Modern History: The Christian Experience

Syncretism and Christianity

Syncretism: In the 1800s, Christian theology encouraged missionaries to incorporate their beliefs with local spiritual movements, based on the idea that universal Christian values are embedded in all spiritualities.
Impact of Missions: Missions led to First Nations Peoples adopting Christianity while maintaining their traditional spirituality.
Reflection by Deacon Boniface Perdjert: He finds it easy to see Jesus as the great Dreamtime figure who gave law, ceremony, and life.
Dreaming: Certain things in nature represent Dreamtime figures and are considered brother and sister, symbolizing the ever-presence of Christ.

Joseph Smith: Founder of the Latter Day Saints, aimed to publish The Book of Mormon, have lay priests, build temples, and establish God’s kingdom on Earth.
Death of Joseph Smith: Killed by a mob in 1844, leading to an exodus of followers to Utah.
Brigham Young: Became the theocratic leader of Utah and the Church of the Latter Day Saints in 1847.
Polygamy: The tradition has faced difficulties complying with secular rulings, such as those against polygamy.

Mid-1800s: The Ottoman Empire's military strength diminished, and parts sought independence.
European Powers: France demanded protection of Catholics in Palestine, and Russia did the same for the Orthodox tradition.
Crimean War: Russia argued Palestine should be held by Christians, leading them to declare war on the Ottoman Turks.
British and French Intervention: They preferred an Islamic Ottoman Empire they could influence over a confident Russia, so they joined the Ottomans in fighting and winning the Crimean War.
End of the Ottoman Empire: The empire ended with their defeat in World War I.
Religion as Excuse for Expansion: The Crimean War showed religion being used as an excuse for expansionist policies by Russia.

Charles Darwin (1809–1882): Revolutionized biology with the theory of evolution and natural selection.
On the Origin of Species (1859): Challenged Christian churches by implying creation occurs without divine intervention.
Undermining Belief in Creator God: Darwin's theory undermined the belief in a Creator God.
The Descent of Man (1871): Argued humans and apes share a common ancestor, undermining the belief in human uniqueness.
Catholic Response: Catholics largely avoided the debate, viewing creation stories as allegorical.
Protestant and Orthodox Response: Major hurdle in the relationship between science and faith. It created a major conflict, because their interpretation of the texts were literal.

Late 1800s and Early 1900s: Protestant theology schools were led by thinkers like Friedrich Schleiermacher, Albert Schweitzer, and Karl Barth.
Modern Interpretation of Sacred Texts: Commitment to Scripture interpretation, spurred by archaeology, led to modern ways of interpreting texts.
Search for the Historical Jesus: Aim was to accommodate philosophical and scientific developments within Christian theology.

Resistance to Modernism: The Catholic Church resisted modernism by banning books, excommunicating biblical scholars, and condemning Rationalism and Modernism.
Vatican I (1869–70): Declared the infallibility of the papacy in matters of faith and morals.
Encyclical Divino Afflante Spiritu (1943): Pope Pius XII acknowledged Genesis 1–3 contains no history in the modern sense.
Historical Biblical Criticism: Scripture needs to be interpreted for fundamental truths essential for salvation, forming the basis of historical biblical criticism within the Catholic Church.

Slavery: Christian Churches engaged in debates on slavery.
Quakers: Took the strongest stance against slavery, protesting as far back as 1688 in Pennsylvania.
Bartolome de las Casas: Argued for human rights based on the belief that all humans are God’s creation.
St. Thomas Aquinas: Argued people cannot be brought to Christ through force.
Abolition of Slavery Act (1834): Passed in England through the work of Evangelical Anglicans and Quakers.
13th Amendment (1865): Outlawed slavery in the United States.

William Booth: A Methodist who addressed despair and immorality in working-class London.
Salvation Army (1878): Took a radical approach to social change by confronting a destitute community with the challenge of a moral life.
Recognition and Support: Gained recognition, respect, and reward through the support of the broader society.

Rerum Novarum (1891): A ground-breaking document that changed the Catholic Church’s role in society.
Catholic Social Teaching: Papal statements defining the relationship between Catholics and society, underpinned by the vision of the Kingdom of God.
Workers’ Rights: Challenged socialist, communist, and capitalist ideas by arguing for workers’ rights based on the dignity of the human person.

Archbishop Daniel Mannix: Opposed conscription in Australia during World War I.
Dorothy Day: A radical pacifist who opposed World Wars, the Vietnam War, and nuclear weapons through her publication, The Catholic Worker.
Pope John XXIII: Intervened in the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, providing an opportunity for peace.
Vatican II (1962–1965): A council that debated the place of the Church in the modern world, leading to recognition of modern developments and integration into the world.
Solidarity Movement: United workers in Catholic Poland in the 1980s, contributing to the fall of communism.
Pope John Paul II: Adopted the Preferential Option for the Poor, guiding Liberation Theology in Latin America.
Women’s Liberation Movement: Challenged religious groups to recognize women’s contributions, leading to the ordination of women in many Protestant denominations and prominent leadership roles in the Catholic Church.

Billy Graham: An Evangelical Protestant who used radio, television, and stadiums to influence democratic votes.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr: Used media to show violence against African-Americans during the Civil Rights Movement.

Pentecostal Movement: Fastest growing religious movement, preaching equality and mobilizing the oppressed.

Child Abuse Scandals: Revelations about child abuse have reduced credibility and respect for religious groups.
State Intervention: Demonstrates how the role of religion has shifted away from a previously powerful position.
Lobbying: Religious groups have adopted the role of lobbyists, influencing government policy through public opinion.
Refugee Detention: Church communities have united across denominations to demand more just treatment of refugees.