Final Flashcards
Jean-Alphonse Turretin
Son of Francis Turretin (theology was the family business)
Served as professor of Church History and professor of theology at the academy in Geneva
Valued religious feelings of love over doctrine
He wanted to wed Christianity with the enlightenment, reason and revelation
Jean-Alphonse’s Two Steps
Jean Liberalized the Academy in 2 steps
Step 1: In 1706 he was influential in abolishing Ministerial subscription to the Helvetic Consensus
Step 2: In 1725 he rid the academy of the confessional statement entirely
Helvetic Consensus
Created in 1675 to guard against doctrines coming from Saumar
Consists of a preface and 25 Canons. Showed the difference between Calvinism and other views
All teachers and preachers in Geneva were required to affirm the confession. Ministerial subscription ended in 1706 and teaching subscription ended in 1725
Principium
Latin word for foundation/first principle
Principium of the Reformation: Revelation
Principium of the Romanticism: Human Emotion
Principium of the Enlightenment: Reason
The Passion of the Western Mind
4 Characteristics
- Impersonal universe
- Material world
- Science as the preeminent source of authority
- Radical independence
Rationalism
Comes from the word Ratio (Latin: reason)
Descartes, Spinoza, and Kant
The Human mind is the principium for knowledge, it is how we know ourselves and God
The pursuit of knowledge through the pathway of reason
Rene Descartes
Father of modern philosophy
Born in France
Wrote Discourse on Method (1637)
Baruch Spinoza
Rejected that God is a personal Being as well as the Creator-creature distinction (his god was pantheistic)
Deus Sive Natura was his mantra
Wrote Theological-Political Treaty
Died at 44 of tuberculosis
Deus Sive Natura
(Latin: God or Nature)
Mantra of Baruch Spinoza that rejects the Creator-creature distinction
States that God and nature are the same thing
Theological Political Treaty
Argues that the universal laws of science are the decrees of God
Denies many Christian doctrines
Miracles are impossible, for God would not break His own laws
Distinguishes between truth and meaning:
Truth: love of God and neighbor
Meaning: expression of truth in a cultural reality
Empiricism
We have no source knowledge of anything, we gain knowledge from sense experience. Experience is the principium
John Locke is the classic empiricist
Forms the basis for the scientific method
John Locke
Quintessential empiricist
Coined the tabula rasa (Latin: blank slate) theory
Massively influential; his work has influenced Voltaire, Rousseau, American revolutionaries, and many others
Wrote Essay Concerning Human Understanding
Student of John Owen
Two Treatises of Government
A set of two treatises by John Locke
The first treatise is an extended attack on the divine right of monarchy
Within the second treatise, Locke develops the idea of the state of nature. Locke also continues to discuss government, property, and the right of revolution
Tabula Rasa
Coined by John Locke, (Latin: blank slate)
One of the building blocks of empiricism
Refers to man’s state of knowing nothing when he comes into the world
Essay Concerning Human Understanding
Written by John Locke, within, he puts forth the concept of the Tabula Rasa
Split into four books
This work influenced David Hume and George Berkeley
David Hume
Scottish Enlightenment Philosopher
Denied that humans have an actual conception of the self, instead, we are just a bundle of sensations
Wrote A Treatise of Human Nature and Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
Roman Catholicism Comes to America
The original discoverer of America, Columbus, brought Roman Catholicism to America. He brought priests and friars to convert natives, but they did not act well
Catholicism was strong in Quebec and South America
The imposition of a homogenous civilization religion helped keep Spanish territories safe. This contributed to a stable religious foundation for R.C.
