Survey of Church History
Page 241
The 12 periods of Church History are:
 1. Era of the Gospel 4 B.C. – 33 A.D.
 2. Era of the New Testament 33 – 100 A.D.
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 Early Apostolic 33 -70 A.D.
 •Late Apostolic 70-100 A.D.
3. Era of the Universal “Catholic” Church 100 – 312 A.D.
4. Era of the “Christian” Roman Empire 312 – 590 A.D.
5. Era of the Medieval Church 590 – 800 A.D.
6. Era of the Holy Roman Empire 800 – 1054 A.D.
7. Era of the Crusades 1054 – 1305 A.D.
8. Era of the Renaissance and Rise of Nation-States 1305 – 1517
A.D.
9. Era of the Reformation 1517 – 1648 A.D.
10. Era of Rationalism and Revival 1648 – 1789 A.D.
11. Era of Liberalism, Progress and Missions 1789 – 1914 A.D.
12. Era of Modern Ideologies, Secularism, and Humanism 1914 –
present
The Era of Liberalism, Progress
and Missions
 In religion, this era generally moved people:
 away from God and toward humanism.
 from Bible-centered authority to man-centered
authority.
 from conservative orthodoxy to liberal theology.
 Changed France’s governmental structure
from the monarchy, aristocracy, and
Catholic clergy in power, to citizen control.
 Led to a republican form of government
(representation and vote).
 Was accompanied by violent turmoil,
including executions (guillotine) and
repression during the “Reign of Terror.
 Included warfare involving every major
power in Europe.
 Led to Napoleon Bonaparte becoming
dictator in 1799 and eventually proclaiming
himself emperor in 1804.
 When Bonaparte became emperor, the
republican phase of the revolution ended.
 Main causes of the revolution:
 Desire for liberty among the masses.
 Louis XV had led France to the verge of
bankruptcy.
 Inequality in the tax system.
 The Roman Catholic Church, the largest
landowner in the country, placed a heavy tax
on crops. Therefore, the poor became
desperate.
 Main causes of the revolution (cont.):
 The greed and material consumption of the
aristocracy (i.e. Marie Antoinette in Versailles)
 High unemployment
 Inflation of food prices
 Main causes of the revolution (cont.):
 Widespread famine and malnutrition. (Some
historians attribute the famine to a stretch of
colder climate combined with France’s failure
to adopt the potato as the main crop.)
 Lack of international trade.
Louis XIV (1643-1715)
The corrupt French kings were Catholic in name only
and were epitomized by Louis XIV who brought
France to the edge of financial ruin by his
extravagant and unwise policies.
Louis XVI (1754-1793)
In 1789 King Louis XVI called the French National
Assembly into session for the first time in almost 20 years.
The Estates General was made up of three groups –
clergy, nobility, and commoners.
The Third Estate, the common people, seized control and
used the angry mobs in Paris as a political/military force.
The storming of the Bastille
The Bastille prison was stormed (that held seven prisoners at
the time), and a bloody revolution followed which saw the
influence of the nobility crushed, the power of the King
decreased, and papal influence shattered.
More on The
Bastille
• A fortress prison in Paris
• Was built during the “Hundred Years War”.
• First used as a fort to defend the east end of Paris.
• After the war, it was used as a state prison.
• The storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789 marks the
beginning of the French Revolution.
• A mob broke in to remove guns and gunpowder.
• Later, the governor and some of the guards of Bastille
surrendered under a flag of truce.
• Unfortunately, they were beheaded and their heads
were paraded around Paris on spears.
The execution of Louis XVI
France was declared a republic in 1792 and
Louis XVI was executed in 1793.
Pope Pius VI (1717-1799)
In 1795, Pope Pius VI gained the help of other
European leaders to field an army against
France.
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)
Napoleon Bonaparte defeated the alliance,
took Rome in 1798, and put the Pope in
prison in France.
Pius VII (1740-1823)
Napoleon realized, however, that many Frenchman
were Catholic and negotiated with the next Pope
(Pius VII; 1800-1820) to restore Roman
Catholicism to France.
British Empire in 1897 (in pink)
James Watt (1736-1819)
The invention of the steam engine by Scottish
engineer James Watt represents the progress of
the era. It would have a profound effect on the
political, economic, social, and religious scene.
