EARLY AMERICAN CHRISTIANITY

    This is a survey of a number of distinctively American denominations:  new shoots which blossomed from an ancient trunk and roots in a new land.  Our image of America in the 1600's includes a vivid picture of the Pilgrims coming over from England on the Mayflower.  The religious group which was dominant among these colonists was called Puritanism.  The word "Puritan" stands for several groups of Reformers who were concerned to bring the established Church of England back into "pure" biblical Christianity.  

    Puritan models of the church have two basic plans, both derived from the New Testament by Protestant leaders.  One model is basically European, built on the Reformed or Presbyterian approach of Calvin and Knox.  But the other model is uniquely American:  the Puritans who emphasized the freedom of each local congregation were known as Congregationalists.  Their simple churches with tall steeples are all over New England.  Today many Congregational churches are members of the United Church of Christ, which was formed in 1957.  Barack Obama is a member of the United Church of Christ.  

    Christianity in America in the 1700's was affected deeply by the Great Awakening, a revival movement that spread throughout the East Coast.  The result was a new form of Christianity, blending elements of Presbyterian and Congregationalist traditional religion together with an emphasis on personal religious experience.  The people of the Great Awakening were very emotional in their spiritual experience.  Revival preachers such as Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield made strong appeals to the emotions.  Conversion must come from the heart, they said.

    But what about the mind?  Isn't it important in religion?  Yes -- a movement very important in early America stressed reason, tolerance, understanding, and carefully developed ethical standards.  This "reasonable religion" was called Deism, and it gave to America many of the principles of our Constitution and Bill of Rights.  Although Deists never developed formal church organizations, they were especially influential in France, which was the source of many of our early national ideals.  Deism was also very much a part of the Enlightenment in Germany in the eighteenth century.  Two of the most influential Founding Fathers of our nation were Deists:  Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin.  

    America was rapidly becoming a land of "Varieties of Religious Experience"!    Quakers, Baptists, Congregationalists, Deists, Presbyterians, and all kinds of other groups coexisted with traditional churches like the Catholic Church and the Church of England.  After the Revolutionary War, of course, there was no such thing as a state-supported church in America.  Active Christians from many churches argued vigorously for laws which would confirm the principles for which they had fought. 

    The result was a uniquely American theme:  rather than inheriting the religion of one's parents or geographical area, a person should be free to join any church or no church at all.  The government would not support or interfere with any religion.  Even a tiny minority that held beliefs quite different from those of the majority would be protected, so that its members could worship in freedom.  It's hard for us today to realize how radical this change was, because we've grown up in a nation which by and large has allowed this pluralism of religions to flourish.  But it's been a key American creation, which has spread to the rest of the world.  This principle that religious commitment should be based on free choice is usually called separation of church and state.  Americans hold that no one should force his or her religion on others.  It's in just this climate that Christianity has thrived in America.

NINETEENTH CENTURY NEW AMERICAN RELIGIOUS GROUPS

    The trend toward diversification continued in America in the 1800's, with the founding of a number of new groups and denominations.  You may have heard about some of the Utopian Christian communities which were started in order for people to live out biblical ideals.  It was hoped that Christians could live together in such peace and happiness that their community would be an example for the whole world.  I've visited several Utopian communities which have been restored as museums.  The nearest to us is the Moravian community of Old Salem, North Carolina.  I've used the term Utopia to characterize these communitarian groups.  I'm sure you know that this concept refers to a perfect or ideal society, but do you know its etymology?  Utopia comes from the Greek ou (ou)  = "no" + topoV  (topos) = "place" (like the English word topography, the study of places).  The word itself hints at the impossibility of finding a perfect community; it represents the ideal of the Kingdom of God which crosses all boundaries of space and time. 

    Another American Christian phenomenon of the 1800's was millennialism.  The Greek word millennium means a thousand years -- a time of bliss described in the Revelation to John.  Like the word "Utopia," many people see the millennium as an ideal picture.  But for Christians who takes John's description as a literal prediction of a period in earthly history, the millennium is very near.

LATTER-DAY SAINTS (MORMONS)

    Some of the new American religions which arose in the 1800's have millennial elements, while their emphases are on different aspects of Christianity.  One of these is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormons.  Their founder, Joseph Smith, developed a religion based on special revelations in a book with golden pages, which he translated as the Book of Mormon.  This second set of sacred writings enables Mormons to interpret the Bible and to apply its teachings to their own lives.  Joseph and his wife Emma established a thriving Mormon community in Nauvoo, Illinois, on the bank of the Mississippi River. 

