18 October 2005

Modern Church History

1. Rationalism

(17 th-18 th Centuries)

a) Emphasis on “Reason”

b) Emphasis on “The Scientific Method”

c) Rejection of “traditions”

d) Empiricism

e) Deism (“a religion of reason”)

i) Religion as “natural”

ii) Fixed universal laws

iii) Man’s senses rather than revelation

iv) Exaltation of man’s ability to reason

v) Concept of an “absentee God”

vi) No written revelation

vii) No place for miracles, prophecy etc

viii) Christ was only a moral teacher

ix) The Bible is only an ethical guidebook

Spread of Deism

1. Countries

a) England

b) France

c) The European continent

2. Means

a) Prominent scholars

b) Publications

EVEN MORE DEADLY FOES

(19 th -20 th Centuries)

1. Radical Criticism of the Scriptures

a) The Bible is only a human work

b) Natural evolution of religion

c) Rejection of all supernatural explanations

d) Inspiration of the Holy Spirit set aside

e) Man’s religious starting point is his own moral nature! (Immanuel Kant)

f) Key

2. Materialism

The social gospel (Walter Rauschenbusch)

a) Emphasis on “the material values of a high standard of living”

b) The focus is on life in this world

3. Evolution

a) Man is not a creation of God