Stone-Campbell Restoration

Old Things Made New – Restorationism (Part 2)

In Part 2 of my discussion on Restorationism, I will focus on select traditions. I will briefly note what they consider to be their contributions to the Christian faith. For the deeper currents of thought, I have included at least one reference work.

Forms of Restoration Belief

Adventists: The post-Millerite Seventh-day Adventist Church is rooted in the “Great Disappointment” of 22 October 1844, when Christ’s Second Coming did not physically occur. They see themselves as a “reformation of the Reformation.” Restored ideas would include Saturday Sabbathkeeping, the gift of prophecy (through Ellen G. White), the correct interpretation of prophetic biblical writings, sleep-state of the dead, and the pre-Advent Judgment. Their status within the evangelical community is debated. For the deeper currents of mainline Adventist thought, consult the Handbook of Seventh-day Adventist Theology (2000) edited by Raoul Dederen. For the life of Mrs. White, see The Ellen G. White Encyclopedia (2014) by Denis Fortin and Jerry Moon.

Baptists: Expressed from several directions, there is no one Baptist Church. Most would consider themselves evangelical. Others would see themselves as exclusive. Landmarkism is an example of Baptist Restorationism. Restoration ideas include believer’s baptism by full immersion after salvation, congregational government and the personal authority of the believer to interpret the Bible. Some denominations would add footwashing, Saturday Sabbathkeeping and a free-will theology. For a full discussion of the development of Baptist Thought, see James Leo Garrett’s Baptist Theology: a Four-Century Study (2009).

Christians (Disciples): Arising on the American Frontier in the 1820s and 1830s, the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement called for Christian unity. This was to be accomplished through restoring the primitive New Testament church. By 1860, they had become the fifth largest church in the United States. Variations are extreme, ranging from Liberal Protestant ecumenical thought to strictly exclusive with no compromises. Historic Restorationist ideas include believer’s baptism for the remission of sins, congregational autonomy and using no denominational names – simply Christian or Disciple. Some would add forbidding instrumental music and choirs in worship; others admit them. For all expressions of this movement consult The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement (2004), edited by Douglas A. Foster, Paul M. Blowers, Anthony L. Dunnavant and D. Newell Williams. For some conservative theology consult Jack Cottrell’s The Faith Once for All: Bible Doctrine for Today (2002)

Holiness: Rooted as far back as the 1830s, a distinct evangelical holiness movement emerged out of North American and UK Methodism by the 1860s. Their emphasis was on John Wesley’s doctrine of Christian Perfection, termed Entire Sanctification. This constitutes a secondary experience and completes the process of salvation begun at conversion. Two excellent texts for discussing this specific concept is Diane Leclerc’s Discovering Christian Holiness: the Heart of Wesleyan-Holiness Theology (2010) and J. Kenneth Grider’s Entire Sanctification: The Distinctive Doctrine of Wesleyanism (1980).

Pentecostals: Rooted in the Wesleyan-Holiness movement at the turn of the twentieth century United States, most Pentecostals would see themselves as evangelicals. Some scholars consider Pentecostals a new branch of Christianity. They see their mission is to restore the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to the world and usher in the Second Coming of Jesus. Currently, they are the second largest branch of Christianity worldwide with some half billion adherents. The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements (2002) edited by Stanley M. Burgess and Eduard M. Van Der Maas covers major movements, trends and theology.

Plymouth Brethren: Rooted in Dublin in 1827-8. Its largest impact has been in the UK, Ireland and in British Commonwealth countries. They see themselves as a restoration of the New Testament Church, with some Brethren seeing themselves as the only true church. There are varieties of “Open Brethren” and “Closed (Exclusive) Brethren.” They see their contribution as helping to restore and develop the Rapture Theology. A standard history is A History of the Brethren Movement: Its Origins, Its Worldwide Development and Its Significance for the Present Day (2001), by F. Roy Coad and F. F. Bruce. The enormously popular Scofield Study Bible (1909) building upon the Brethren approach has embedded Rapture Theology firmly into Evangelical Thought, especially in the United States.

Mormons: Founded in 1830 there developed several Latter Day Saint denominations. The largest is the Utah LDS Church. Their historic impact was in the development of Western North America with colonies stretching from southern Alberta down to northern Mexico. They see the New Testament church went completely apostate and needed a restoration through modern-day prophets, apostles and scripture. While Mormons consider themselves Christian, they are not Protestants. Scholars debate whether they are a new branch of Christianity or an emerging new world religion. The Utah church’s restored theology concerning “work for the dead,” including baptism for the dead, affects family history to no small degree. One contemporary work for Utah Mormon Thought is LDS Beliefs: A Doctrinal Reference (2011), edited by Robert Millet, Camille Fronk Olson, Andrew C. Skinner and Brent L. Top. For an in-depth academic treatment of founding prophet-president Joseph Smith, see Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling (2005) by Richard Lyman Bushman.

If you would like to learn more about your Restorationist ancestors Contact Us.

Old Things Made New – Restorationism (Part 1)

14 Mar By Dwight Leave a Comment

Restorationism is the theology that the primitive New Testament Church of 2,000 years ago either went underground or morphed into a complete apostasy with the rise of the Roman Catholic Church. This theology historically has been powerful force. It placed how to restore that ancient church in the hands of everyday people. Historically, it affected Protestant Irish and their descendants, beginning on the American Frontier and in Ulster, then spreading far and wide.

