Shifts in American Christianity: From Tradition to Populism

Devotional

Day 1: Frontier Faith and Populism

The westward expansion and the rise of Jacksonian democracy in the 1800s led to a new form of religious expression in America. As settlers moved into the frontier, traditional denominations like the Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and Anglicans began to decline. In their place, Methodism and Baptism grew, characterized by untrained clergy and a focus on Biblicism, which emphasized a "Bible only" approach. This shift often came at the expense of confessional standards, leading to a more populist and accessible form of Christianity. This period highlights the tension between maintaining doctrinal integrity and adapting to new cultural contexts. [01:48]

"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." (Acts 2:42, ESV)

Reflection: How can you ensure that your faith remains rooted in sound doctrine while also being accessible and relevant to those around you?

Day 2: The Challenge of Liberalism and Modernism

Liberalism emerged as a response to the emotionalism and enthusiasm of the Second Great Awakening, seeking to accommodate Christianity to modernism. This movement paralleled earlier accommodations like deism to the Enlightenment, aiming for cultural acceptance at the expense of theological integrity. As a result, faith became diluted, prioritizing cultural relevance over essential Christian doctrines. This historical development serves as a reminder of the ongoing tension between cultural accommodation and confessional affirmation. [06:30]

"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions." (2 Timothy 4:3, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways might you be tempted to compromise your beliefs for the sake of cultural acceptance, and how can you guard against this?

Day 3: The Social Gospel and Its Implications

The social gospel movement redefined salvation in terms of social justice, often overshadowing the spiritual deliverance central to the gospel. This shift led to a focus on addressing social issues without the foundational message of the gospel. While social activism is important, it must be grounded in the truth of the gospel to maintain its transformative power. This period challenges us to balance social engagement with spiritual integrity. [10:27]

"Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?" (Isaiah 58:6, ESV)

Reflection: How can you engage in social justice efforts while ensuring that the message of spiritual deliverance remains central in your actions?

Day 4: German Higher Criticism and Biblical Authority

The introduction of German higher criticism, particularly the JEDP theory, challenged traditional understandings of biblical authorship and authority. This approach viewed Scripture as a product of human communities rather than divine revelation, leading to questions about its reliability and authority. This historical development reminds us of the importance of upholding the authority of Scripture in the face of cultural and intellectual challenges. [17:01]

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16, ESV)

Reflection: How do you approach Scripture in your daily life, and what steps can you take to deepen your understanding and trust in its authority?

Day 5: Cultural Accommodation and Theological Integrity

The drive for cultural relevance led to a liberalism that compromised essential Christian doctrines, prioritizing cultural acceptance over the truth of the gospel. This accommodation often resulted in a faith that lacked theological depth and conviction. As we navigate our own cultural contexts, we must hold fast to the truth of the gospel while engaging with the world around us. [23:26]

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2, ESV)

Reflection: What are some specific ways you can maintain theological integrity in your interactions with the culture around you?

Sermon Summary

In our exploration of the Second Great Awakening and its aftermath, we delved into the transformative period of American Christianity during the 1800s. This era was marked by a significant shift from traditional, confessional Christianity to a more populist and frontier-driven expression of faith. The frontier expansion and the rise of Jacksonian democracy played pivotal roles in shaping this new religious landscape. As settlers moved westward, the established denominations of the Eastern Seaboard, such as the Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and Anglicans, began to decline. In their place, Methodism and Baptism flourished, driven by untrained clergy and a focus on Biblicism, which emphasized a "Bible only" approach, often at the expense of confessional standards.

This period also saw the rise of liberalism, a theological movement that sought to accommodate Christianity to modernism. Liberalism emerged as a response to the excesses of the Second Great Awakening, which had swung the pendulum towards emotionalism and enthusiasm. In reaction, there was a shift towards rationalism, where Christianity was increasingly viewed as a rational enterprise. This rationalism, coupled with social activism, led to the development of the social gospel, which redefined salvation in terms of social justice rather than spiritual deliverance.

Furthermore, the influence of German higher criticism, particularly the JEDP theory, challenged the traditional understanding of biblical authorship and authority. This, along with the rise of Darwinism and an unfounded optimism in human progress, contributed to a cultural accommodation that threatened the core tenets of Christianity. Liberalism, in its attempt to remain culturally relevant, often compromised essential Christian doctrines, leading to a diluted faith that prioritized cultural acceptance over theological integrity.

As we navigate these historical developments, it is crucial to recognize the ongoing tension between cultural accommodation and confessional affirmation. The challenge remains to hold fast to the truth of the gospel while engaging with the world around us.

