Podcast: Play in new window | Download

San Francisco Examiner, July 22, 1925

As we conclude this series in modern church history, we examine the intellectual challenges that confronted the church in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  Perhaps the most obvious of these was the rapid progress of scientific discovery – things like James Hutton’s work in geology (radically redefining the age of the universe) and Darwin’s theory of evolution.  And indeed these and other ideas provoked a wide variety of responses (perhaps the most famous of which was the “Scope’s Monkey Trial” of 1925).  But the greater (at least perceived) threat came from the European higher critics.  It was their questioning of the reliability of scripture with regard to theological matters that rocked the orthodox establishment.  

One response to the higher critics was the adoption of five essential tenets of the biblical faith, quickly expounded upon in a series of 90 pamphlets titled The Fundamentals.  Thoughtfully written, they circulated widely and those who shared their views came to be known as Fundamentalists (a term that has since, unfortunately, become a pejorative description of an anti-intellecutal conservatism).

These debates, of course, remain alive and well in the church at the turn of the 21st century.  Even now state school boards debate whether creation science must be included in text books.  And groups like The Jesus Seminar continue the project of the higher criticism.  

Perhaps by knowing more of our past we will be able to make the most of our contribution to the community of faith and the mission of God in the world…?

NOTE:  In the podcast I make reference to a lecture by Prof. Nate Feldmeth of Fuller Theological Seminary.  The .mp3 of the lecture is available here.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

It would be nearly impossible to overestimate the impact of John and Charles Wesley on contemporary American Protestantism.  From the hymns we sing, to the small groups we attend, to the empowerment of the laity to teach and preach, to the eventual ordination of women into professional ministry, the Wesleys – and the Methodist tradition which they formed – have profoundly shaped the way Christianity is understood and practiced.

In this episode we examine these unlikely leaders – the forces that shaped them and how they came to exert such a dramatic influence on the church.  We’ll look at their formative years under the tutelage of their mother, Susanna, their time at Oxford, the formation of “the Holy Club,” the impact of the Moravians, and how these experiences led them to create a system – a “method” – that could be easily replicated in nearly any context.  If you’ve ever attended a lay-led discipleship group or felt the need to cite the exact moment of your “conversion,” you have felt the influence of these two brothers.  

Also, in the podcast introduction, I make reference to a new movement coming out of the Church of England – a vision of ministry known as Fresh Expressions.  I just attended the first Fresh Expressions conference in N. America and was tremendously impressed!  More on that in future episodes, but if you’d like to know more, click here to visit the official Fresh Expressions website.  And I highly recommend reading the group’s report to the Church of England titled Mission-Shaped Church.  It’s available in print from your favorite bookstore.  But you can also download a PDF copy for free by clicking here.  (And unlike many reports, this one is actually an enjoyable and encouraging read!)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The religious zeal that marked the first Puritan colonies was destined to wane.  As new generations were born, and new waves of settlers arrived, new priorities and visions of the good life began to take shape.  Many professed a Christian faith and had connection to the church, but not with the same rigor as those at who first landed at Plymouth or Massachusetts Bay.  This growing secularization caused great distress for church leaders, and thus the early 18th century saw the first calls for a return to the faith – the call for “revival.”  In this episode we examine this particularly American dimension of Protestantism – the revival – and how it shapes our experience even today.   We’ll look at famous personalities such as Jonathan Edwards and George Whitfiled, as well as the movement they inspired, known as The First Great Awakening.