The Industrial Revolution
Marx and Engels
Onto this scene came a couple of men who would
impact the world dramatically for hundreds of years
as they promoted a new philosophy of
government and life which was anti-God, antireligion but pro-people, especially the working
masses.
The men were Karl Marx (1818-1883), a GermanJewish philosopher, and Friedrich Engels (18201895), the son of a rich German factory owner.
In 1848 Marx and Engels published the
Communist Manifesto.
George Hegel (1770-1831)
Marx and Engels had come under the influence of the German
socialistic philosopher George Hegel who conceived of
God as an absolute being of mind or spirit who was in the
dynamic process of evolving.
Das Kapital, published in 1867, was perhaps
Marx’ most influential work. It was a critical
analysis of capitalism.
In Das Kapital, Marx stated that the driving
force of capitalism was the exploitation of
labor for profit and surplus.
The Congress of Vienna in 1815
The Congress of Vienna (to draw up a new Europe
after Napoleon's defeat) effectively ended the
French Revolution. The Roman Church saw some
measure of restoration to power.
Pope Pius IX (1792-1878)
 Pope Pius IX led the way to establishing the ultimate
authority of the Pope in the Roman Church through a series
of declarations of doctrinal dogma for Catholics:
 in 1854, the Immaculate Conception of Mary was
declared (that she was conceived sinless) which had
to be believed for salvation.
 in 1863, the idea that salvation is only through the
Catholic Church was advanced.
Pope Pius IX (1792-1878)
 (Cont.):
 in 1864, the Pope condemned toleration in religion,
separation of Church and State, socialism, Bible
societies, secular schools, and public education.
 in 1870, by decree the First Vatican Council declared
the infallibility of the Pope.
Johann Von Dollinger (1799-1890)
Public and political sentiment ran strongly against the
Popes from 1870 forward. Even among Catholics the
doctrine of papal infallibility was not accepted by all. In
1871, the “Old Catholic Church” was founded in protest as
a split-off by Johann Von Dollinger. The “Old Catholic
Church” is still active today.
Old Catholic Church
beliefs and values:
 Rejection of the infallibility of the Pope
 Open communion (non-members can
receive Holy Communion)
 Rejection of all new creeds
 Desire to return to ancient Catholicism
Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)
Pope Leo XIII continued to oppose the power of the
national states in Germany and elsewhere. He
tried to assert both the moral and political rights of
the Church over the people and the State.
Pope Pius X (1835-1914)
Pope Pius X (reigning from 1903-1914) condemned liberal
theology and liberalism in politics. Doctrinally, the Roman
Church thwarted liberalism within its own ranks but had
forever lost its exclusive control on both the Church and the
State.
John Newton
and
William Cowper
The spiritual impact in the Anglican Church between 1790
and 1830 was created not only by the Clapham society but
by other evangelicals such as John Newton (1725-1807),
the great hymn writer (Amazing Grace), and William
Cowper(1731-1800), another significant hymn writer.
John Venn (1759-1833)
 John Venn was the “spiritual father” of the evangelical
movement which produced social reform in a number of
areas:
 Missionary societies were formed.
 Bible societies were founded.
 Prison ministries were initiated.
 Literature/tract ministries were started.
 British slave trade was abolished.
William Wilberforce (1759-1833)
Perhaps this last contribution was the most
important. William Wilberforce was a member of
the Clapham Society who organized the
Christian/evangelical opposition to slave trade
within the British Empire and took his case to
Parliament.
Lord Shaftsbury (1801-1885)
Reform measures in the factories and working places
were promoted by other evangelicals such as Lord
Shaftsbury, who succeeded in passing legislation
protecting working children and women.
Table Discussion
 What part, if any, should the church play in
social reforms?
 What is the most effective approach?
Charles Kingsley (1819-1875)
Yet even within the Anglican Church the “Broad Church
Movement” produced liberal theology and a “social,
watered down” Gospel under the influence of liberal
thinkers. Charles Kingsley was a representative leader.
Most of the leaders of the Oxford
Movement were members of
Oxford University (above).