Anglicism in America
Anglicanism was the official church of Jamestown
The lack of local Anglican ecclesiastical oversight hindered the growth of the church
The aristocracy took a greater role in the affairs of the church in American Anglicanism. They established lay commissaries to fill the role of bishops
Puritans and Congregationalists in America
The Puritan congregationalists had the most influence of any religious group in America
The first group of puritans arrived in America on the Mayflower in 1620 and settled in Plymouth. Only 50 settlers survived the first winter
The congregationalists recognized the authority of King James. They organized themselves according to the Mayflower compact
Massachusetts Bay Colony
Became the center of Puritanism in the Colonies
First governor was John Winthrop
Formed by a charter granted from King Charles 1st
Plymouth Colony
Founded in 1620 at a location surveyed by John Smith
Eventually merged with the Massachusetts bay Colony in 1691
The settlers were seperatist puritans who had left Anglicism
Jamestown
The first permanent English Settlement in the America’s
The colonists experienced severe drought and disease the first several years
The first Anglican Eucharist in America was celebrated in Jamestown
Presbyterians in America
Scottish and Irish Presbyterians emigrated to America, settling in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Long Island
The first presbytery was established in Philly
Presbyterians would split over the old side/new side controversy and the old school/ new school controversy
Baptists in America
Believed in the autonomy of the local church, but it is only obtained through baptism (immersion) and confession of faith
The first baptist church in America was in Providence, Rhode Island in 1639 by Roger Williams
Were divided between general (unlimited atonement) and particular (limited atonement) baptists
The Plymouth Congregationalists
Originally planned to be part of the colony in Virginia, but they landed much further north due to weather conditions
Only 50 out of 101 survived the first winter
What makes them unique is that, while recognizing the authority of the king of England, they wanted to organize themselves as well
They wrote the Mayflower Compact (1620)
The Mayflower Compact (1620)
Written by the Plymouth Congregationalists
Unequivocally recognized the divine right of the king
Desired a form of religious freedom
Developed a civil body politic based on just and equal laws
Built a society that was based on a mutually held covenant before God and one another, binding them together as a religious and civil covenant community
Quakers
George Fox
Tried to establish colonies in Massachusetts to no avail
Despite this, the Society of Friends found safe haven in Pennsylvania under the leadership of William Penn, a student of John Owen’s
God puts in every person a portion of inner life, making one to quake in awe
Emphasizes an internal and immediate experience of God, deemphasizing experiencing God in the Scripture
Refused any form of prescribed worship
Pacifists
William Bradford
Leader in the migration to New England
Elected governor of the Plymouth colony
Puritan
Wrote Of Plymouth Plantation (1650)
John Winthrop
Lawyer
Puritan
Elected as governor and later deputy governor of the Massachusetts Bay colony
Saw New England as a city on a hill; the world is watching to see what God is up to in America
Roger Williams
Separatist, contrarian, founder of Providence, Rhode Island
The most controversial man of the early American experiment
One of the earliest proponents of religious liberty, even implying the legitimacy of other religions
“Christening makes not Christians”
William Penn
Son of a famous British admiral
Ardent and devout Quaker
Founder of Pennsylvania
Cotton Mather
Son of Increase Mather
One of the most important intellectuals in early America
Played a significant role in the Salem Witch Trials
Most famously known for his book Magnalia Christi Americana (1702)
Magnalia Christi Americana (1702)
The Glorious Works of Christ in America
Written by Cotton Mather
Builds on Bradford, again using Mosaic imagery
Laments that no memoir or biography was written on John Owen when he died
The Salem Witch Trials
200 people were tried, 30 women and 6 men were executed
Mather denounced the way the trials were handled (spectral evidence)
Brought the superstition of the Puritans into focus
Half-Way Covenant
Allowed nominal Christians (baptized and of good behaviour) to present their children for baptism, regardless of the child’s or the parent’s faith
Was instituted by ministers in Massachusetts in order to ensure the survival of the Church
Over time, baptism wasn’t enough, and so they opened up the table under certain circumstances to leverage people into the physical church
Raised the question of nominalism among the Puritans
City on a Hill vs Holy Experiment
Question of competing visions for America’s future
Winthrop’s Christian society vs greater diversity of religious practice in a new land
Penn’s vision won out over Winthrop’s over time
Diversity and nominalism were rife and developed over the next 200+ years into the modern day
Jonathan Edwards
Became the sole pastor of Stoddard’s megachurch at 25
Started the Great Awakening
Saw revival as a surprising work of God through the common means of grace
Was a missionary to the Mohawk and Mohican tribes
John Wesley
Founder of Methodism
Brother of Charles Wesley, famous hymn writer
“The world is my parish”
Carefully revised Arminianism
Focused on four quadrants: Scripture Reason Tradition Experience
The heart of Wesley’s theology rests in Christian experience
Principles of a Methodist (1740)
Francis Makemie
Reputed founder of American Presbyterianism
Became the first central figure of the Presybterian experience in America
Created the first Presbytery in America in 1706
Wrote A Narrative of a New and Unusual Imprisonment
Robert Cross
Minister who was caught and confessed to fornication
Barred from the pulpit for only 4 Sundays
This event helped trigger the Adoption Act (1729)
The Adoption Act (1729)
George Gallesby and John Thompson were for strict subscription to Westminster whereas Jonathan Dickinson was opposed, saying it wasn’t enough to provide moral reform
Thompson: a church without a confession is a city without walls
Dickinson: for the analyzation of religious experience
The Adoption Act was framed by Dickinson and was distinguished by the inclusion of essential and non-essential elements within Westminster; however, these were never defined
William Tennent Sr.
Developed the Log College
Provided a template for pro-Awakening Presbyterians
Emphasized Westminster theology, true piety, and ministerial practices in accordance with the Great Awakening
Created the New Side/Old Side split
Old Side/New Side Split
Old Side was suspicious of the Great Awakening, complaining that Tennent and Whitefield were putting people against their pastors who were against the Awakening
Claimed that New Side ministers were preaching out of bounds without a license and brought about a low view of education and subscription
Old Side:
Suspicious of the Awakening
Westminster is the standard
New Side:
Embraced the Awakening
Personal piety and experience is the standard
New Side was eventually forced to withdraw and form a new synod in New York
Gilbert Tennent
Very defensive of his father, William Tennent Sr.
