In Baptist history there has always been differences in doctrine. This has unfortunately resulted, at times, to separate believers from one another. This can be evident from comparing two American Baptist confessions. The most notable difference in doctrine between The Philadelphia Confession of 1742 and A Treatise on the Faith of the Free Will Baptists, 1834 and 1948 is the doctrine of Calvinism versus free-will. The Philadelphia Confession supported Calvinism and the Free Will Baptists supported Arminianism. A closer look at these two confessions show that throughout Baptist history certain doctrines remain constant while others are debated and cause separation of believers. However, this has not stopped the Gospel message to be preached faithfully.
Historical Background
In the seventeenth century, many Baptist churches were forming in the Middle Atlantic Colonies. Differences of opinion and doctrine arose within these churches. Because of their differences, churches met for several years and eventually formed the Philadelphia Baptist Association in 1707. This Association referred to a confession that was developed in 1689 and became the standard for their doctrine. In 1742, the Association printed the new edition of the confession and renamed it The Philadelphia Confession of Faith.
Benjamin Randall believed in the doctrine of believers’ baptism and held to an Arminian theology. He was a successful preacher and evangelist; however, Calvinistic Baptists from New Hampshire and Maine became critical of his Arminian theological views. It was then that Randall joined an Arminian Baptist church and later founded a Free Will church. The Free Will Baptists Confession was later developed in 1834 in response to the Calvinistic theo...
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... foundation of the world while the Free Will Baptists believe that anyone can come to faith based on their free will. The doctrine of election shows the sovereignty of God and that He is in control at all times. Free will places control in the hands of man where God is not completely sovereign in all decisions especially concerning salvation.
The doctrine of the Calvinism versus free will has been debated throughout Baptist history as is evident from these two confessions. The doctrine is still debated today, and as in the past, it can separate believers from one another. Some doctrinal differences will not be resolved in our time, but it should not separate believers from each other. More importantly, the church should be concerned with reaching others for Jesus Christ, and it is evident through Baptist history that this has taken precedent and continues today.
This paper elaborates on the diverse contributions peoples of African descent have made to the pluralistic religious landscape of America and replicates various passages from our textbook. It focuses on the personal narratives of non-religious to religious leaders—exemplifying their influence on the African American religious movement during slavery and the reconstruction of America. Each section represents different historical periods, regional variations, and non-Christian expressions of African-American religion.
Parishioners often ask me if there is really any difference between United Methodist and the Baptists down the road. The answer, “quite a lot,” generally surprises them. When they ask me to explain, I often point them in the direction of our polity and the theology it reflects.
Even though Winthrop and Edwards were two similar authors they were writing for two completely different reasons. Edwards was writing his sermon close to a hundred years after Winthrop, in a time called the Great Awakening. Edwards’s sermon was designed using scare tactics to bring people back to the church; while, Winthrop was working to keep everyone in a “group.” According to William Cain, Alice McDermott, Lance Newman, and Hilary Wyss, editors of “American Literature Volume One,” “he [Winthrop] believed that the English church could be reformed from within, cleansed of its “Catholic” doctrinal traces and elements of ritual” (102). Winthrop was giving his sermon aboard the ship to the new world and has belief that he can purify the English church. On the other side, Edwards is writing after the church has been “purified;” thus, a different means of communication is required to bring people back to the church. William Cain, Alice McDermott, Lance Newman, and Hilary Wyss, editors of “American Literature Volume One,” said, “Edwards witnessed a great revival of religion known as the “Great Awakening,” which he documented in several of his writings” (264). The quote says that Edwards is writing in a time period that required s method that would bring people back to the church. All in all, the time period of Winthrop and Edwards’s sermons play a major role in the content of the
One of the most debated topics within the Christian churches today is baptism. This debate began during the 16th Century reformation, where on the base of Scripture many theologians separated from the Catholic Church. A prime example of this debated topic can be seen in The Augsburg Confession, "Concerning Baptism." "Concerning baptism they teach that it is necessary for salvation, that the grace of God is offered through baptism, and that children should be baptized... They condemn the Anabaptists who disapprove of the baptism of children and assert that children are saved without baptism." Luther centered his baptism theology on the salvations promises of God. He stressed forgiveness of sins received by baptism when the believer puts his or her trust in that promise. Luther's emphasis on the saving work of Christ Jesus, and his belief that the Church of Rome still had some things right, led him to accept the baptism of infants. Luther saw baptism as a sign of the covenant God had made with us at Calvary. The understanding and acceptance of infant baptism is seen widely throughout by modern Christian denominations such as: Catholics, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, and Episcopalians. The idea of infant baptism is contested by some denominations as well including Baptists and many Church of Christ congregations.