John Keble (1792–1866)
The leaders of the Oxford movement were
men such as:
1. John Keble
Edward Pusey (1800-1882)
The leaders of the Oxford movement were
men such as:
2. Edward Pusey
John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
The leaders of the Oxford movement were
men such as:
2. John Henry Newman
 The Oxford - high church Movement sought to
re-establish a modified Roman Catholicism
(purified from abuses) in the Anglican Church
by:
 emphasizing church sacraments, ritual, and
colorful liturgy
 teaching:
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– apostolic succession
– baptismal regeneration
– the physical presence of Christ in the Mass
– the doctrine of the early Church Fathers.
John Henry Newman actually became a Catholic,
and the force of the movement encountered strong
opposition from the Bishop. But the “high church”
view stayed in the Anglican Church and is
sometimes known as the Anglo-Catholic
position.
William Booth (1829-1912)
The Salvation Army was founded by William Booth
in 1878 to preach the Gospel and meet the social
and economic needs of the less fortunate of
society.
The Salvation Army
Today
 Headquartered in London, England
 Works in 120 countries
 Focused on reaching the poor, destitute and
hungry
 Methods and ministries include: Music, disaster
relief, thrift shops to raise money for charity,
Family Tracing Service (to find missing family
members), youth groups, etc.
John Darby (1800-1882)
The Plymouth Brethren were founded by John
Darby in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland. They had a
strong emphasis on the Holy Spirit, the priesthood
of the believer, and the study of Scriptures. They
opposed ordained ministers.
George Mueller (1805-98)
George Mueller (1805-98) founded a great Christian
orphanages in Bristol. He cared for more than
10,000 children during his life. He is also know as
a man of great faith concerning the ongoing need
for financial support for the orphanages.
George Williams (1821-1905)
The YMCA was founded in 1844 by George
Williams to meet the needs of Christian young
men for housing, exercise, and a wholesome social
life in the overflowing cities.
Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-92)
Charles H. Spurgeon preached the Gospel
powerfully in London’s Metropolitan
Tabernacle and founded a pastor’s college.
Interior of the
original
Metropolitan
Tabernacle
 The Tabernacle fellowship has been in existence since 1650. (Still is
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today)
Under Spurgeon’s leadership, a new church was built in 1861.
Considered the forerunner of the “megachurch”.
Seating capacity 6,000 (5,500 seated and 500 standing.
Membership in 8191 – 5,311
Spurgeon died in 1892.
Church building burned down in 1898.
The Metropolitan
Tabernacle today
 The church was rebuilt but was destroyed
again in 1941 by the German bombing of
World War II
 Rebuilt in 1957.
 Today, all are welcome to two services –
11 AM and 6:30 PM.
The English town of Keswick today
Keswick meetings – These meetings were begun in 1875 to
encourage evangelism, revival and personal spiritual
renewal. Men such as Hudson Taylor spoke there. The
Keswick meetings have continued to meet annually here.
Today, the convention lasts three weeks towards the end of
the summer.
William Carey (1761-1834)
William Carey was a missionary to India and
founded the Baptist Missionary Society. He
has been called the “Father of Modern
Missions”.
George Grenfell (1848-1906)
George Grenfell was a missionary for the
Baptist Mission Society, who explored and
evangelized in the Congo River area in
Africa.
David Livingston (1813-1873)
David Livingston from the London Missionary
Society, who as a Scottish Congregationalist
explored and evangelized much of Central Africa
and fought the Arab slave trade.
Robert Moffatt (1795-1883)
Robert Moffatt was a Scottish missionary to
South Africa and worked on Bible translation
into native languages.
J. Hudson Taylor (1832-1905)
J. Hudson Taylor who established the China
Inland Mission in 1865 as a faith project.
Robert Morrison (1782-1834)
Robert Morrison who worked with the Chinese
Mandarin language so the Bible could be used
later when China was opened to missionaries after
1858.
Adoniram Judson (1788-1850)
Missionary to Burma
Adoniram Judson who worked with Burmese
language translation.
Adoniram Judson (1788-1850)
 An example of a faithful missionary:
 Bible centered: In 1834, he completed the entire
translation of the Bible into Burmese.
 Willing to suffer: During the Anglo-Burmese war,
he spent 21 months in prison.
 Devoted to his mission: He took his first
“furlough” after 34 years in Burma.
 Inspired others: Because of his commitment to
missions, many Americans became or supported
missionaries.