================================================================== Section 26 Christianity penetrates all India This was achieved chiefly by the Roman Catholic Church and Protestantism. Some of this was by the restoration of the Jesuits and the coming of new orders and societies The Anglican communion gradually developed a structure which embraced a large part of India. Through mass conversions of the animistic tribes and the depressed or outcast groups Ceylon under British Rule Separated from India by a narrow strait, the dominant religion was Buddhism. Thousands joined the Roman Catholics. Protestantism was not as strong numerically as in Dutch days, it was in healthier condition. Scores of missionaries from Europe furthered the roman Catholic cause. Christianity of China In a truce of 1856-1860 promised protection to both missionaries and Chinese Christians in the practice of their faith. The body of Roman Catholic missionaries was progressively disputed with. Protestants increased their missionary staffs even more rapidly in 1914. Protestant converts rapidly increased. Helpless and unhappy Korea Christianity appears first to have been introduced to Korea in the 1590s. It was not until 1784 that Christianity began a continuing life in the land. It was in the 1870s that Protestant missionaries began to have some touch with Koreans. By 1914 Protestants outnumbered Roman Catholics, both in missionary staffs and in converts. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 27: SECTION 27 ======================================================================== Section 27 The Exceeding Greatness of the Power Vast movements were in progress in the historic Christendom, were the faith had longest been dominant, which threatened the very existence of Christianity. In the 19th Century Christianity became more widely spread geographically than it or any other faith had ever been. Among the traditionally Christian peoples in Europe, the Americas, and Australia, the faith also had striking effects. Christian faith molded and sustained such statesman and shapers of nations. Conferences of missionaries In 1825 the Bombay Missionary Union was formed. In 1850s regional conferences of missionaries in India was seen. In 1907 the Conference of Federated Missions in Japan was formed. After 1914 the International Missionary Council emerged. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 28: SECTION 28 ======================================================================== Section 28 An age of storm The impact of the “Christian” Occident and its culture had begun to bring either profound changes or complete disintegration. Vigor and geographic expansion characterized all three of the major forms of Christianity. Christianity becomes world-wide in both the Southern and Northern Hemisphere. The unity which all Christians in principle believed should characterize the followers of Christ. Vigor of the Christian Response Christianity was the major impelling motive in healing and relief on a larger scale than had ever before been seen. A growing fellowship was making friendly contacts with thousands in other branches of Christianity. Indigenous forms of Christian art and music were appearing. Chief architects men and women who were moved and sustained by Christian faith. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 29: SECTION 29 ======================================================================== Section 29 Church in Europe after 1914 Catholic constituency had been increasingly active in the latter part of the Nineteenth Century. A revival of Roman Catholic piety was furthered by the liturgical movements. Roman Catholic theology and Protestant and Orthodox theology reflected the perilous state of the world. The Roman Catholic Church was still the largest of the sects of divisions in the Christian Church. Church and Communism in Europe Communism could bring a coherent ideology spread by modern propaganda with no regard for truth, supported a totalitarian regime. The Roman Catholic Church had as weapons simply its faith and its ecclesiastical organization unsupported by police or armies. Although it broke with Moscow, the regime of Tito in Yugoslavia embarrassed the Roman Catholic Church. The Vatican formally stood against any form of external pressure and insisted that conversion must be by voluntary adherence to the faith. Testing of Protestantism The creative ferment in 19th Century Protestant theology and Biblical scholarship was the most marked. The coming to power in 1933 of Hitler was even more a menace to Protestantism than to Roman Catholic Church. What was called the German Faith Movement attracted several groups who expressed this trend. At times Roman Catholics and Protestants cooperated in their resistance. Ecumenical Movement Between two World Wars and after World War II the Ecumenical Movement grew. In May 1933 representatives of number of bodies convened in Utrecht and drafted the World Council of Churches. It could not legislate for the churches, but it was intended to facilitate common study and action. It was officially constitute din a great assembly at Amsterdam in 1948. Continental Protestantism After 1914, accelerated by the world wars and the revolutions which began in that year, the draft away from Christianity continued. A minority were deeply committed to the Christian faith. A proportion of the population, was reported to be without a vital church connection. Yet for the majority active participation in the church declined. Storms in the Balkans A million and a half Greek Orthodox refugees from Anotolia and Asia Minor deluged the country. The Orthodox faith was professed by a majority of the population. In Yugoslavia the Patriarchate which had been suppressed by the Turks in 1766 was reconstructed. The Orthodox Church was headed by a Patriarch and a Holy Synod. