The History of Presbyterianism in the United States Part 1: The Broader Picture B – German Higher Criticism Comes to America

Master Timeline United StatesEurope 1620 – Mayflower lands 1730s-1743 – 1 st Great Awakening – American Rev – 2 nd Great Awakening 1830 – Book of Mormon – 3 rd Great Awakening – American Civil War 1870 – Scottish Common Sense 1889 – Moody Bible Institute 1891 – Briggs’ address 1909 – Scofield Reference Bible 1910 – Pres. G.A.: 5 Fundamentals – World War I 1922 – “Shall Fund.s Win?” 1923 – The Auburn Affirmation 1925 – The Scopes Trial 1929 – Westminster Theo. Seminary 1936 – Orthodox Presbyterian Ch – John Mackay, Princeton Sem – Westminster Confession of Faith – Age of European Enlightenment & of Scottish Common Sense Philosophy 1770s-1900 – Rise of German Higher Criticism – French Revolution 1827 – Plymouth Brethren begin meeting 1833 – Slavery Abolition Act of England Charles Darwin – Origin of Species – Darby travels to the United States 1919 – Rise of Neo-Orthodoxy United States (cont.) 1937 – Death of J. Gresham Machen - Bible Presbyterian Ch. (McIntyre) 1966 – RTS, Jackson, MI 1967 – Confession of ‘67, Book of Confessions 1973 – PCA 1983 – Union of UPCUSA & PCUS

1870 – The New Theology Theology was no longer viewed [by the growing consensus of new liberalism] as a fixed body of eternally valid truths. It was seen rather as an evolutionary development that should adjust to the standards and needs of modern culture. … The Idealism of the New Theology answered naturalism and higher criticism in two steps. One was by merging the supernatural with the natural, so that the supernatural was seen only through the natural. Simultaneously, however, Idealism posited a strong dualism between the material world, known through scinece and logic, and the spiritual world, known by intuition and sensitivity. (Marsden, p. 25, 26)

1770s-1900 – Rise of German Higher Criticism A rejection of “tradition” in interpretation Regard the books of the Bible on face value ▫Individually as opposed to collectively supported ▫Set aside theology and focus on origins/history of the document Investigation into sources, forms, and traces of redaction “Take apart” and “reconstruct” the documents ▫Seeking the original meaning in original context ▫Drawing conclusions re: true author & recipients

Charles Augustus Briggs Served in the Union Army during War Between the States Studied in Germany under Wellhausen 1874 – Professor of Hebrew at Union Seminary

Charles Augustus Briggs Professor of Hebrew and cognate languages in Union Theological Seminary from 1874 to 1891 Authored several academic books: Biblical Study: Its Principles, Methods and History (1883) Hebrew Poems of the Creation (1884) American Presbyterianism: Its Origin and Early History (1885) Messianic Prophecy (1886) Biblical history (1889) Whither? A Theological Question for the Times (1889) The Authority of the Holy Scripture (1891)

Charles Augustus Briggs Three sources of divine authority: ▫The institutional Church ▫Reason ▫The Holy Bible … but  The Bible too protected by dogma & protective creeds.  Protestant superstition: Bibliolatry.  No need to regard the Bible as inerrant.  Many traditional authors are not truly the authors.

Charles Augustus Briggs 1891 – Inaugurated a new “Biblical Theology” department at Union Theological Seminary, NYC He gave an inaugural address which proved explosive.

Charles Augustus Briggs “It may be regarded as the certain result of the science of the Higher Criticism that Moses did not write the Pentateuch or Job; Ezra did not write the Chronicles, Ezra or Nehemiah; Jeremiah did not write the Kings or Lamentations; David did not write the Psalter, but only a few of the Psalms; Solomon did not write the Song of Songs or Ecclesiastes, and only a portion of the Proverbs; Isaiah did not write half of the book that bears his name. The great mass of the Old Testament was written by authors whose names or connection with their writings are lost in oblivion.”

Charles Augustus Briggs “We have undermined the breastworks of Traditionalism; let us blow them to atoms. We have forged our way through the obstructions; let us remove them now from the face of the earth. Criticism is at work everywhere with knife and fire! Let us cut down everything that is dead and harmful, every kind of dead orthodoxy, every species of effete ecclesiasticism, all mere formal morality, all those dry and brittle fences that constitute denominationalism, and are barriers to church unity.... Let us burn up every form of false doctrine, false religion, and false practice. Let us remove every encumbrance out of the way for a new life; the life of God is moving throughout Christendom, and the spring time of a new age is about to come upon us.”

Charles Augustus Briggs Most of the students in the audience reportedly responded favorably. Other Union faculty supported Briggs Presbytery trial on charges of heresy ▫was turned into a forum on the new theology. ▫Briggs was acquitted – Presbyterian Church GA suspended Briggs. Union Seminary separated from the Pres. Ch – Ordained in the Protestant Episcopal Ch.

Liberal Theology Defines Itself Nonpropositional – ▫Bible is not considered a collection of factual statements, but instead an anthology that documents the human authors' beliefs and feelings about God at the time of its writing—within a historical or cultural context. ▫do not seek to discover truth propositions but rather create religious models and concepts that reflect the class, gender, social, and political contexts from which they emerge. Nonreligious – ▫Remove the “superstitious” – miracles, supernatural ▫Elevate the “humane” – beginning of the “Social Gospel”

Henry Van Dyke, A major supporter of Briggs 1877 – graduated from Princeton University & Seminary 1901 – Chaired a 25 man committee to revise the WCF, primarily to remove the doctrine of election and universalize the gospel – Lyrics to “Joyful, Joyful, We adore Thee” Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, all who live in love are Thine;

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