RELG TEST #1 FLASHCARDS

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 1. Rabbi Jacob Joseph (c.1839–1909)

Front:
Who was Rabbi Jacob Joseph and why is he important in American religious history?

Back:

• Role: Chief Rabbi of New York during the late‑19th/early‑20th centuries.

• What He Did: Actively defended Orthodox Jewish traditions against the rising tide of Reform Judaism.

• Why Important: His leadership preserved traditional rituals, education, and cultural practices, ensuring that American Jews maintained a distinct identity amid rapid modernization. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 2. The Jewish Daily Forward (Founded 1897)

Front:
What is The Jewish Daily Forward and why is it significant in American religious history?

Back:

• Type: A Yiddish-language newspaper influential among Eastern European Jewish immigrants.

• What It Did: Connected immigrant communities by providing news, commentary, and cultural insights; promoted socialist ideals and labor rights.

• Why Important: It shaped political discourse and community identity, reinforcing cultural solidarity and helping immigrants navigate their new American environment. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 3. Archbishop Tikhon (c.1865–1959)

Front:
Who was Archbishop Tikhon and what was his contribution to American religious life?

Back:

• Role: A key leader of the Russian Orthodox Church in America.

• What He Did: Organized and established strong church communities; preserved liturgical and cultural traditions for Russian Orthodox immigrants.

• Why Important: His work enabled immigrants to retain their religious heritage while integrating into American society, adding to the nation’s religious diversity. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 4. Third Plenary Council (1884, Baltimore)

Front:
What was the Third Plenary Council and why is it important in American religious history?

Back:

• Event: A major assembly of U.S. Catholic bishops held in Baltimore in 1884.

• What It Did: Addressed challenges in church governance, discipline, and education during a period of rapid Catholic immigration.

• Why Important: It standardized practices and reinforced the organizational framework of the Catholic Church in America, helping it adapt to a diverse and growing flock. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 5. The Fundamentals (1910–1915)

Front:
What are “The Fundamentals” and what impact did they have on American religious history?

Back:

• Format: A series of essays articulating conservative evangelical doctrines, particularly biblical inerrancy.

• What They Did: Unified evangelicals around a common set of beliefs and sparked the fundamentalist-modernist debates.

• Why Important: They reshaped American Protestantism by setting clear doctrinal boundaries and influencing how evangelicals interacted with modern cultural shifts. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 6. Invitation Hymn (Mid‑19th Century Revival Meetings)

Front:
What is an invitation hymn and why is it significant in American religious practice?

Back:

• Type: A musical element used during revival meetings to call individuals to personal commitment and conversion.

• What It Did: Served as a ritual marker at evangelistic events, encouraging public responses of faith.

• Why Important: It symbolized and facilitated the communal experience of spiritual renewal, playing a key role in the success of revival movements. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 7. Washington Gladden (1836–1918)

Front:
Who was Washington Gladden and what role did he play in American religious reform?

Back:

• Role: A prominent Congregational minister and leader in the Social Gospel movement.

• What He Did: Advocated for applying Christian ethics to address social issues such as poverty, labor rights, and economic inequality.

• Why Important: His efforts bridged religious faith and social reform, influencing both church practice and public policy, and setting a precedent for progressive activism within American Protestantism. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
  
  
  
  
  
  ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Quote 1

  Front:
  Who said, “Shall I send my father a few dollars for Passover, or should I keep the little money for myself? In this place the work will end soon and I may be left without a job….I will do as you tell me.” and why is it important in American religious history?

  Back:

  • Date/Period: Circa 1906

  • Source/Author: A “Bintel Brief” letter by Isaac Metzker (as published in the early 20th‑century immigrant advice column)

  • What It Is: An immigrant’s plea reflecting the tension between supporting family obligations during sacred observances and facing precarious economic survival in America.

  • Significance: It encapsulates the sacrifices and dilemmas experienced by Jewish immigrants, highlighting how traditional religious practices intersected with the harsh realities of modern urban life in early‑20th‑century America.

  ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Quote 2

  Front:
  Identify this quote and explain its historical significance:
  “The kingdom of God, my friend, is a social conception. It is a conception for this life here of ours… [extended autobiographical remark].”

  Back:

  • Date/Period: 1913

  • Source/Author: Reverend Walter Rauschenbusch, from his autobiographical reflections in “The Kingdom of God.”

  • What It Is: An autobiographical remark in which Rauschenbusch redefines the Kingdom of God not as a distant, eschatological promise but as a present social reality that calls Christians to engage in systemic reform.

  • Significance: Rauschenbusch’s perspective was pivotal in shifting Christian thought toward addressing social and economic injustices. By framing the Kingdom as active in the here and now, he laid the groundwork for later social justice movements and influenced many theologians and leaders who advocate for the church’s role in promoting equity and compassion.

  ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Quote 3

  Front:
  Who stated, “1. We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as verbally inspired by God, and inerrant in the original writings, and that they are of supreme and final authority in faith and life,” and what does this signify?

  Back:

  • Date/Period: 1910–1914

  • Source/Author: Excerpts from “The Fundamentals,” a series of essays produced by William Bell Riley during the fundamentalist-modernist debates.

  • What It Is: A doctrinal statement asserting the verbal inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible, meant to unify conservative evangelicals under a common theological standard.

  • Significance: This declaration became a cornerstone of American fundamentalism. It unified evangelical Protestants around the absolute authority of Scripture and ignited debates that would shape the future trajectory of American evangelicalism.

  ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Quote 4

  Front:
  Identify and explain the significance of this quote:
  “Most foreigners bring with them continental ideas of the Sabbath, and the result is sadly manifest in all our cities, where it is being transformed from a holy day into a holiday.”

  Back:

  • Date/Period: Late 19th century (circa 1890s)

  • Source/Author: Josiah Strong, from his work Our Country

  • What It Is: A critical observation reflecting nativist attitudes among American Protestants who viewed European (continental) customs as a threat to traditional Sabbath observance.

  • Significance: The quote reveals anxieties about cultural change and the dilution of sacred practices amid increasing immigration and urbanization. It played a role in shaping debates over American religious identity and the preservation of cultural traditions in a modernizing society.

  ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Quote 5

  Front:
  Identify this quote and explain its significance:
  “Supposing I saw a man tumble into a river, and I were to jump in and rescue him, I should be a savior to him…But when I brought the man ashore, I should probably leave him and do nothing further. But the Lord does more. He not only saves us, but He redeems us—that is, buys us back. He ransoms us from the power of sin, as if I should promise to watch over that rescued man forever, and see that he did not again fall into the water.”

  Back:

  • Date/Period: Early 20th century (circa 1910)

  • Source/Author: This analogy is taken from the sermon “Christ All in All” by Dwight L. Moody, the influential American evangelist.

  • What It Is: Moody employs this vivid metaphor to contrast the limited, temporary help a human might offer with the complete, transformative redemption provided by Christ.

  • Significance:

    • It powerfully illustrates the fundamental evangelical doctrine that human effort alone is insufficient for lasting salvation.

    • Moody’s words helped shape evangelical teachings by emphasizing that Christ’s atoning work “buys us back” from sin in a way no human act ever could.

    • This imagery has influenced generations of American Christians in understanding and preaching the completeness of Christ’s redemptive power.
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