PROTESTANTS IN AMERICA

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This new community would be "as a city upon a hill"

A Reference to Matthew 5:14

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Episcopal Church to the South

Puritans to the North

What kept them together?

Anne Hutchison spoke out against the state...speaking out against conformity

The individual has power over her/his religious experience.

George Whitfield: Preaching that elicited emotional responses from his audiences

Preached the idea of rebirth.

We need to be reborn!

The Great Awakening

People are starting to ask, “What religion do I have, what religion do I WANT?

Traveling revivalists or ministers would go out and preach that the individual has power over her/his religious experience.

Religion isn't something you inherit

Why are you, you?

Some Scholars believe that the energy behind the Great awakening provides the collective energy to produce a revolution.

Protestant Foundations

Catholics and Protestants are very similar

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The *Five Solae* are like guiding principles that many Protestant traditions use in developing their theology, or way of interpreting God in the world.

The Five are:

• Solo Christo ("by Christ alone")
• Sola scriptura ("by Scripture alone")
• Sola fide ("by faith alone")Sola gratia ("by grace alone")
• Sola gratia ("by grace alone")
• Soli Deo gloria ("glory to God alone")

What do Protestants believe about their bible? How do they read scripture?

Very Connected to it...

The bible is *very* important. It's like the bedrock of many of the protestant churches

Most believe bible somehow inspired by God, however, some Evangelical Christians read the bible literally. Remember that term *fundamentalists*? Some call them "inerrant" or infallible.

Who’s in charge of the Protestant Church? Who makes the decisions?

No Pope!

All believers are equal before God. There's no *elect* group that is seen as closer to God.

All denominations have professional clergy. But it's important that these leaders do not become viewed as being "better" than the laity.

Instead of "priests", there are "ministers", "reverends", and "pastors".

They "preach"

Each Denomination governs itself. Many have Bishops like Catholics.

Sometimes, *Synods* act as regional governing bodies. They're like collections of congregations. Similar to *Archdiocese* but can be bigger. They decide on doctrine and on activities for the community.

Although there are many protestant churches, they are pretty close to each other, thanks to *ecumenical dialogue*.

The World Council of Churches is a good example

What does *protestant morality* look like?

A religion of *Grace*

There is an understanding that we are all "fallen", that we have the potential to sin and that human nature is not perfect. Some denominations lay the guilt on thicker than others. Just like in our faith, eh?

You might hear,

But it's the idea that *you* don't do anything alone. Your *works* are made possible through grace. Therefore, your actions don't justify your faith, they are your faith lived out...

We all have *vocations*

Is there a social side to being a protestant?

Yes, the desire to repair the world

But there's no *single* opinion

Many Lutherans, Baptists, Presbyterians, and Pentecostals are inspired by their faith to go into the world and fix/shape it for the better. These changes are inline with their moral code. Think about those articles...

Mainline and Evangelical: What's the deal Mr. Dowd?

Mainline

• Long-dominant denominations like U.C.C., Presbyterian, Lutheran, Episcopal, Methodists
• They have well defined hierarcy/organization

Evangelical

• New, from the last 3 decades.
• Fundamentalists, moderate evangelicals, Pentecostals, Southern Baptists and other really conservative groups

Evangelical's reacted to modern society by closing-in and shutting out those that were deemed to liberal in thought.

Some Christians were slipping and not acting "Christian" enough. Think evolution, equal rights, sexual promiscuity, etc. Heck, some people even challenged the authenticity of the Bible!

These groups wanted to reinvent an *old-time* religion free of the modern worlds perversions.

Believe in immediate connection with God. Some groups, like Pentecostals, will speak in tongues at services and believe in immediate divine healing.

Saints?

Many will *recognize* saints but won't actually pray to them or *through* them like Catholics do.

There is no *canonization* or *intercession*

Eucharist?

Catholics

• Commonly termed the 'Mystic Supper' or 'Divine Liturgy' - This makes present Christ's sacrifice and therefore forgiveness of sins is obtained through it. It is also an encounter with the Risen Christ.

Protestant

• The Eucharist, like Baptism is only a symbol of grace. The sacrificial nature of the Eucharist is also rejected.

Catholic (ctd.)

• As in Orthodoxy, the Priest invokes the Holy Spirit during the Mass. However, the consecration becomes effective through the Priest, who acts in the person of Christ. The gifts change completely into Christ's body and blood and this change is termed 'Transubstantiation' i.e. the outward appearance remains the same, but the substance changes.

Protestant (cntd.)

• The bread and wine, being symbols, do not change substance. There are however, a wide variety of views held within Protestantism on this subject (e.g. some Anglicans accept the Catholic view, whereas Baptists deny it).

Catholics (last time I swear...)

• As with Orthodoxy, only members of the church may receive. In some Catholic Churches, the bread alone is given to the congregation, the Priest receiving the wine. However, it is becoming common for churches to have communion in both kinds.

Protestants (really, I swear...)

• The elements are usually offered to all Christians who feel able to partake of them. The vast majority of Protestant churches have communion in both kind