25 October 2005

Modern Church History

A. CHURCH AND STATE

1. Church and State as separate entities ( USA)

2. Magisterial (State) Church

Germany, England and Scandinavia

The Government has to approve of all appointments of Church leaders.

Toleration of all other denominations

B. THEOLOGY

1. Liberal Theology

a) Rise (1865-1919)

i) Universal fatherhood of God

ii) Brotherhood of men

iii) Human beings will progress till it reached the ideal state

b) Decline (1919-1950)

i) WWI (1914-1918)

ii) Great Depression 1929

iii) Neo-Orthodox theology

2. Neo-Orthodoxy

a) Other names

i) The theology of crisis

ii) Existential theology

b) Proponent of Existential theology- Soren Kierkegard (Danish theologian)

i) Failure in marriage

ii) Disappointment with the Lutheran Church of Denmark

iii) Proposed idea of a transcendental God

iv) “Leap of faith”

c) Influence of Karl Barth – (Swiss Theologian 1886-1968)

i) Inadequacy of liberal theology

ii) Needs of his parishioners

iii) Turned to John Calvin’s writings

iv) Evolved his own ideas

v) The Bible “becomes” relevant in and through moments of crisis

vi) God is uninterested in human affairs because He is transcendent

3. Radical Theologies

a) God-is-dead Theology

i) God ceased to exist in practice

ii) He is dead historically because He seems to be irrelevant in the secular world

iii) Secularization led to the demise of God

b) Theology of Hope

i) Focus on future action of God in history rather than past revelation

ii) Future deliverance from God

c) Process Theology

i) Evolutionary inclinations

ii) Empiricism

d) Liberation Theology ( Latin America)

i) Radical Black theology

ii) Feminist theology

iii) Commences with commitment to the liberation of the oppressed

iv) Salvation is social, economic, and political

v) Revolution is the means to achieving the goals

These radical theologies have proven to be short-lived affairs.

ECUMENISM

1. Commencement- 19 th Century

2. Stages

a) Non-denominational and Inter-denominational cooperation 19 th century

b) Organic reunion of like and unlike denominations 20 th century

c) National and international scale 20 th century

EVANGELICALISM

1. Roots in Puritanism (17 th century England

2. Evangelical scholars opposed liberal theology

a) J. Gresham Machen

b) B.B. Warfield

3. Points of contention

a) Biblical inerrancy in the original documents

b) Virgin Birth of Christ

c) Miracles