Restorationism Saw Something Lacking in Protestantism

Restorationism has taken many forms arising out of Protestantism. Variations of this theme are diverse. Historically, most have seen that the Protestant Reformation neglected important principles. Depending on the group, they either saw themselves as a reformation of the Reformation or bypassing it all together with particular Restoration principles. Thus, some Restorationists do not consider themselves Protestants.

How this played out in the developing United States has been documented in Richard T. Hughes and C. Leonard Allen’s work Illusions of Innocence: Protestant Primitivism in America, 1630-1875 (1988). On the surface, the variations of Restorationism seem unrelated. However, below the surface are many common themes, driving forces, spiritual rebellions and for the time period, radical thinking.

Differences in Restoration groups are usually the emphasis placed on particular concepts. In some cases, the application of the same principle plays out differently among groups.

Baptists and Christians (Disciples) Apply the Restoration Principles

For example, both the Baptist and the Christians (Disciples) see believer’s baptism by full immersion as an essential piece of restoring the primitive New Testament church. However, the application is totally different. In the Baptist tradition, baptism is not linked to salvation, but is a sign of commitment after the salvation experience. Salvation is by faith only. In the Christian (Disciples) tradition, the conservative branches teach baptism is essential to salvation. It is not separate from faith or the salvation experience.

Historically in some areas such as Kentucky and Tennessee, both traditions developed side by side to become very prominent as both competed for converts. If you’ve ever driven through rural Middle Tennessee and you see a church sign for the local Baptist Church of Christ, then do a double take. This is how Restoration principles played out on the local level as it combined elements of both the Baptists and the Christians (Disciples). Then do another double take and realize that you may be surrounded by Baptist congregations and Church of Christ congregations. Then you will see how powerful of a force Restorationism remains to this day in Middle Tennessee.

In Part 2 of this blog, I will discuss some major threads of Restorationism and what they considered needed to be restored. I will also provide at least one reference work for each tradition which will allow you to continue exploring this fascinating topic.

If you would like to learn more about your Restorationist ancestors Contact Us.

The Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement

13 May By Dwight Leave a Comment

The idea of restoring primitive Christianity from the pages of the New Testament is not a new idea. In nineteenth century America, the idea would flower and spread like wild fire through the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement. It was rooted in the Scots-Irish experience. By 1860, it was the fourth largest church in America with 200,000 members.

The Restoration Movement began as the merging of two distinct philosophies. The first came out of Kentucky Scots-Irish Presbyterianism during the “Second Great Awakening.” Barton W. Stone preached at the famous Cain Ridge Revival of 1801. Soon afterwards, he and others would withdraw and become known as “Christians.” The second was founded by Alexander Campbell and his father Thomas Campbell; immigrants from Ballymena, County Antrim. The Campbell family would tentatively align themselves with the Baptists. By the 1820s, the Campbells withdrew and became known as “Disciples.”

Christians and the Disciples had common views: believer’s baptism by immersion; baptism being essential to salvation; Christian unity free from denominationalism; and a restoration of the New Testament Church. These parallel movements would unite in 1832.

There are today three main branches of this movement. The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) took the path of Liberal Protestantism. The Christian Church/Churches of Christ took a conservative middle ground. The non-instrumental Church of Christ took a more varied path ranging from ultra-conservative to liberal.

The main archive is the Disciples of Christ Historical Society: www.discipleshistory.org which collects for all three branches. Another archive is the Discipliana Collection at Barton College: www.barton.edu/geninfo/discipliana.htm The Center for Restoration Studies at Abilene Christian University: www.bible.acu.edu/crs/ concentrates on the non-instrumental Church of Christ. Always check the Family History Library for microfilmed records of Restoration Movement congregations.

American Frontier Religion

2 May By Dwight Leave a Comment

The frontier population was un-churched, with few ministers and priests. Do not automatically assume your Kentucky Catholic ancestors remained with the church, or your Tennessee Scots-Irish ancestors were ever baptized Presbyterian. The “Second Great Awakening” (1790-1830) began to change the un-churched frontier. Congregations were organized, ministers ordained, schools and seminaries established. From these fires were birthed an American Christianity, such as the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement (Disciples/Christians), and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Both had a heavy Scots-Irish membership. In Upstate New York, the revival fires lingered birthing Mormonism (1830), Adventism (1844) and Spiritualism (1848).

Record keeping was affected by the education of the ministers. Among Baptists, the only qualification to preach may have been a “called of God,” and the minister may have been barely literate. Church organization affected records. Some were not organized outside the local congregation, as with Disciples/Christians. Others were home-based such as Spiritualism, where the medium, was often the woman of the house. All of this may or may not have created a paper trail.

Some solutions were brilliantly devised to address frontier life. The Methodists pioneered the circuit rider who would have a set route on horseback. Various communities knew where they fell on the schedule, at which time everybody would turn out. This concept was mimicked by the Swedenborgians and Catholic priests. Circuit riders kept scattered records.

Theology also influenced records. Baptists, Disciples/Christians, Mormons and Adventists, baptized believers eliminating the need for an infant christening. Separate births may or may not have been kept. Membership was counted at the time of the baptism.

In frontier research, tax and land records are usually consulted prior to church registers. This does not mean you don’t look at them, they may be just a little further down on the research list.

Call Today! 801.699.2450

Or send us an Email