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 30: SECTION 30 ======================================================================== Section 30 20th Century Christianity The advance of Christianity was chiefly due to what in other aspects of life or that the latter could be ascribed to the former. The gains of Christianity in the United States outstripped those in other phases of the nations life. In the 1940s only 360,000 Indians were counted as Christians. The shifts in population were a threat and a challenge to the churches. Vigor of Roman Catholic Church The stream of immigration to which it owed most of its growth was greatly reduced after 1914. Even more marked was the growth of the Roman Catholic Church in material possessions. Additional organizations were developed and old ones enlarged. The growth in numbers, wealth, and participation in the world-wide missions fo their church enlarged Roman Catholics, especially the clergy. Vigor of Christianity In the generation after 1914, it was even more striking in the Protestantism of the country. The proportionate gains of Protestantism varied from denomination to denomination. Evangelism was accompanied by a prolific composition of hymns. “Evolution” was obnoxious to the “fundamentalists,” for it seemed to them to deny the authority of the Scriptures. Vigor on country and the world The progressive mass conversion of the country Christianity was waning in its effect upon the country and its people. Christians were by no means giving up the struggle to make their faith count in the nation and the world. The chief organization the Red Cross had Christian origins. Much was for prudential reasons, but much was stimulated by the Christian conscience. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 31: SECTION 31 ======================================================================== Section 31 Madagascar and Africa The generation which followed 1914 witnessed acceleration in the disintegration of the indigenous cultures which was due to Occident. The wars and revolutions of the 20th Century could not but have repercussions in Africa. In it both Protestants and Roman Catholics shared, but unequally under different political regimes. Christianity continued its numerical gains in the non-European population. Tragedy in Korea For Korea and Christianity in Korea the two decades which followed 1914 were comparatively peaceful. A Protestant was president of the republic and Christians were in high posts in the State. The ebb of the tide of battle to and from- meant distress to millions. Christianity was deeply rooted and vigorous. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 32: SECTION 32 ======================================================================== Section 32 Weakness Applied specifically to Christ crucified. In the midst of vast forces the very existence of Christianity seemed threatened. Secularism was closely associated with an exaggerated nationalism which for many became a substitute for religion. Geographically even more extensive than communism was a secularism which was undercutting all religions and making them irrelevant and outmoded. Strength The Ecumenical Movement had been the dream of Christians since the very outset of the faith The world-wide visible organizations bore the Christian name. Christian institutions continued to be pioneers in the new forms of education. From the Christian standpoint of greater importance was the direct impress of the gospel upon individuals. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 33: SECTION 33 ======================================================================== Section 33 Inclusive Retrospect The beginnings of Christianity seemed singularly unpromising. Christianity centered around Christ, but its theology, its organization, and its worship were developments which in part reflected the environment in which they took place. Christian worship took much from Judaism, but at its core, especially in the Eucharist, it was a fresh creation. Old monastic orders renewed their strength and the Society of Jesus again became potent. Stormy Stage of Christianity Christianity gave evidence of amazing vigor and continued its geographic spread. The challenges to Christianity were many Christianity changed from time to time. In the emergence and spread of such tyrannical ideologies as national socialism and communism, both of which arose in Christendom. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 34: SECTION 34 ======================================================================== Section 34 The Western World Christianity in the Western world between 1950 and 1975 is simply that it continued to be gradual, painful withdrawal from entrenched legal and cultural establishment. By 1975 in the Western world Christianity was less and less the legally or culturally established religion. The non-Western World By 1975 the overall character of the Christian movement in the non-Western world was extensively different from its Western Counterpart. By 1975 underwent the most rapid transition into modern ways, mainly Western ways. Africa The overall picture in Africa seemed to imply that the power of the church would go unopposed only if it supported political governments, or at least avoided conflict with them. By early 1975 the legal establishment of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church was increasingly tenuous. Asia By 1975 Christianity possessed literally thousands of centers of outreach, mostly new in the 20th Century. One great handicap to a continuation of Western mission efforts was the widespread assumption that the evangelism and missionary outreach of the younger churches, once established, would be automatic. A similar barrier existed to Christian efforts among the Chinese. The Christian movement was one of major contributions to international understanding. Diversity and Unity Christianity expanded across the world become clothed in the language and culture of all peoples accepting it. The United Nations gathered together all of the diversity of humanity. As late as World War II, Christian nations were locked in massive conflict. By 1975 there still seemed no hope of resolving the conflict between Protestants and Catholics in Ireland. ======================================================================== Source: https://sermonindex.net/books/history-of-christianity-1500-1950/ ========================================================================