This paper will cover the topic of American Evangelicalism addressing the Twentieth Century ideologies. While viewing how Christianity interacted with the terms of the activities of evangelicals and the ecumenical movement. This paper will also cover how Christianity interacted with the terms of the activities of the Vatican II, religion, and politics and the global aspect of Christianity.
It was in the year of 1942 in St. Louis Missouri when a group of nationally known leaders came together and formed what would be known as the National Association of Evangelicals. This was an organization with members of all denominations and churches. This organization would affirm the doctrinal statement and commit to aiding the purpose of the organization. The key concern was to steer down the middle between fundamentalism on one hand and liberalism in the other, neither of which, in their minds, represented historic Christianity. Younger fundamentalist had become uncomfortable with the radical separatism of the movement; they felt that their social concerns could no longer be ignored. It was the birth of a new movement: evangelicalism. The term evangelical or evangelism dates from the sixteenth century, and was then used to refer to Catholic writers wishing to revert to more biblical beliefs and practices than those associated with the late medieval (middle age) church (McGrath 2007). This term blossomed especially in the 1520s when the French and the Germans came prominently in the polemical writings of the early Reformation. The term is now used widely to refer to trans-denominational trend in theology and spirituality, which lays particular emphasis upon the place of the scripture in the life of Christianity.
Moving into the twentieth...
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...and million inhabitants of our planet. After World War II vigorous new Christian leadership emerged in the Third World, offering fresh hope for a new day for old faith. Only time will tell. Christian can hope because faith always reaches beyond earthly circumstances. The Christian confidence is in a person, the Jewish Messiah of the believing remnant, the Wisdom of the Greek apologist, the Cosmic King, The Ruler of the World. Jesus is the model of true Evangelism.
Works Cited
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Robert Laurence Moore has written a delightful, enlightening, and provocative survey of American church history centered around the theme of "mixing" the "sacred" with the "secular" and vice versa. The major points of conversation covered include the polarization caused by the public display of religious symbols, the important contribution that women and Africans have made to the American religious mosaic, the harmony and friction that has existed between science and religion, the impact of immigration on religious pluralism, and the twin push toward the union and separation of religion and politics.
The Democratization of American Christianity, by Nathan Hatch, is written about “the cultural and religious history of the early American republic and the enduring structures of American Christianity” (3). Hatch writes to make two arguments: 1) the theme of democratization is central to understanding the development of American Christianity, and 2) the years of the early republic are the most crucial in revealing to process that took and is still taking place. The story of the democratization of American Christianity begins with the population boom in America from the Revolution up to 1845. Hatch writes that during this boom, “American Christianity became a mass enterprise” (4).
In Nathan O. Hatch’s “The Democratization of American Christianity” he quickly forms his thesis and expands on the argument “both that the theme of
Religion of the protestant church was an important factor in the pre-war timeline culture. The Second great awakening, which occurred in the 19th century, greatly impacted American society. This new point of view in terms and matters of faith led northerners to cherish the theory of Christian perfection, a theory that in fact was applied to society in an attempt to eliminate social imperfection. On the other hand, southerners reacted by cherishing a faith of personal piety, which focused mainly on a reading of the Bible; however, it expressed very little concern in addressing society’s problems.1
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Throughout the year Christians have strived to do the will of God. From to converting people into Christians to making a society pleasing to God. Christians in America have been present since the colonial times. In the late 19th century, they were still thriving in the United States. In the early 20th century they were still involved in the broader American culture, committed to shaping public policy and welcome in political life. But as time continued, evangelicals started to create their own subculture, no longer involving themselves in politics and the rest of the American culture. By mid to late 20th century, evangelicals saw that the nation was becoming further way from God and it was affecting them. They sought to partly reinsert themselves in the American culture and politics and found they were not as welcome as before. Even though they are not welcome, Christians must try to do the will of God by turn peoples eyes back to Him in everyday life and politics.
Marsden’s analysis denotes the development of fundamentalism to particular intellectual progressions, particularly within the evangelical revivalism which took place within the late eighteenth to early nineteenth century (Marsden pg 11-12). After the civil war, Marsden elaborates on the consanguinity between evangelicals faith, morality, society, scripture, and science. However due to the introduction of Darwinian evolution, which was a major determinant within the fundamentalist movement, brought significant breaks within the evangelical body. Marsden points to two major theologians, Charles Hodge and James McCosh as representatives of these divisions. Charles Hodge, which represents the conservative position, could not reconcile the naturalism that was present within Darwinism (Marsden pg 19). As for McCosh, science and scripture correlate and verify one another, “Both reveal order in the world, the one appointed by God; the other discovered by man” (Marsden pg 19). The latter along with the cultural developm...
In the first chapter of Nathan Hatch’s book, The Democratization of American Christianity, he immediately states his central theme: democratization is central to understanding the development of American Christianity. In proving the significance of his thesis, he examines five distinct traditions of Christianity that developed in the nineteenth century: the Christian movement, Methodists, Baptists, Mormons and black churches. Despite these groups having diverse structural organization and theological demeanor, they all shared the commonality of the primacy of the individual conscience.
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A casual look at the world today reveals the evidence that Jesus’s efforts were effective. Christianity is currently throughout most parts of the world, and ...
Douglas, J. D., Philip Wesley Comfort and Donald Mitchell. Who's Who in Christian History. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1992.