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Revivalism emphasizes definable turning
points
in a Christian’s life as essential.
"Every tradition has to renew itself from time to
time
in order to address the pressing issues of the day and offer
the
kind of practices that are needed for renewal."
Thich Nhat Hanh
Protestant Christian Holiness movements
Puritanism
emphasis on adherence to biblical scripture
and
the right to
dissent from the established religious institution
Pietism
emphasis on the spiritual life of the
individual,
coupled with a responsibility to live an upright life
In Protestantism there has been an evolution and a mixing of
Protestant theological belief
systems that has resulted in a continually splintering, changing,
regrouping and evolving Christian theology.
Calvinism emphasizes
God's rule over all
things.
The Reformed tradition of John Calvin held that as a
consequence of the fall of man,
every person born into reality is
enslaved to the
flesh.
Calvin claimed individuals were inclined to reject
ethical
concerns but this is a mistaken viewpoint and trap frequently fallen into
by Roman law
lawyers.
Calvinists believe attainment of heaven not based on
virtue,
merit or faith but is
unconditionally grounded in God's
mercy expressed as absolution.
The saving grace of God is
effectually applied to those whom God has pre-determined to save.
Once truly
saved always saved.
1552
Calvinist thought
reached its zenith of its influence in the Anglican Church during the reign of
Edward VI first as Forty-Two Articles of Religion found in the Book of
Common Prayer.
1563 Reduced to
Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion.
1571
Adherence to the Thirty-Nine Articles made a legal requirement by the English
Parliament.
Anglicanism, in its
structures, theology and forms of
worship, is understood as a distinct tradition representing a middle ground
between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.
ArminianismArminianism is a school of soteriological thought in Protestant
Christian theology founded by the Dutch theologian Jacobus Arminius. Its
acceptance stretches through much of mainstream Protestantism.
Arminianists believe that individuals are
naturally unable to make any
effort towards salvation, salvation is possible by grace
alone, works of human effort cannot cause or contribute to salvation, God's
elects (choses those to be saved) which is conditional upon faith in ,
Christ's atonement was for all people,
God allows his grace to be
resisted by those unwilling to believe, salvation can be lost as continued
salvation is conditional upon continued faith in Christ as
the personification of
God.
Quietism
emphasis on individual ability to
experience
God and understand the
Will of God for
oneself
1650 George
Fox, imprisoned for blasphemy,
begins the Quietism revival.
A judge mocks George Fox's exhortation to
"tremble at the Word of the
Lord", calling George Fox and his
followers "Quakers".
1653 George Fox is
imprisoned and it is requested that he be put to death.
Parliament
requests his release rather than "a young man die
for religion".
George Fox is taken to London for a meeting with the
Lord Protector.
Fox affirms he has no intention to take up arms and is
able to speak about the differences between the
Anglicans and the
Friends.
Fox suggests
Oliver Cromwell listen
to God's voice and obey it.
This is
"speaking truth to power".
"It
will be found an unjust and unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural
liberty upon a
supposition that he may abuse it." - Oliver Cromwell
By "speaking
truth to power" - simple ideas
related with plain speech - George Fox pursued social justice.
1654 George Fox is imprisoned in
London.
1656 George Fox is imprisoned in
Launceston.
1660 and 1663 George Fox is
imprisoned in Lancaster.
1666 George Fox is
imprisoned in Scarborough.
1674 George Fox is
imprisoned in Worcester.
Quakers repeatedly fell foul of laws
forbidding unauthorized worship.
George Fox
often emphasised the Quaker rejection of baptism by water; a
useful way of highlighting the focus of Friends
on inward
transformation.
This differed from what he saw as
the superstition of outward
ritual.
George Fox's theology in his words:
Let no man speak in an unknown
tongue.
Let no one be put to death for chattel, for
money or any outward thing.
Let all these things be taken away, he that
will not speak a few words to his neighbor without money, freely without end,
or reward, or bribery,
and so bring it to a free Nation, and so a free people by the
Power of God.
