Lakeside Institute of Theology Ross Arnold, Summer 2013 August 23, 2013 – Modern Times

Church History 2 (TH2) 1.Intro – Forces Leading to Reformation 2.Reformation Begins – Luther 3.Other Reformers – Zwingli, Anabaptists, Calvin, Knox 4.Growth of Protestantism 5.Catholicism & Counter-Reformation 6.Orthodoxy, Rationalism and Pietism 7.Beyond Christendom 8.Materialism & Modern Times; Final Exam

Catholicism and Modern Times The Papacy and the French Revolution ( ) The 18 th century French move towards ever increasing liberalism and rationalism – which led to the French Revolution – was strongly opposed by the Catholic Church & Pope Pius VI ( ) – the French army took Rome, declared it a republic and said the pope was no longer temporal ruler of the city. Pius VI died one year later, a virtual prisoner, and the cardinals gathered in Austria to elect a successor – after taking power Napoleon saw no reason to fight the Church and Pius VII was reinstated in Rome. In 1804 Pius went to Paris to crown Napoleon emperor – though he chose instead to crown himself the Napoleonic French army invaded Italy and took Rome, again making the pope a prisoner, until Napoleon fell. After his release, Pius VII and his successors repeatedly tried to block Catholic support for all republican & democratic ideas.

Catholic Temporal vs. Religious Power Pius IX ( ) had the longest pontificate in history, during which time the popes lost virtually all temporal power. Pius IX tried to rule as an absolute monarch, despite Rome having been officially declared a Republic in the 1848 revolution. As papal power waned, Pius responded and moved to compensate with a sweeping effort to increase religious power: 1854 – Pius declares dogma of the Immaculate Conception – in Syllabus of Errors Pius openly rejects separation of church and state, freedom of worship and religion, freedom of the press, public schools, applying civil law to the Church, etc – First Vatican Council established papal infallibility. On September 20, 1870, troops of the new Kingdom of Italy took the Papal States over the pope’s protests, marking the end of all temporal power for the papacy. The pope’s sovereignty was now limited to the few palaces Italy allowed the Church to keep. Much later (1929) Italy acknowledged the Vatican as a sovereign state under the pope, and paid compensation for other confiscated properties.

Modernity and the Christian Message From the Enlightenment ( ) on is the period known as “Modernity” – characterized by optimism and a belief in the potential for human perfection through science and reason. A positive aspect of this for Christianity was that this optimism led to the modern missionary movement and the formation of international mission societies, especially in the 1700s. It also resulted in the international ecumenical movement in the 19 th century – “ecumenical” meaning “pertaining to the entire inhabited earth.” It was a belief that all Christians share more in common than they have in differences, and that all Christians and Christian churches can work together for the good of the kingdom and for missionary efforts. This led to the very important first World Missionary Council in 1910 in Edinburgh, Scotland, which in turn was highly responsible for the founding of the World Council of Churches in 1948.

John XXIII & the Second Vatican Council In October 1958 Cardinal Roncali was elected pope, becoming John XXIII. At 77 years old, most through John XXIII was an interim pope until they could elect someone else. Three months after election John announced plans to call an ecumenical council, with the stated goal of “updating” the Church and “letting fresh air in” – despite opposition. The Second Vatican Council convened on October 11, For the first time in major Catholic event, the majority (54%) of the delegates were from OUTSIDE Western Europe, Canada and the U.S. It quickly became apparent the majority of those assembly wanted to see vast changes in the Church. John XXIII died in June 1963, but the Council continued under Paul VI until November The results were major revisions to Church polity which were much more progressive than previous – “building a bridge between the Church and the modern world” – especially related to making the Church and its worship more accessible.

European Protestantism in Crisis When European Protestant theology met rationalism the result was a liberal Protestantism that was ill-equipped to confront the social demands and events of the modern world. There was a decided increase in skepticism and secularism – especially in places that had been strongholds of Protestant belief – Germany, Scandinavia and Great Britain. (The coming of the “post-Christian” world.) With the rise of Hitler many European Protestants (and many Catholics who feared Communism more than Fascism) initially supported the principles espoused by Nazism, leading to the German Christian movement – combining liberal ideas of Christianity with notions of racial superiority and German nationalism. Some pastors and theologians (including Karl Barth, Rudolf Bultmann, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Niemoller), however, saw the danger of Hitler and formed the Confessing Church, whose foundational document was the Barmen Confession.

American Christianity in the 20 th Century The 1 st World War and it’s effect on churches. The impact of Prohibition in bringing Christian people together whiel seriously damaging the nation. The effect of the anti-evolution arguments in tearing people apart and gaining nothing. The Great Depression – rampant optimism is checked. The 2 nd World War – leveling of the field. The Post-Christendom movement towards a new center.