Christian HistoryChristian History

Lesson 4Lesson 4

The Age of Reason and PietyThe Age of Reason and Piety

Faith and Reason Faith and Reason through Historythrough History

Apostolic and Ancient ChristianityApostolic and Ancient Christianity

• Col 2:8Col 2:8 “Beware lest anyone cheat you “Beware lest anyone cheat you

through philosophy and empty deceit, through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according according to the tradition of men, according to the principles of the world, and not to the principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”according to Christ.”

• On the prescription of hereticsOn the prescription of heretics “What indeed “What indeed has Athens to do with Jerusalem? What has Athens to do with Jerusalem? What concord is there between the Academy and concord is there between the Academy and the Church?...we want no curious disputation the Church?...we want no curious disputation after possessing Christ Jesus,…With our faith, after possessing Christ Jesus,…With our faith, we desire no further belief”we desire no further belief”

Faith and Reason Faith and Reason through Historythrough History

The Middle Ages

• Summa 1.32 “…by natural reason we can know of God that only which of necessity belongs to Him as the principle of things…by natural reason we can know what belongs to the unity of the essence, but not what belongs to the distinction of the persons…”

• “Whoever, then, tries to prove the trinity of persons by natural reason, derogates from faith in two ways. Firstly, as regards the dignity of faith itself, which consists in its being concerned with invisible things…when anyone in the endeavor to prove the faith brings forward reasons which are not cogent, he falls under the ridicule of the unbelievers”

Faith and Reason Faith and Reason through Historythrough History

The Renaissance and ReformationThe Renaissance and Reformation

• Luther’s commentary on GalatiansLuther’s commentary on Galatians, “Let , “Let your faith supplant reason…faith won the your faith supplant reason…faith won the victory and routed reason, that ugly beast victory and routed reason, that ugly beast and enemy of God…”and enemy of God…”

• ““It is a quality of faith that it wrings the It is a quality of faith that it wrings the neck of reason…it holds to God’s Word, neck of reason…it holds to God’s Word, and lets it be right and true, no matter and lets it be right and true, no matter how foolish and impossible it sounds”how foolish and impossible it sounds”

The Age of EnlightenmentThe Age of Enlightenment

Rene Descartes (1596-Rene Descartes (1596-1650)1650)““I think, therefore I am”I think, therefore I am”

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)““Dare to think for Yourself”Dare to think for Yourself”

Voltaire (1694-1778)Voltaire (1694-1778)““Destroy the Infamous thing!”Destroy the Infamous thing!”

Blaise Pascal1623-1662

• One of the great minds One of the great minds of the west, an of the west, an accomplished accomplished mathematician, mathematician, physicist, inventor, and physicist, inventor, and writer.writer.

• His work “Provincial His work “Provincial Letters” defended the Letters” defended the Jansenists and parodied Jansenists and parodied the Jesuits doctrines.the Jesuits doctrines.

• His literary work is His literary work is considered his greatest considered his greatest contribution to French contribution to French culture.culture.

“The heart has its reasons that are unknown to reason”

The year of grace, 1654: Monday, The year of grace, 1654: Monday, November 23, day of St. Clement, pope November 23, day of St. Clement, pope and martyr, and others in the martyrology. and martyr, and others in the martyrology. Vigil of St. Chrysogonus, martyr, and Vigil of St. Chrysogonus, martyr, and others from about half past ten in the others from about half past ten in the evening to about half past midnight. Fire. evening to about half past midnight. Fire. God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, not of the philosophers and the Jacob, not of the philosophers and the scientists, certitude, certitude. Emotion. scientists, certitude, certitude. Emotion. Joy. Peace. God of Jesus Christ.Joy. Peace. God of Jesus Christ.

Pascal’s WagerPensess

God is, or He is not." But to which side shall we incline? Reason can decide nothing here. There is an infinite chaos which separated us. A game is being played at the extremity of this infinite distance where heads or tails will turn up. What will you wager? According to reason, you can do neither the one thing nor the other; according to reason, you can defend neither of the propositions.

PietismPietism“the internal evidence”“the internal evidence”

• its roots in Puritanism, it was a protest movement within the Lutheran Church

• Birth of Pietism came after the end of the Thirty Years War (1618-1648)

• Stressed personal renewal, regeneration, and a vigorous Christian life.

• Philipp Jakob Spener(1635-1705), the “father of Pietism”

• Johann Arndt “True Christianity” (1606)

Count von ZinzendorfCount von Zinzendorf1700-17601700-1760

• A Saxon Nobleman A Saxon Nobleman raised with strong raised with strong Pietist influencesPietist influences

• Attended the Attended the University of University of Wittenberg 200 years Wittenberg 200 years after the 95 thesisafter the 95 thesis

• Took a “Grand Tour” Took a “Grand Tour” of Europe as part of of Europe as part of his educationhis education

Count von ZinzendorfCount von Zinzendorf1700-17601700-1760

• True conversion ca. 1719• Helped establish the

Moravian community of Herrnhut

• Under his leadership the Moravian Church Flourished

• Missionaries Leonard Dober and David Nitchmann to St Thomas

““Ecce homo”Ecce homo”Domenico FetiDomenico Feti

John WesleyJohn Wesley1703-17911703-1791

• Born in the Epworth rectory, Born in the Epworth rectory, his father was a priest in the his father was a priest in the Church of EnglandChurch of England

• In Oxford formed the “Holy In Oxford formed the “Holy Club”(1729)Club”(1729)

• John and Charles serve as John and Charles serve as chaplains for the colony of chaplains for the colony of Georgia(1735)Georgia(1735)

In the midst of the psalm wherewith their service began, the sea broke over, split the mainsail in pieces, covered the ship, and poured in between the decks, as if the great deep had already swallowed us up. A terrible screaming began among the English. The Germans calmly sang on. I asked one of them afterward, “Were you not afraid?” He answered, “I thank God, no.” I asked, “But were not your women and children afraid?” He replied, mildly, “No; our women and children are not afraid to die.”

In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death. (1738)

• Encouraged and introduced “open air preaching” to John and Charles Wesley

• Made several trips to America, instrumental in the awakenings in England and America

• Split with Wesley over the doctrine of universal redemption.

“…“…now I deliver my soul, by telling you now I deliver my soul, by telling you that I think in this you greatly err.”that I think in this you greatly err.”

George WhitefieldGeorge Whitefield1714-17701714-1770

“To promote, as far as I am able, vital, practical religion, and by the Grace of God, beget, preserve, and increase the life of God in the soul of men”

• Faith alone

• Working by love

• Leading to holiness

John Wesley’s purpose and TheologyJohn Wesley’s purpose and Theology

• The Rationalism of the Age of Enlightenment countered traditional Christianity

• The Evangelical revival brought about a personal, emotional faith that called for a complete Christian.

• Beginnings of foreign missions.

• Revival in America and England.

In ConclusionIn Conclusion