The Great Apostasy that was NOT

[Saber Bob]

To the best of my knowledge, this theological novum first arose in early 19 the c. America, as part of the American religious fervor and experimentation Alexis de Toqueville noted in Democracy in America. While the Protestant Church's all born after 1517 all claimed the Catholic Church was corrupt in belief and practice, all agreed the Catholic Church had a continuity with the Apostolic Church Christ founded, the Church publicaly proclaimed at Pentecost, c. 32. Hence the very general name of the split away groups, Reformationists. Essentially, all Christians could recite either the Nicene or Apostles' Creeds with only a few quibblings over the meanings of "Catholic Church" and "communion of saints". The only exceptions were, by the 17th century, a few neo-Arian, proto Unitarian sects, scattered and tiny in number.
[/i]

[Saber Bob]

In the 1820s, the Church(es) of Christ was founded by three Cambellite ministers, the Presbyterian-lite movement that swept Eastern America during the Second Great Awakening. While the CoCs were first to claim claim a total disconnect between their reconstructed "pure Christianity" and everyone else's apostasies, the CoC accepted and affirmed Trinitarian theology along with Protestant innovations of Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, congregational polity, and a rejection of effectual sacraments.

[otseng]

Moderator Action

Welcome to the forum. Please note this is a debate forum, not simply a place to post your thoughts. Kindly read through Tips on starting a debate topic.

Moved to Random Ramblings.

[Saber Bob]

As sociologist Rodney Stark has written, lacking State support, American ministers had to hustle to just make a living, let alone fill the present. Innovation was not limited to style, but to content. The Shaker movement was perhaps the earliest manifestation of a break from historical Christianity--the Mormons, until circa 1838-40, other than their American Hebrew claims, we're barely distinguishable from other splinter sects. However, LDS, the emergent Millerites and then the Adventists were explicit in claiming Total/Great Apostasy of true Christianity until such and such founder restored "the pure, simple Gospel".

One variation of apostacy claiments, such as Ellen White of SDA, was "thin red line" of secret "true Christians" who had always existed during the worst errors of "Christendom". In the 1930s, "trail of blood succesionism" would become very popular among Baptists, many claiming their Church had never had a Protestant origin, and traced their descent through supposedly Baptist groups, including the wildly heretical Albigensian-Cathars and Paulicians.

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 4 by Saber Bob]

I dont know about all those authors, we Jehovahs Wintesses just follow the bible where Jesus prophecied that the work he (Jesus) started would be subject to corruption soon after his death. And thag this situation would continue until whag he referred to as the time of the harvest.

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 4 by Saber Bob]

I dont know about all those authors, we Jehovahs Wintesses just follow the bible where Jesus prophecied that the work he (Jesus) started would be subject to corruption soon after his death. And thag this situation would continue until whag he referred to as the time of the harvest.