The Synod of Philadelphia censured him
Preached one of the most infamous sermons in American history, The Danger of an Unconverted Ministry
(called Old Side Pharisees and dead dogs)
The College of New Jersey
New Side college, but soon welcomed Old Side as well, becoming the premier Presbyterian college
Dickinson was the first president
Affirmed Westminster theology
Encouraged personal piety
Trained men along the lines of the Great Awakening
Witherspoon turned the college from a seminary to a place to train revolutionary leaders
John Witherspoon
Transformed the College of New Jersey
Introduced Common Sense Realism
Was a major player in the formation of the first general assembly in 1789 (nearly a third of the delegates were his former students)
The Plan of Union (1801)
Established churches wanted to expand their denominations to the West, the great unknown of the time
Was a brief teaming up of Presbyterians with Congregationalists
Drawn up by Edwards
4 Concrete Provisions:
Missionaries on the frontier were to strive to evangelize the West
Pastors from both denominations could serve in either congregation
A congregationalist could go to the presbytery of a bad minister or form their own defacto committee to judge the situation
A congregationalist elder could participate as a ruling elder at a presbytery
Cane Ridge Revival (1801)
Often called the Second Great Awakening
Took place in Kentucky
Barton W. Stone was the main guy
Charles Finney
Was the Edwards of the Second Great Awakening
Saw revivals as a result of new measures rather than a surprising work of God through ordinary means
Rejected Westminster
Old School/New School Schism
Was the controversy surrounding the Second Great Awakening
Mostly had to do with Finney’s approach and social justice (slavery)
Carried into the Civil War where 4 factions were formed (OS/NS North/South)
Immanuel Kant
Radically changed the fields of philosophy, theology, and ethics
Was the quintessential thinker of the Enlightenment
Wrote Critique of Pure Reason
Creates the categories of the Noumena and Phenomena
The Enlightenment
Was a declaration of epistemological independence
Founded upon the self rather than revelation
It’s motto was “Dare to think!”
Had 3 branches:
Reason: Rationalism (Descartes)
Experience: Empiricism (Hume & Locke)
Feeling: Romanticism (Schleiermacher)
Friederich Schleiermacher
Was the father of theological liberalism
Romanticized Christianity, making it all about feeling
Took reformed terms and radically redefined them (sin is “the absence of God-consciousness”)
Wrote The Christian Faith
Urbildlichkeit und Vorbildlichkeit
Urbildlichkeit: The ideal/standard embodiment of human God-consciousness
Vorbildlichkeit: Jesus’ ability to evoke within us an understanding/feeling of our need for God-consciousness
This reveals that Schleiermacher is Christomorphic rather than Christocentric
George Hegel
Educated at Tubingen, Germany
Developed a triadic logic that synthesized knowledge, opening up a new door to interpret history
Combines a thesis and antithesis to make a synthesis; this synthesis then becomes a thesis in itself and the cycle continues
Tried to combine Empiricism with Rationalism, much like Kant
Ferdinand Baur
Adopted Hegel’s triadic thought to explain the development of Christianity
Divides Peter and Paul’s notions of Christianity opening the door for radical biblical reinterpretation
Taught David Strauss
David Strauss
Was a disciple of Baur
Wrote Life of Jesus
Denies the historicity of the Gospels, portraying them more as a myth
Albert Schweitzer
1875-1965
Continued Strauss’ teaching
Wrote Quest of the Historical Jesus
Adolf von Harnack
Historian of the Early Church
Believed Paul made things overly complicated, wanted to return to simple Christianity
Wrote What Is Christianity?
Karl Barth
Most significant theologian of the 20th century
Retains the commitments of Kant while differing in liberalism’s conclusions
Wrote The Epistle to the Romans (1919/1922), which blew up the theological playground at the time, calling people to quit fighting over dates and authorship and to actually learn from the text and be moved by it
Also wrote The Word of God and the Word of Man (1928), the Barmen Declaration (1934), and Church Dogmatics (1932-1968)
What Is Christianity? (1901)
Written by Harnack
Argues that Christianity is not doctrine, but a way of life
Says Jesus taught 3 things:
The Kingdom of God
The Universal Fatherhood of God and Brotherhood of Man
The Kingdom of God represents an Ethic of Love
Neo-Orthodoxy
Also known as Dialectical Theology
Follows Hegelian thought
Lead by Barth
Stood against the scholasticism of the post-Reformation and 19th century protestant liberalism
Church Dogmatics (1932-1968)
Barth’s magnum opus
Over 10,000 pages long
Covers 4 categories:
Revelation
God
Creation
Reconciliation
