05/16/20101 enlightenment and deism: rationalism in 18 th century america “from the reformation to...
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05/16/2010 1
Enlightenment and Deism:Rationalism in 18th Century America
“From the Reformation to the Constitution”
Bill Petro
your friendly neighborhood historian
billpetro.com/v7pc
05/16/2010 2
ObjectivesBy the end of this session you should be able to
• Trace the rise of the Enlightenment
• Identify the key players in the Enlightenment
• Discuss Deism and Unitarianism
• Identify the political theory of John Locke and its
influence on the Founding Fathers
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American Church History
Colonial National Modern
1787 1865
Calvinism ArminianismBiblistic Rationalism
LiberalismSubjectivismExistentialism
Theocentrism Anthropocentrism Liberalism
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Summary of the Great Awakening
• Increase of new members: 30-40,000
• Increase of new churches: 1740-60: 150 congs.
• Increase in students to prepare for the ministry
• Increase in new denominations: Bapt. & Methodists
• New stress on Missions
• Aided in beginning the American Revolution
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Colleges• 1636: Harvard – Puritans, to train clergy• 1701: Yale – “to train men to preach the Gospel• 1749: College of Phila – U. of Penn (revival hall)• 1762: Queens – became Rutgers• 1726: College of New Jersey – Princeton• Moore’s Indian Charity Training College – to train
Indians, moved to Dartmouth• College of R.I. (Baptist) – Brown• Kings College of N.Y. – Colombia, to train Indians• All Ivy League Colleges (except Cornell) were to train
men for the ministry
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Emotional - Intellectual
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Enlightenment
• Post-Reformation
• Rebellion against it, in the guise of intellectualism,
empiricism that really denied the faith of the
Reformation
• “Reality is what I observe with my own senses”
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Immanuel Kant
• Professor of Logic,
Koniegsburg, Prussia
• Critique of Pure Reason
• Critique of Practical Reason
• Religion reduced to moral acts,
revising the Reformation
• God no longer active
• Man must reach out to God
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Approaches to Authority and the Enlightenment Reformation
16 & 17th centuryEnlightenment
18th century
Aut
horit
yS
alva
tion
Roman Catholicism Protestantism Rationalism
God
Church
Man
Holy Church
AuthoritarianismPope and Councils
Holy Bible
Creeds(Secondary)
Human Reason
PhilosophicalSystems
God
Christ
Man
God
Man
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From Revelation to Reason
Rev
elat
ion
Tra
dit
ion
Rea
son
Past: InfancyPresent: Adulthood
Rej
ecte
dIn
Ref
orm
atio
n
Rej
ecte
dIn
Enl
ight
enm
ent
Sol
e A
utho
rity
External Authority Innate Authority
Irrationality (Myth Makers)Traditional Religion (superstition)
ReasonRational Religion
Progression
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19th Century culture
• Framework: => U.S. & French Revolutions
• Music: Baroque & Classical
• Art: Neo-classical
• Politics: => Socialism & Communism
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19th Century features
• Moralism
• Optimism: logical positivism
• Pelagianism
• Closed System Universe
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Isaac Newton
• Principia Mathematica
• Implicit: man has ability to discover secrets of the universe, control destiny
• Narrowing gulf between God and man
• Effect: corrosive effect on Calvinistic orthodoxy, more rational, less emotional
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Deism
• A system of belief that a transcendent God left his creation to be governed by Natural Laws discernable by reason.
• “God is absentee”
• No miracles, no revelation, no God-man
• Jesus as Moral Teacher
• Bible as guidebook for ethical life, virtue, piety
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Deism: Origin• Science: universe operated on fixed principles,
hence, is a machine operating by fixed natural laws– Copernicus, Galileo (helio-centricism), Newton (gravity)
• Philosophy: if universe runs on fixed laws,then the universe can be known by Reason, without Revelation– Francis Bacon – Inductive method (observe vs. authority)
• Theology: man can start with himself and find truth apart from any help– Descartes: “I think, therefore I am” (mathematical laws)
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Deism: Spread
• Herbert of Cherbury & David Hume
• Carried into France, picked up by Rousseau,
Voltaire, Diderot. Strong impetus from French
Revolution
• Carried to America by English immigrants and
mercenaries (Lafayette)
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Deism: Results
• Contributed to the concept that: if a ruler failed in
responsibility, the people could revolt
– Root of American Revolution
• Developed the concept of man’s goodness
• Developed theory on destructive criticism of Bible
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Unitarianism
• Strict monotheism (not Trinitarianism)
• Deny Christ’s two natures (deity)
• Christ’s death was only to be an example of
true devotion to God
• Deny election and future punishment
• Key to Life: love toward God’s fellow man
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Unitarianism: Origin 1755-1805
• Rose out of practical experience of the people
Wealthy wanted autonomy
• Moneyed classes tended to Nationalism
• Anti-revivalistic attitude
– King’s Church – 1st church to go Unitarian 1782
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Orthodoxy, Unitarianism, and Deism
Source of Truth
God
Medium of Revelation
Person of Christ
Nature of Sin
Atonement
ReformationEmpiricismRationalism
Theistic;Plural, personal
Supernatural,Natural
God/Man
Derived & Personal depravity;Moral inability
Penal
EmpiricismRationalism
Theistic;Single, transcendent
Natural
Exemplary Man
Personal depravityMoral ability
(none)
Orthodoxy Unitarianism Deism
EmpiricismRationalismReformation
Theistic;Single, personal
Natural,Supernatural
Archetypal Man
Personal depravityMoral ability
Exemplary
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John Locke
• 1632-1704
• Political philosopher
• Argued for the
“reasonableness” of
Christianity
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Letter Concerning Toleration
• Became a “Bible” in the
18th Century
• “Reasonableness” of
Christianity
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Religion and the American Revolution
• Religion as a Cause of the Revolution
• Religion as a Participant in the Revolution
• Religion in Consequence of the Revolution
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Religion as a Cause of the Revolution
• Influence of the 1st Great Awakening
• Fear of English political control thru Anglicanism
• Clergy molded public opinion by political sermons
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Religion as a Participant in the Revolution
• Congregationalists – most active
• Anglicans – loyalists, but 2/3 of signers of DoI
• Quakers – generally pacifists, but Betsy Ross
• Presbyterians – 1st to accept DoI & identify w/Rev.
• Baptists – intensely loyal, suffered in R.I.
• Methodists – despised as loyalists
• Catholics – non-committal
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Religion in Consequence of the RevolutionPositively:
• Anglicanism disestablished as state religion
• Congregationalism disestablished in New England
• Churches organized nationally:
– Anglican → Protestant Episcopal Church
– Methodist Episcopal Church – Asbury & Coke
– Catholics: Nationally
– Presbyterians: General Assembly w/ John Witherspoon
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Religion in Consequence of the RevolutionNegatively:
• Religion declined because of attention to War
• Reorganizational process for denominations led to a
decline of interest in evangelism
• Stress on rights & worth of the individual led to a
decline of Calvinism
• Not all American leaders were orthodox religiously
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Fundamental 18th-19th Century Shift
Calvinism
Deism(Rationalism)
(modified)
Evangelicalism
Sovereign God Sovereign Man
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1-Word Summary
• Pilgrims Separatists• Puritans Saints• Denominations Inclusive• Whitefield Dramatic• Wesley Methodism• Edwards Glory• Great Awakening Fire• Enlightenment Rationalism• Deism Mechanistic