Mead, Frank S., and Samuel S. Hill. Handbook of Denominations in the United States. Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 1995. Print.
John Calvin and Martin Luther were both Protestant reformers in the sixteenth century who jump started the Reformation. They were both very committed to God however they approached it at somewhat different angles. The differences between these two became a battle between predestination and justification by faith alone. Along with that there was a generation gap in between them that may have caused John Calvin’s difference in views compared to Martin Luther.
From the beginning of the colonization of America, many people have come here seeking religious freedom. They have not all shared the same beliefs. Roger Williams and Puritan leader John Winthrop believe very differently concerning God’s chosen religion, salvation and how it can be achieved, and the role the church should take in government.
Originally, the Baptist had the same beliefs as the Protestant church had, with the exception of baptism. For Baptists, only true believers could be baptized. Furthermore, when baptized, Baptists are completely immersed in water, rather than following the Protestant method of having a few drops of water sprinkled on the forehead. Baptists do not acknowledge man-made authority within the church and therefore do not select humans as leaders of the church. The Presbyterian Church was developed with the influence of John Calvin. He believed that the church was led only by Jesus, and all of its members we equal under the authority of Christ. Anglicans have a devout admiration for Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus Christ. The communities of the Anglican include a spiritual life of prayer and worship. They also emphasize a life of giving of oneself. For example, Anglicans traveled with Florence Nightengale on her trip to Crimea and worked as nurses (www.encyclopedia.com). The Methodist church developed with the help of John Wesley was was an evangelist. The message of the church is to create the life of God within men. The Lutheran church originated from the philosophical views of Martin Luther. The Lutherans are considered one of the three major branches ...
Conversely, after researching it, I came to the conclusion that Jefferson was a deist. This conclusion is essentially drawn from and supported by the personal letters that were written by Jefferson himself and sent to his close friends. In this paper I will analyze Thomas Jefferson’s religious beliefs, as well as compare those beliefs to those held by Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin Franklin is also a political and historical figure of our nation. Out of all the founding fathers, Franklin is the only one that has signed all three of the major documents that freed the colonies from British rule and established the United States as an independent nation: the Declaration of Independence, The Treaty of Paris, and the United States Constitution. In comparison with Jefferson, Franklin’s beliefs also often get examined. Additionally, I will study the Declaration of Independence for imitated religious beliefs, and examine the different definitions, perspectives on, and creeds of the Christian and deist
I was intrigued by John Wesley’s family background. Of how, “John Wesley began life as a happy by-product of a family dispute” (p. 3, Abraham) of praying for King William III. I find it hard to consider that the leader of the Methodist movement was the result of conflict resolution. John was the fifteenth child of a family of nineteen children. His parents, “Susanna and Samuel Wesley was both Dissenter, those who rejected the vision of Christianity developed by the Anglican Church after the Reformation” (p. 4, Abraham). John grandfather, Susanna’s father, was a “distinguished Dissenting Preacher” (p. 4, Abraham). His family tree was rich with ancestors who did not go along with the establishment if it did not match with spiritual truths.
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.
"Every time he [Wesley] lays out Methodist beliefs he's saying it's basic Christianity," Jones said. Wesley was determined to preach "primitive Christianity" and to rescue the faith from "more corrupt forms." Jones asserted Wesley wo...
Jonathan Edwards was known as a “nurturing pastor, frontier missionary, and bold revivalist preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ, Edwards exemplifies a man who integrated reason (the mind) and personal devotion (the heart) in unwavering dedication to the sovereign God revealed in creation and Scripture.” Jonathan Edwards spent much of his young life trying time to live and serve God through his works and deeds. He finally realized that it was impossible to earn his own salvation through his works and he accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior. Jonathan Edwards helped propel the First Great Awakening around 1733-1735, by directing some of the very first revivals from his Northampton, Massachusetts church. During some of these revivals Edwards preached sermons about salvation to his Puritan congregation. When these sermons were conducted amazing outbreaks of the Holy Spirit took place and people started recognizing their need for Jesus. This awesome move of God helped communities, households, and individuals to bond together in unity. These events continued to spread throughout the communities and most of the American colonies. Jonathan Edwards successful revivals were not without opposition. Edwards was drawing opposition and criticism from more traditional and strict Puritan leaders who were more concerned with religion. Jonathan Edwards then relocated to Stockbridge,
Lutzer, Erwin. The Doctrines That Divide: a Fresh Look at the Historic Doctrines That Separate Christians. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1998.