edwards enlightenment and deism: rationalism in 18 th century america
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Edwards Enlightenment and Deism: Rationalism in 18 th Century America. “From the Reformation to the Constitution” Bill Petro your friendly neighborhood historian. billpetro.com/v7pc. Objectives By the end of this session you should be able to. Effects of the Great Awakening - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
02/14/2010 1
EdwardsEnlightenment and Deism:
Rationalism in 18th Century America
“From the Reformation to the Constitution”
Bill Petro
your friendly neighborhood historian
billpetro.com/v7pc
02/14/2010 2
ObjectivesBy the end of this session you should be able to
• Effects of the Great Awakening
• Trace the rise of the Enlightenment
• Identify the key players in the Enlightenment
• Discuss Deism and Unitarianism
• Identify the political theory of John Locke and its
influence on the Founding Fathers
02/14/2010 3
American Church History
Colonial National Modern
1787 1865
Calvinism ArminianismBiblistic Rationalism
LiberalismSubjectivismExistentialism
Theocentrism Anthropocentrism Liberalism
02/14/2010 4
Effects of the Great Awakening
• 80% of Americans unified in common understanding of Christian life and faith
• Dissent/dissenters enjoyed greater respect: Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians
• Emphasis on education: Univ. of Penn, UNC
02/14/2010 5
Effects of the Great Awakening, cont
• Preaching to Indians and Slaves
• Reinterpreted Covenant: man’s response
• Dissolution of Theocracy: disestablishment in VA & NC, democratization
• Breakdown in theological consensus: New/Old Lights
02/14/2010 6
Summary of the Great Awakening
• Increase of new members: 30-40,000
• Increase of new churches: 1740-60: 150 congs.
• Increase in students to prepare for the ministry
• Increase in new denominations: Bapt. & Methodists
• New stress on Missions
• Aided in beginning the American Revolution
02/14/2010 7
Colleges• 1636: Harvard – Puritans, to train clergy• 1701: Yale – “to train men to preach the Gospel• 1749: College of Phila – U. of Penn (revival hall)• 1762: Queens – became Rutgers• 1726: College of New Jersey – Princeton• Moore’s Indian Charity Training College – to train
Indians, moved to Dartmouth• College of R.I. (Baptist) – Brown• Kings College of N.Y. – Colombia, to train Indians
All Ivy League Colleges (except Cornell) were to train men for the ministry
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“Denominationalism”
• Primary expression of American Christianity, post 1740’s
• Based, in part, on freedom to differ
• Denomination vs. Sect
• Inclusive vs. Exclusive
• The true church cannot be identified with any single ecclesiastical structure
• Seed planted by Reformers: not of bishops but of believers
• Architected by Congregationalists at Westminster Assembly
02/14/2010 10
1-Word Summary
• Pilgrims Separatists
• Puritans Saints
• Denominations Inclusive
• Whitefield Dramatic
• Wesley Methodism
• Edwards Glory
• Great Awakening Fire
02/14/2010 11
Emotional - Intellectual
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Enlightenment
• Post-Reformation
• Rebellion against it in the guise of intellectualism,
empiricism that really denied the faith of the
Reformation
• “Reality is what I observe with my own senses”
02/14/2010 13
Immanuel Kant
• Professor of Logic,
Koniegsburg, Prussia
• Critique of Pure Reason
• Critique of Practical Reason
• Religion reduced to moral acts,
revising the Reformation
• God no longer active
• Man must reach out to God
02/14/2010 14
Approaches to Authority and the Enlightenment Reformation
16 & 17th centuryEnlightenment18th century
Aut
horit
yS
alva
tion
Roman Catholicism Protestantism Rationalism
God
Church
Man
Holy Church
AuthoritarianismPope and Councils
Holy Bible
Creeds(Secondary)
Human Reason
PhilosophicalSystems
God
Christ
Man
God
Man
02/14/2010 15
From Revelation to Reason
Rev
elat
ion
Tra
dit
ion
Rea
son
Past: InfancyPresent: Adulthood
Rej
ecte
dIn
Ref
orm
atio
n
Rej
ecte
dIn
Enl
ight
enm
ent
Sol
e A
utho
rity
External Authority Innate Authority
Irrationality (Myth Makers)Traditional Religion (superstition)
ReasonRational Religion
Progression
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19th Century features
• Moralism
• Optimism: logical positivism
• Pelagianism
• Closed System Universe
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Isaac Newton
• Principia Mathematica
• Implicit: man has ability to discover secrets of the universe, control destiny
• Narrowing gulf between God and man
• Effect: corrosive effect on Calvinistic orthodoxy, more rational, less emotional
02/14/2010 20
Deism
• A system of belief that a transcendent God left his creation to be governed by Natural Laws discernable by reason.
• “God is absentee”
• No miracles, no revelation, no God-man
• Jesus as Moral Teacher
• Bible as guidebook for ethical life, virtue, piety
02/14/2010 21
Deism: Origin• Science: universe operated on fixed principles,
hence, is a machine operating by fixed natural laws– Copernicus, Galileo (helio-centricism), Newton (gravity)
• Philosophy: if universe runs on fixed laws,then the universe can be known by Reason, without Revelation– Francis Bacon – Inductive method (observe vs. authority)
• Theology: man can start with himself and find truth apart from any help– Descartes: “I think, therefore I am” (mathematical laws)
02/14/2010 23
Deism: Results
• Contributed to the concept that: if a ruler failed in
responsibility, the people could revolt
– Root of American Revolution
• Developed the concept of man’s goodness
• Developed theory on destructive criticism of Bible
02/14/2010 24
Unitarianism
• Strict monotheism (not Trinitarianism)
• Deny Christ’s two natures (deity)
• Christ’s death was only to be an example of
true devotion to God
• Deny election and future punishment
• Key to Life: love toward God’s fellow man
02/14/2010 25
Unitarianism: Origin 1755-1805
• Rose out of practical experience of the people
Wealthy wanted autonomy
• Moneyed classes tended to Nationalism
• Anti-revivalistic attitude
– King’s Church – 1st church to go Unitarian 1782
02/14/2010 26
Orthodoxy, Unitarianism, and Deism
Source of Truth
God
Medium of Revelation
Person of Christ
Nature of Sin
Atonement
ReformationEmpiricismRationalism
Theistic;Plural, personal
Supernatural,Natural
God/Man
Derived & Personal depravity;Moral inability
Penal
EmpiricismRationalism
Theistic;Single, transcendent
Natural
Exemplary Man
Personal depravityMoral ability
(none)
Orthodoxy Unitarianism Deism
EmpiricismRationalismReformation
Theistic;Single, personal
Natural,Supernatural
Archetypal Man
Personal depravityMoral ability
Exemplary
02/14/2010 27
John Locke
• 1632-1704
• Political philosopher
• Argued for the
“reasonableness” of
Christianity
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Letter Concerning Toleration
• Became a “Bible” in the
18th Century
• “Reasonableness” of
Christianity
02/14/2010 29
1-Word Summary
• Pilgrims Separatists• Puritans Saints• Denominations Inclusive• Whitefield Dramatic• Wesley Methodism• Edwards Glory• Great Awakening Fire• Enlightenment Rationalism• Deism Mechanistic