Let no one that is high, proud, or
lofty, envious or scornful bear Office, for
he will turn the sword backward
and do Satan's work.
For they that are hasty, proud in a
mad blind zeal will turn the sword against the just.
Let no law be,
but that man may ask a question.
If it be a free Nation, let it be
free.
Let none be persecuted and imprisonment
as vagabonds who are moved by God to speak abroad the
Word of God freely and faithfully.
Let none lie long in
prison, for that is the way to spoil people, and to make more thieves, for
there they learn wickedness together.
Let all this money, and stipends, and
tithes, and hour-glasses for preaching by the hour be taken away from men, who
make a trade of the Scripture.
Let
all worship God in selflessness not in
selfishness.
Let all the Burying the dead for money, and Marrying for money,
and Christening for money, and Churching of women for money, let all these
things be swept away, and let the Nation be a free Nation.
Let no man
bear the sword in violence, or accuse any man falsely.
Let no Judge, nor Justice,
nor Sheriff that is ambitious, highminded, bear rule, for such do not
stand in awe of God which
is the beginning of the wisdom
with which they should order
the Creation to the Glory of God.
They are out of the meek state and
humility, and doing
justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly before God, and they are
aroma in the nostrils of
God.
Let all preaching
for money and singing for money be laid aside.
Let not
preaching be a trade, nor
the Word of God made merchandise of.
Methodism
1738 John
Wesley, an Anglican minister, begins preaching the precepts of Methodism which
leads to the Methodist revival.
John Wesley intensely studied the Church
Fathers and Eastern Orthodox Church.
He attended Moravian meetings,
heard a sermon of Dr. John Heylyn and seriously studied Christian religious
sects.
John Wesley
expressed strong
disagreement with the doctrines of
election and reprobation
teaching that individual efforts towards holiness of heart and life could bring
a truly holy and loving Christian to
salvation.
The evangelistic teaching of John Wesley incorporated and
melded Arminianist doctrine, Calvinist doctrine and Anglican doctrine as
represented in the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion for use by American
Methodists in the 18th century.
Wesley saw doctrine must be rational as
faith and reason are synonymous.
John
Wesley defined the witness of the
Spirit of God
as:
"an inward impression on the
soul, whereby the Spirit of
God directly testifies to an individual's spirit that they
are indeed children of
God."
John Wesley saw a person must believe
Word of God for himself or herself -
intercession was ineffective as redemption occurs only in
a contrite heart.
John
Wesley's strength lay in his ability to combine seemingly opposing theological
stances backed up by a
reasonable interpretation of scripture.
He was very good at
dialectism.
John Wesley's
evangelical theology, grounded firmly in
sacrament, was his promotion of what he termed "Christian perfection," or
holiness of heart.
John Wesley insisted that in this life, the Christian
could come to a state where the
Agápe, or
perfect compassion, reigned supreme in one's heart.
To be made perfect
in compassion meant that a Christian could live with a primary guiding regard
for others and their welfare - "to love your neighbor as you love
yourself.".
This parallels the philosophy of
Siddhartha
Gautama.
Pentecostal denominations are descended from Methodism and
the Methodist Holiness Movement.
Pentecostal soteriology is generally
Arminian rather than Calvinist.
"Surely it is
obvious, to those who wish to see and have had their eyes
enlightened by
Christ, that the
professing church, Christendom, has become nothing more than a very successful
business, reaping huge profits into
the coffers of those who, wandering off the garden path,
have been enticed by a desire for fame, fortune and universal
acceptance.
They have turned the Father's house into nothing more than a
house of
merchandise and are utilizing the secular world's resources and the secular
world's methods to achieve what they believe to be spiritual success.
The corporation churches, in the same manner as the corporations of the
secular world, have definite characteristics that are clearly observable.
They are human initiated and
governed, management-based, profit-oriented, success-driven,
client-friendly, product-focused (programs and services), and
image conscious. " -
Hugh Skyborn |
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