CHURCH HISTORY II CHURCH HISTORY II Lesson 37Lesson 37

20th century Christianity in America

“What a mess!”

“A movement who’s adherents were seeking to reshape the Christian faith into a form which would be acceptable to modern man”

George Marsden

Fatherhood of God

Brotherhood of Man

Dr. George Marsden Fundamentalism and the American Culture

SOCIETALPOLITICAL/ECONOMICPHILOSPHICAL/SCIENTIFICTHEOLOGICAL/PRACTICAL

Modernism

What was the reaction of the churches?

Indifferent Attitude

Fighting Attitude

BIBLE CONFERENCES

BIBLE COLLEGS

Questioning Attitude•Denied biblical authority•Accepted optimistic world view•Embraced “social gospel”

•Conservative in theology•Not willing to fight•“Is it really that bad?”

BIBLE CONFERENCE MOVEMENT

1875 Believer’s Meeting For Bible Study-Chicago

1878-1880 Clifton Springs, NY14 Fundamentals

NIAGARA CREED

1883-1897 Niagara-on-the-Lake

1876 Swampscott, Mass

•James H Brooks “The Truth”•William J. Erdman•Fleming H. Revel•P.P. Bliss

A.J. Gordon “The Watchword”

1877 Watkins Glen, NY

1881 Old Orchard, ME

1882 Mackinac Island, MI

Queen Royal Hotel

•Doctrine of Christ•Doctrine of the Holy Spirit•Authority of the Bible•Priority of Missions•Prophecy

Effects of Niagara1. Interdenominational attitude

2. Renewed missionary attitude: faith missions

3. Spawned bible conference movement

4. Exerted significant influence on Bible Colleges

5. Popularized Bible Reading- chronological vs. systematic

6. Vast rise in prophetic literature

7. Involved Christian Businessmen

Publication of The Fundamentals

BIBLE COLLEGES

Nyack CMA 1883

Moody Bible Institute 1886

Gordon College 1889

Dwight Lyman Moody

1837-1899

Ira David Sankey

1840-1908

REACTIONS TO MODERNISM PART 2

SEPERATION

Presbyterian Church United States (Northern Presbyterians)

Princeton Seminary Auburn Affirmation

1929-Dr. Machen leaves; forms Westminster Seminary

1933-Machen tried for ‘heresy’Orthodox Presbyterian Church established

Northern Baptist Church

1923- W.B. Riley Baptist Bible Union within the convention

1925- lost floor fight over adoption of New Hampshire Confession of Faith

1932- 22 churches withdrew and form General Association of Regular Baptist Churches

•Haven for fundamentalist fellowship•To promote independent orthodox missions•To disseminate authentic information about conditions within the NBC

1988 1,600 churchesBaptist Mid-MissionsABWECedarville University

1947: Conservative Baptist Association of America

Pillsbury Bible CollegeMaranatha Baptist Bible CollegeNorthwestern College

W.B. Riley; Richard Clearwater

1924 American Baptist Association

Most left Southern Baptist Convention

Distinctive: Landmark theology

1970 3,300 ‘small’ churches

Baptist Bible Fellowship

J. Frank Norris World Baptist Fellowship

Springfield, MO Baptist Bible College

Noel Smith The Sorry Confessions of a Flabby White-haired Coward

Evangelicalism New Evangelicalism

•Bible final authority Common Authority

•Necessity of the new birth Common Experience

•Missionary zeal; home & abroad Common task

•The deity of Christ as the bedrock Common faith

foundation for eternal life

1936 Park Street Church

1905-1985

1942 National Association of Evangelicals for United Action

Cooperation without compromise

1947 Fuller Seminary

Carl F.H. Henry

(1913-2003)

Theologian

Editor

Christianity Today

William Franklin Graham

(1918- )

Evangelist