Key Takeaways

1. Frontier and Populism: The westward expansion and Jacksonian democracy fostered a new religious populism, leading to the decline of traditional denominations and the rise of Methodism and Baptism. This shift emphasized untrained clergy and a Biblicism that often neglected confessional standards. [01:48]
2. Liberalism and Modernism: Liberalism emerged as Christianity's accommodation to modernism, paralleling earlier accommodations like deism to the Enlightenment. This movement sought cultural acceptance at the expense of theological integrity, leading to a diluted faith. [06:30]
3. Social Gospel: The social gospel redefined salvation in terms of social justice, overshadowing the spiritual deliverance central to the gospel. This shift often resulted in addressing social issues without the foundational message of the gospel. [10:27]
4. German Higher Criticism: The introduction of German higher criticism challenged the traditional understanding of biblical authority, promoting a view of Scripture as a product of human communities rather than divine revelation. [17:01]
5. Cultural Accommodation: The drive for cultural relevance led to a liberalism that compromised essential Christian doctrines, prioritizing cultural acceptance over the truth of the gospel. This accommodation often resulted in a faith that lacked theological depth and conviction. [23:26]
** [23:26]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:24] - Second Great Awakening Recap
[01:03] - Frontier Expansion and Jacksonian Democracy
[01:48] - Rise of Religious Populism
[02:34] - Decline of Traditional Denominations
[03:12] - Methodism and Baptism Growth
[03:52] - Trained vs. Untrained Clergy
[04:28] - Emergence of Biblicism
[05:02] - Transition to Modernism
[05:55] - Introduction to Liberalism
[06:30] - Cultural Accommodation and Liberalism
[07:16] - Reaction to Enthusiasm
[09:14] - Social Activism and the Social Gospel
[10:27] - Walter Rauschenbusch and the Social Gospel
[12:01] - Social Issues and Gospel Eclipse
[13:23] - German Higher Criticism
[18:53] - Rise of Pietism
[20:25] - Impact of Darwinism
[21:59] - Progress and Human Goodness
[23:26] - Liberalism's Compromise
[24:42] - Conclusion and Next Steps

Sermon Clips

"You know, one of the things we've been saying all along is that Christianity in America is either a question of cultural accommodation or confessional affirmation. Well, the driving force in American culture from the 1800s to the 1840s was two primary elements – number one was the frontier." [00:00:50]

"So, the impact on that, both the frontier and Jacksonian democracy, was on a new religious populism in American Christianity. Now, what does that mean, and how do we unpack that? Well, the old denominations that dominated the seaboard, the Presbyterians, the Congregationalists, the Anglicans...well, the Anglicans had an extra burden to bear, coming off of the Revolutionary War." [00:02:25]

"The two new kids on the block were in constant growth mode. One was Methodism, which came to America in the 1790s, and it spread like wildfire across the frontier. And the other were the Baptists, and they too spread against the frontier and across the frontier. And one of the things that you begin to see among these new movements and among these new religious identities on the frontier is that many of these ministers were untrained." [00:03:06]

"liberalism is Christianity's accommodation to modernism. We've been seeing this. Remember, I mentioned to you that deism was Christianity's accommodation to the Enlightenment. This religious popularism and this sort of Biblicism and this anti-confessionalism, anti-creedalism that is just part of the American psyche, that sort of pro-enthusiastic, exuberant, expressive revivalism that is part of the American psyche, American Christian psyche, that's all part of this accommodation to frontier culture, to Jacksonian democracy." [00:06:10]

"Once again, the church is trying to have its cake and eat it too. It wants to hold on to some semblance of a Christian identity, meanwhile, be acceptable culturally. It is a fool's errand, but we need to see it and we need to see how it unfolds. It unfolds over these decades, and we can identify any number of things that contributed to it. I've identified six." [00:07:00]

"Well, sometimes you have the gospel and you preach the gospel, and then as a result of the gospel preached you get engaged and you want to address social issues, and you want to reach out from that. And as the next generation comes along, sadly, they sometimes simply forget the gospel. And instead of having the gospel and the results of the gospel being paying attention to these things, we just skip over the gospel part and go right to fixing the issues and fixing the problems." [00:09:54]

"And so the kingdom is not some eternal new heavens and new earth where we are in perfect union with the triune God. The kingdom is on this earth as we bring utopia here and equality for all and the eradication of poverty and injustice. That's the social gospel, and it comes into full flower in the 1900s. And Walter Rauschenbusch was working out all of this in Hell's Kitchen, New York." [00:11:20]

"Then much later, some scribe, maybe Ezra, pulled all those oral and written authorial strands together and called it the books of Moses. But it is not a product of Moses, but what's more, it's not a product of God. It is these religious communities or these sub-communities within the Israelite community, their reflections on God's interaction with man. In other words, the Bible is not a top-down book; it's a bottom-up book." [00:16:22]

"And so, just as there were communities, there's a Matthean community and a Markan community and a Lukan community and a Johannine community. And in the 200s, 300s, 400s, they began to elaborate on the works of Jesus and the claims of Jesus. And so, what biblical scholarship must do is sort of sort through, throw out what they sort of, they liken it to, you know, the husk around an ear of corn." [00:17:24]

"Couple that with a view of essential human goodness, and we have really an unfounded optimism. So, as we leave our past behind and we look to the bright frontiers of what the twentieth century will have to offer, it is pure optimism, it is the age of man coming into fruition. And this has two effects. Number one, progress means, by definition, newer is better." [00:21:43]

"What liberalism has to do is negotiate that. Liberalism has to accommodate that. And so, liberalism accommodates it by saying, 'It’s okay, let’s not take the Bible too seriously. It’s okay, this isn’t God’s inerrant, infallible Word to us. It’s just another pilgrim’s religious guide for us to have a religious guide. Don’t throw out the Bible, just don’t take it so seriously.'" [00:23:03]

"And didn't Jesus do the selfless thing when He died on the cross. And didn't that put a smile on God's face? And wouldn't you like to put a smile on God's face? So go out, be inspired by Jesus' example and go be selfless today. That's, my dear friends, what being a Christian is all about. See what we're doing? We're not just accommodating; we're giving it away. This is liberalism." [00:24:36]

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