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Christian Innovation and Worship Practices

• Commemorates the day of Jesus' resurrection.

• Constantine established Sunday as a day of rest and worship.

Seventh Day Adventist Views

• Doctrine Rejection:

  • Rejected the idea of separable, immaterial souls.

  • Argued that individuals lacked consciousness from death until Resurrection on Judgment Day.

• Concept of Punishment:

  • Replaced eternal punishment with physical punishment of limited duration, followed by a second, permanent death.

Emergence of New Christian Sects

• Disciples of Christ and Churches of Christ:

  • Formed to restore first-century Christianity.

• Second Great Awakening's Role:

  • Boosted popularity of certain older sects.

The Methodist Church

• Emotional Attachment:

  • Emphasized a personal, emotional connection to Christ.

• John Wesley's Influence:

  • Founder of Methodism.

  • Journeyed to Georgia in 1735 to convert Native Americans.

  • Experienced a storm; inspired by the faith of Moravian missionaries who sang psalms.

  • Contrast with cold rationalism prevalent in Anglicanism led Wesley to reform the Anglican Church.

• Key Beliefs:

  • Emphasis on free will and a method to salvation, incorporating both faith and good works.

• Political Views:

  • Wesley advocated submission to Parliamentary rule.

• The Split from Anglican Church:

  • In 1784, Methodism formally separated from the Anglican Church post-Revolutionary War.

• Increase in African-American Membership:

  • Grew from 1,890 in 1786 to 209,836 by 1861.

  • By 1800, 20% of American Methodists were African-American.

Organizational Structure

• Liturgy:

  • Simplified version of Anglican forms was adopted, appealing to the frontier regions.

• Membership and Growth:

  • By 1850, Methodism was the largest Christian denomination in the U.S.

The Baptist Church

• Calvinist Roots:

  • Practiced adult baptism by immersion.

• Growth in Early American History:

  • Roger Williams considered the first Baptist minister.

  • By 1700, there were ten Baptist congregations in New England.

  • Sent missionaries into western Virginia and North Carolina in the 1750s, facing opposition.

• Baptist Doctrine and Structure:

  • Fostered congregational structure and religious tolerance.

  • Emotional preaching style contrasted with earlier traditions.

• Focus on Slavery:

  • Many Baptists opposed slavery and aimed to convert slaves.

  • Growth of black Baptism: 18,000 in 1793, 468,000 by 1859, and 2.7 million by 1900s.

  • By the Civil War, 90% of African-American Christians were either Baptist or Methodist.

Education and Influence of Ministers

• Comparison to Other Denominations:

  • Methodist and Baptist ministers generally less educated yet highly relatable to congregants' concerns.

  • By 1855, nearly 70% of all American Protestants identified as either Methodist or Baptist.

• Shift from Anglican Rituals:

  • Emphasis on evangelical conversion experience over traditional Anglican rituals and Puritan theology.

Mormon Church Development

• Joseph Smith's Leadership and Demise:

  • Reports of Smith's polygamy and treason charges led to his arrest and his lynching alongside his brother.

• Brigham Young's Leadership:

  • Assumed control and led Mormons to Great Salt Lake (1846-1848).

  • Settled in an isolated area beneficial for their community.

• Polygamy and Controversy:

  • Some dissenting Mormons rejected polygamy, leading to the formation of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

  • Young defended the practice but acknowledged the emotional toll it took.

• Political Dynamics:

  • In 1856, the Republican platform denounced slavery and polygamy.

  • Utah's admission to statehood delayed until 1896 following the abolition of polygamy by Mormon leaders.

  • By 1997, the Mormon Church became the sixth largest Protestant denomination in the U.S., with four million members and an additional five million abroad.

The Adventist Movement

• Origins in the Burned-Over District:

  • Active around 1846, believing in an imminent return of Christ.

• William Miller's Predictions:

  • Proposed Christ's return in 1843 and then 1844, both failed to materialize.

• Sabbath Observance:

  • Seventh Day Adventists argued for a return to celebrating the Sabbath on Saturday, the seventh day of the week.

Interdenominational Relations

• Increasing Religious Tolerance:

  • Participation in interdenominational revivals led to greater ecumenism among Protestants.

  • Revival preachers emphasized unity over sectarian differences.

  • Instances of multiple denominations sharing church buildings.

• Attacks on Catholicism:

  • Earlier unity in Protestant denominations often preceded virulent attacks on Catholics.

  • Lyman Beecher's 1834 speech incited violence against Catholics.

Impact of Revivals and Religious Freedom

• Religious Toleration in Antebellum U.S.:

  • More religious freedom than in any other nation, helping Christianity thrive.

  • Separation of church and state invigorated church vitality.

  • Emergence of popular support for religion without state backing at a time when European state churches became apathetic.

• Free Will Belief Spread:

  • Derived from Methodism, emphasizing choice and grace.

  • Gradual abandonment of predestination by Protestant Americans.

Postmillennialism Movement

• Significance of the Second Great Awakening:

  • Spread postmillennialism—the belief that Christ would return after humanity founded the prophesied utopian Millennium.