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...
Category: Next Steps into Church History: Reformation to Present
Church Hist. (Modern), Part 4: The Wesleys and American Pietism
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...
Church Hist. (Modern), Part 3: Revivalism and the First Great Awakening
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...