Dyed-In-The-Wool History
Church History Study
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These are the presentation slides for the Church History Study developed for Crossroads Church in Belton Texas
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The emphasis of the Church History study is on American Protestantism and addresses church history in the context of geopolitical history. The first two sessions cover antiquity and the early church, followed by two sessions on Christendom, and then proceeds into the colonial period. It doesn't ignore Catholicism however, throughout the time period of American history, it has been far more stable up until the 1960's (Vatican II) and hasn't had as much of a geo-political influence.
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The files are shown below along with related posts. The posts from this site are entirely optional but will add content to the presentations and include bibliographies for those who would like to do additional reading.
File 1 - Introduction, Antiquity, and the Early Church
Note: this covers two sessions
Concepts of History and the teaching of history, the ancient Middle East, Greece, Rome, the Early Church, and history of the Bible. Amongst other topics we will specifically address the commonly held false belief that Christianity brought about the fall of Rome. We will also look at modern Biblical criticism on the internet. (two sessions)
File 2 - Christendom
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History of the Christian Church between the Edict of Milan and the Reformation. We will analyze technological and academic advances during the "dark ages" and the belief that the Catholic Church held back the advancement of society. We will also critically assess the "Enlightenment" and enlightenment philosophers
File 3 - Age of Discovery
Spanish Exploration, Conquest of Mexico, French exploration, Catholic missionary activity, and differences between Spanish and French activity in the New World and the English. We will also look at the interaction between between Europeans and Indians in Central, South, and Western America and the effects of the Colombian exchange.
File 4 - Colonial America
Puritan, Scot-Irish, Welch, and Cavalier immigration demographics and timelines, level of religious adherence, 1st Awakening, Kidnapping (spirited away), indentured servitude. English Civil War, and unique characteristics of the Puritan Northeast. We will examine commonly held beliefs about the characteristics and beliefs of these initial immigrants
File 5 - African Slave Trade
Development of the Slave Trade across the Atlantic, African Kingdoms in west Africa who sold slaves, Atlantic crossing, distribution of slaves in the new world, and development of permanent slavery from indentured servitude in the English Colonies.
The American Revolution, religious, cultural, and economic factors driving the revolution, the development of religious nationalism in the Northeast, and concepts of freedom that attempt to develop responsibility and industry as opposed to uncontrolled independence.
File 7 - Awakening and Secularization
Cultural and religious demographics and changes in the Antebellum period, the role of the English and Unitarians in the French Revolution, Asian Opium trade in the Far East and its relation to the development of the American economy, and the incorporation of post-Christian European philosophies into American Christianity. We will loos specifically at the Unitarian takeover of Harvard and the educational system and the spread of European Socialism and Rationalism
File 8 - Slavery and Industrialization
The development of the Industrial Revolution in England and the North, the demand this created for cotton and other agricultural product, the affect this had on the continuance of slavery, and the development of the Abolitionist movement. We will look specifically at the distribution of slavery, the economic ties between the North, South, and England, and the blending of cultures and faith.
File 9 - Road to War
Development of the North South sectional conflict, religious, cultural, and economic differences that contributed to the war, and specific people and events that helped trigger the war. We will look specifically at the press, prominent writers and commentators, and well known religious leaders of the time.
File 10 - War, Reconstruction, and Indian Wars
The Civil War or War Between the States, international factors, widening cultural animosity, waging war against civilians (a new practice in western civilization), the reconstruction period, and an overview of the Indian Wars against the Plains and Western tribes. We will look at who fought the war and, in their own words and perspective, why they fought it along with the beliefs of some of the iconic leaders of the time and the impact all this had on the church after the war.
File 11 - The Progressive Era
Progressive Era reform movements including prohibition, nativism, welfare, and eugenics, the 2nd Klan and it's relation to Masonry and Protestant churches, and the development of an American Empire in the Pacific. We will look at rapidly evolving church doctrine in the established denominations and the impact that was having on church affiliation and culture.
Changes in America's previously adversarial relationship with England, economic power (Rockefeller's and Morgan's), changing relationship of immigrant communities that did not support England (Germans and Irish - hyphenated Americans), and the vision of Progressive Globalism and the end of history. We will look at the roll different churches played in either supporting and selling WWI to the American public or in actively opposing the war and the draft.
Development of Dispensationalism and Zionism including key religious figures that introduced a major shift in prophetic interpretations including Darby, Brooks, Moody, and Schofield and how established church leaders like Charles Spurgeon reacted to them. We will also look at how this was all incorporated into what was referred to at the time as "the New Fundamentalism"
File 14 - Fundamentalism and Conservatism - Part 2
Changes in religious affiliation including the advance of the Baptists and initial decline in Methodist affiliation, Scientific Naturalism, the rapid growth in academic Biblical criticism, and the broad implications of the Scopes Trial. We will also look at how Protestant Christianity was becoming a Southern belief system but then spread across the country with people migrating out of the South seeking better economic opportunities.
File 15 - America Between the Wars
The rejection of a globalist progressive vision and move towards isolationism after WWI, the movement away from progressive churches and progressive churches, and the reshaping of the World after WWI including the rise of the Bolsheviks. We will look at the rise and fall of the conservative and isolationist "Old Right" the religious and cultural makeup of the Roosevelt administration, and the support Protestant Churches of the Chinese Nationalist movement in the Far East. (The China Lobby)
File 16 - World War II and the Cold War
Events leading to WWII including the Trade War of the 1930's, US interests in the war and the public's desire to avoid the war, the beginnings of the European war, America's entry to the war, and the ultimate outcome. We will look at how churches generally perceived the war and what affect the broad support of Protestant Churches had for the "China Lobby" played in the initiation of the War in the Pacific, the Chinese Civil War, and other events in the Cold War Era. We will also discuss the impact WWII had on creating the American self-image and its relationship to Christianity
File 17 - Neo-Liberalism and the New Left
This session deals with the rapid changes in the concepts of "liberalism" from the "vital center" corporate liberalism that emerged right after WWII to more radical groups in the 1960's to the adoption of postmodernism (wokeism) that would ultimately divide society in recent years. We will look at the "Great Society" legislation of the 1960's and the Civil Rights Era and the affect all these factors had on the church as well as on the cultures that make up society.
File 18 - New-Conservatism and the New Right
Changes in the concept of conservatism from traditional and isolationist to interventionalist and globalist starting with the struggle to control the Republican Party in the late 40's and early 50's between those aligned with Rockefeller and Taft. The relationship to McCarthyism and the Cold War followed by the rise of the Neo Conservatives in the 1970's and 1980's and the impact this had on church, culture, education, and the American image of self. A fundamental question to resolve is whether Neo-Conservatism is a Christian movement or not.
File 19 - Kennedy, Dulles, Cuba, and South East Asia
The session addresses the origins of the Cold War both in Europe and Asia focusing on the Churches role in promoting or resisting the Cold War and related events that flowed from it like Korea and Vietnam along with numerous other foreign interventions. We will look at the impact of the McCarthy hearings, Cuba, the JFK assassination. and the fracturing affect this had on the church and American society.
File 20 - Deindustrialization and Financialization
One or more posts pending
File 21 - Pending - Transhumanism