WORD AT THE BEGINNING

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WORD AT THE BEGINNING

• AMERICAN PROTESTANT ORIGINS THE LIBERAL
  TRADITION

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TODAY

• Overview

• Focus on Colonial Protestantism

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Top Ten Largest Religions in the United States,
1990 (self-identification, NSRI) http//www.adher
ents.com/rel_USA.htmlreligions
Religion EstimatedAdult Pop. Estimated of Adult Pop.
Christianity 151,225,000 86.2
Nonreligious 13,116,000 7.5
Judaism 3,137,000 1.8
Agnostic 1,186,000 0.7
Islam 527,000 0.5
Unitarian Universalist 502,000 0.3
Buddhism 401,000 0.4
Hinduism 227,000 0.2
Native American Religion 47,000 0.03
Scientologist 45,000 0.03
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Largest Branches of Christianity in the U.S.
http//www.adherents.com/rel_USA.htmlreligions
Survey Response , June 1996 , March 2001 , March 2002
Protestant 53 53 52
Catholic 23 23 24
Mormon(Latter-day Saints) 2 2 2
Orthodox 1 1
Non-denominational 1 0 0
Something else (Specify) 1 2
Not practicing any religion   1 0 0
Don't know/Refused 2 3 2
TOTAL CHRISTIAN 84 82 82

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Denomination 1990 Est.Adult Pop. 2001 Est.Adult Pop. 2004 Est.Total Pop. Est. of U.S. Pop.,2001 Change1990 - 2001
Catholic 46,004,000 50,873,000 71,796,719 24.5 11
Baptist 33,964,000 33,830,000 47,744,049 16.3 0
Methodist/Wesleyan 14,174,000 14,150,000 19,969,799 6.8 0
Lutheran 9,110,000 9,580,000 13,520,189 4.6 5
Presbyterian 4,985,000 5,596,000 7,897,597 2.7 12
Pentecostal/Charismatic 3,191,000 4,407,000 6,219,569 2.1 38
Episcopalian/Anglican 3,042,000 3,451,000 4,870,373 1.7 13
Judaism 3,137,000 2,831,000 3,995,371 1.3 -10
Latter-day Saints/Mormon 2,487,000 2,697,000 3,806,258 1.3 8
Churches of Christ 1,769,000 2,593,000 3,659,483 1.2 47
Congregational/United Church of Christ 599,000 1,378,000 1,944,762 0.7
Jehovah's Witnesses 1,381,000 1,331,000 1,878,431 0.6 -4
Assemblies of God 660,000 1,106,000 1,560,890 0.5 68

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So?

1. Americans are a very religious people
2. Christianity is Americas dominant religion
3. Protestant Christianity is Americas dominant
   form of Christianity

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I. What exactly is Protestant- Christianity?

• The Religion of the Reformation

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A Christian Family Tree
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1517 An Explosion in the Catholic Church

• MARTIN LUTHER

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1530s ? CALVIN ASSUMES LEADERSHIP OF THE
REFORMATION
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CALVINISM (T-U-L-I-P)

• TOTAL Depravity human nature is deeply fallen
• UNCONDITIONAL Election Predestination God
  saves us, we dont save ourselves
• LIMITED Atonement Jesuss saving act only saves
  the Saints
• IRRESTIBLE Grace We cant resist Gods saving
  action
• PERSEVERENCE of the Saints As Saints we cannot
  lose our salvation

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HOMO CALVANICUS

• Passionate self-examination (Am I one of the
  Elect?)
• Self-Confidence (I AM one of the Elect!)
• Education (Devotion to Scripture)
• Independence (no need for King or Pope!)
• Hard Work (each job is a Calling from God)

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10 Characteristics of Protestant-Christianity

1. Strictly divide ORDINARY from EXTRAORDINARY (God
   is totally above us!)
2. Eliminate idea of CORRESPONDENCE (Nature is
   fallen and needs to be redeemed)
3. Highlight Christianitys PROPHETIC role (We must
   call publicly for reform!)

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10 Characteristics of Protestant-Christianity

• 4. SCRIPTURE ALONE (ONLY authority is the Bible
  not the Pope, not the King! passion for
  education)
• 5. JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH THROUGH GRACE (God
  saves us no person, no human institution, saves
  us)

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10 Characteristics of Protestant-Christianity

• 6. Priesthood of All Believers (Clergy are NOT
  special!)
• 7. CHURCH IS COMMUNION OF SAINTS (To belong,
  there must be some sign of conversion)
• 8. STRESS ON INDIVIDUAL OVER COMMUNITY
  (Individual conscience has priority)

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10 Characteristics of Protestant-Christianity

• 9. Unresolved debate between PREDESTINATION (let
  go and let God!) and FREE WILL (choose
  salvation today!
• 10. The Protestant Ethic (Live daily life with
  intense religious discipline)

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II. THE REFORMATION IN ENGLAND

• ANGLICANS the official Church of England

• DISSENTERS Calvinists Puritans Separatists
  Presbyterians Baptists Quakers

1642-1660 ENGLISH CIVIL WAR!
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III. Protestantism in the English Colonies
ALBANESE One (Protestant) but also Many
(different types of Protestant.
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PURITAN NEW ENGLAND

• NEW ENGLANDERS
• 1. Calvinists
• 2. Education (to study the Scriptures)
• 3. Self-confidence (we are the Saints!)
• 4. Independent-minded (We wont obey the Church
  of England!)

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IV. Protestantism the Liberal Tradition

• Freedom of Conscience
• Freedom of Speech
• Freedom of Assembly
• Freedom from State Control
• THEME PERSONAL FREEDOM

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ALBANESES ARGUMENT PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY
HELPED PROMOTE THE LIBERAL TRADITIONS FOCUS ON
PERSONA FREEDOM
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Example 1 Protestantism the Liberal Tradition

• 1750s FIRST GREAT AWAKENING

• 1770s AMERICAN REVOLUTION

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EXAMPLE 2 Protestantism the Liberal Tradition

• 1800-1850s
• enormous growth of Protestant Churches
• Most stress (1) Human FREE WILL (2)
  Responsibility to DO GODS WILL

• 1800s-1850s
• wave of SOCIAL REFORM - Especially ABOLITIONISM

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Example 3 Protestant the Liberal Tradition

• 1890s
• Rise of the SOCIAL GOSPEL MOVEMENT

• 1890s
• Progressive era Reforms

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John Winthrop, A Model of Christian Charity
(1610)
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Roger Williams, Bloudy Tenet of Persecution
(1644)
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Anne Hutchinson, Hutchinsons Trial (1637)
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Andrew White, On a Catholic Arrival in Virginia
(1634)
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Examination of Sarah Good Mary Easty (1692)