    After the martyrdom of Joseph Smith at the hands of an angry mob, the Mormons went out West to Utah, under the leadership of Brigham Young.  In many ways this successor to Joseph Smith was a prototype of the American frontier hero, and his courage was an inspiration to the Latter-day Saints.  He shaped the denomination carefully into the form that it still has today.  The Utah university named after Brigham Young has a first-rate basketball team and some very good scholars who have worked on manuscripts of the New Testament.  Latter-day Saints are especially strong on high ethical standards and the central role of the family.  Mormon missionaries of all ages dedicate large blocks of time and money to their church, showing a real commitment to its message.

CHRISTIAN SCIENTISTS

    A nineteenth-century American religion which goes back in its essential teachings to ancient Greek philosophy is the Church of Christ, Scientist, usually known as the Christian Scientists.  Founded by Mary Baker Eddy, Christian Science uses her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, as the major source -- together with the Bible -- for understanding all of life.  Health can be gained, and the illusions of disease and death conquered, through recognizing true reality. 

    But what is reality?  What gives real meaning to life, so that we are more than mere animals?  Nothing material is real, according to Mary Baker Eddy.  But there are realities beyond the material world, as religion and philosophy have taught us through the ages.  Mrs. Eddy gave the same answer as Plato.  No, not Forms, but the other way that Plato's word for true realities can be translated.  According to Mary Baker Eddy, God is Divine Mind, and all that is real is radiated from God as Ideas.  Sickness and death don't really exist, because they have no reality, but the illusion that they exist can still hurt us.  We must overcome the illusion through training our minds to be in harmony with the Divine Mind.  That's what Christian Science is all about.

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS    

    Wholeness of mind and body is also a central theme for the Seventh-day Adventist Church.  As you remember, the first part of the church's name indicates that members of this church have returned to the Jewish practice of worshipping on the Sabbath, or seventh day of the week.  The second part of the church name comes from the Latin word advent.  Literally, advent means "coming" or "appearance"; the season right before Christmas is called Advent, because that's when Christians celebrate Christ's coming to earth as a baby.  But the term is also used for Christ's Second Coming, when he returns to earth.  

    But when will Christ return to earth?  Adventists first thought that they knew the year:  1844.  When that date passed with no obvious manifestations of the Second Coming, 1844 was reinterpreted as referring to the time when Christ began his Judgment.  The process is almost completed, so the End of history is near. 

    The key person who developed Seventh-day Adventist beliefs and moral principles was Ellen White.  She incorporated aspects of nineteenth-century health reform movements, so that Seventh-day Adventists not only worship on Saturdays; they live healthful lifestyles throughout the week.  Most are vegetarians who avoid meat, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, and anything else that can be harmful to the body, because they recognize body, soul, and spirit as God's creations. 

JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES

    One of the largest Christian groups based on the expectation that Christ will return soon to establish his millennial Kingdom on earth is the Jehovah's Witnesses, who first set the date for Christ's return and the End of the world as the year 1914.  That date has also been postponed into an indefinite -- but near -- future.  In the meantime, Jehovah's Witnesses live as committed Christians, separating themselves from earthly governments and also from other organized religious groups. 

    In this course we've studied the history and basic beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses which differ from those of mainstream Protestants.  For example, Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Jesus was not divine; in his pre-mortal existence he was known as Michael, and he was anointed as Messiah at the time of his baptism.  In the battle of Armageddon, all social institutions, such as governments, colleges, and even churches, will be destroyed.  Then the millennium will begin:  a thousand years of paradise on earth, with 144,000 people serving as Christ's assistants during this time.  After the thousand years will come Judgment Day, when good people will go to heaven and evil people will be extinguished.  In this brief review, I am emphasizing only the apocalyptic aspects of Jehovah's Witnesses, but there are lots more interesting things about the members of this deeply committed group of Christians.

AFRICAN AMERICAN CHRISTIANS

    Albanese's textbook has an excellent overview of black religion in America.  In this course we've narrowed our focus to leaders in black Christian denominations, including Richard Allen, founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a great Baptist preacher, and Charles Mason, founder of the Church of God in Christ.  We have seen how black churches have been powerful forces in civil rights and in meeting the spiritual needs of African Americans.

I hope that this review of distinctively American denominations has been helpful.  Since there are a few more key places in America that you need to learn about, we'll save the review of Map 3, The Christian Faith in America, for the final exam review.  Comments, suggestions, or corrections on this or other programs will be appreciated.  If you would like, you can send me e-mail: fkellogg@ehc.edu

To look at one of my other syllabi or to review a unit in a different course, go to my Home Page.

To review a different unit in the Christian Faith course, go directly to one of the following:

    Unit 1:  Historical Foundations

    Unit 2:  Churches of the Protestant Reformation

    Unit 4:  What Christians Have in Common

If you prefer, you may return to the Emory & Henry College Home Page.

Last updated:  May 03, 2009