02/14/2010 1

EdwardsEnlightenment and Deism:

Rationalism in 18th Century America

“From the Reformation to the Constitution”

Bill Petro

your friendly neighborhood historian

billpetro.com/v7pc

02/14/2010 2

ObjectivesBy the end of this session you should be able to

• Effects of the Great Awakening

• Trace the rise of the Enlightenment

• Identify the key players in the Enlightenment

• Discuss Deism and Unitarianism

• Identify the political theory of John Locke and its

influence on the Founding Fathers

02/14/2010 3

American Church History

Colonial National Modern

1787 1865

Calvinism ArminianismBiblistic Rationalism

LiberalismSubjectivismExistentialism

Theocentrism Anthropocentrism Liberalism

02/14/2010 4

Effects of the Great Awakening

• 80% of Americans unified in common understanding of Christian life and faith

• Dissent/dissenters enjoyed greater respect: Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians

• Emphasis on education: Univ. of Penn, UNC

02/14/2010 5

Effects of the Great Awakening, cont

• Preaching to Indians and Slaves

• Reinterpreted Covenant: man’s response

• Dissolution of Theocracy: disestablishment in VA & NC, democratization

• Breakdown in theological consensus: New/Old Lights

02/14/2010 6

Summary of the Great Awakening

• Increase of new members: 30-40,000

• Increase of new churches: 1740-60: 150 congs.

• Increase in students to prepare for the ministry

• Increase in new denominations: Bapt. & Methodists

• New stress on Missions

• Aided in beginning the American Revolution

02/14/2010 7

Colleges• 1636: Harvard – Puritans, to train clergy• 1701: Yale – “to train men to preach the Gospel• 1749: College of Phila – U. of Penn (revival hall)• 1762: Queens – became Rutgers• 1726: College of New Jersey – Princeton• Moore’s Indian Charity Training College – to train

Indians, moved to Dartmouth• College of R.I. (Baptist) – Brown• Kings College of N.Y. – Colombia, to train Indians

All Ivy League Colleges (except Cornell) were to train men for the ministry

02/14/2010 8

02/14/2010 9

“Denominationalism”

• Primary expression of American Christianity, post 1740’s

• Based, in part, on freedom to differ

• Denomination vs. Sect

• Inclusive vs. Exclusive

• The true church cannot be identified with any single ecclesiastical structure

• Seed planted by Reformers: not of bishops but of believers

• Architected by Congregationalists at Westminster Assembly

02/14/2010 10

1-Word Summary

• Pilgrims Separatists

• Puritans Saints

• Denominations Inclusive

• Whitefield Dramatic

• Wesley Methodism

• Edwards Glory

• Great Awakening Fire

02/14/2010 11

Emotional - Intellectual

02/14/2010 12

Enlightenment

• Post-Reformation

• Rebellion against it in the guise of intellectualism,

empiricism that really denied the faith of the

Reformation

• “Reality is what I observe with my own senses”

02/14/2010 13

Immanuel Kant

• Professor of Logic,

Koniegsburg, Prussia

• Critique of Pure Reason

• Critique of Practical Reason

• Religion reduced to moral acts,

revising the Reformation

• God no longer active

• Man must reach out to God

02/14/2010 14

Approaches to Authority and the Enlightenment Reformation

16 & 17th centuryEnlightenment18th century

Aut

horit

yS

alva

tion

Roman Catholicism Protestantism Rationalism

God

Church

Man

Holy Church

AuthoritarianismPope and Councils

Holy Bible

Creeds(Secondary)

Human Reason

PhilosophicalSystems

God

Christ

Man

God

Man

02/14/2010 15

From Revelation to Reason

Rev

elat

ion

Tra

dit

ion

Rea

son

Past: InfancyPresent: Adulthood

Rej

ecte

dIn

Ref

orm

atio

n

Rej

ecte

dIn

Enl

ight

enm

ent

Sol

e A

utho

rity

External Authority Innate Authority

Irrationality (Myth Makers)Traditional Religion (superstition)

ReasonRational Religion

Progression

02/14/2010 17

19th Century features

• Moralism

• Optimism: logical positivism

• Pelagianism

• Closed System Universe

02/14/2010 19

Isaac Newton

• Principia Mathematica

• Implicit: man has ability to discover secrets of the universe, control destiny

• Narrowing gulf between God and man

• Effect: corrosive effect on Calvinistic orthodoxy, more rational, less emotional

02/14/2010 20

Deism

• A system of belief that a transcendent God left his creation to be governed by Natural Laws discernable by reason.

• “God is absentee”

• No miracles, no revelation, no God-man

• Jesus as Moral Teacher

• Bible as guidebook for ethical life, virtue, piety

02/14/2010 21

Deism: Origin• Science: universe operated on fixed principles,

hence, is a machine operating by fixed natural laws– Copernicus, Galileo (helio-centricism), Newton (gravity)

• Philosophy: if universe runs on fixed laws,then the universe can be known by Reason, without Revelation– Francis Bacon – Inductive method (observe vs. authority)

• Theology: man can start with himself and find truth apart from any help– Descartes: “I think, therefore I am” (mathematical laws)

02/14/2010 23

Deism: Results

• Contributed to the concept that: if a ruler failed in

responsibility, the people could revolt

– Root of American Revolution

• Developed the concept of man’s goodness

• Developed theory on destructive criticism of Bible

02/14/2010 24

Unitarianism

• Strict monotheism (not Trinitarianism)

• Deny Christ’s two natures (deity)

• Christ’s death was only to be an example of

true devotion to God

• Deny election and future punishment

• Key to Life: love toward God’s fellow man

02/14/2010 25

Unitarianism: Origin 1755-1805

• Rose out of practical experience of the people

Wealthy wanted autonomy

• Moneyed classes tended to Nationalism

• Anti-revivalistic attitude

– King’s Church – 1st church to go Unitarian 1782

02/14/2010 26

Orthodoxy, Unitarianism, and Deism

Source of Truth

God

Medium of Revelation

Person of Christ

Nature of Sin

Atonement

ReformationEmpiricismRationalism

Theistic;Plural, personal

Supernatural,Natural

God/Man

Derived & Personal depravity;Moral inability

Penal

EmpiricismRationalism

Theistic;Single, transcendent

Natural

Exemplary Man

Personal depravityMoral ability

(none)

Orthodoxy Unitarianism Deism

EmpiricismRationalismReformation

Theistic;Single, personal

Natural,Supernatural

Archetypal Man

Personal depravityMoral ability

Exemplary

02/14/2010 27

John Locke

• 1632-1704

• Political philosopher

• Argued for the

“reasonableness” of

Christianity

02/14/2010 28

Letter Concerning Toleration

• Became a “Bible” in the

18th Century

• “Reasonableness” of

Christianity

02/14/2010 29

1-Word Summary

• Pilgrims Separatists• Puritans Saints• Denominations Inclusive• Whitefield Dramatic• Wesley Methodism• Edwards Glory• Great Awakening Fire• Enlightenment Rationalism• Deism Mechanistic