As It Was In The Days Of Modernism
One of my favorite Presidents was Pres. Theodore Roosevelt. Though there are some things that I, with the hindsight of history, would not see eye to eye with the “Cowboy” President on, I respect the strength and integrity of his Presidency.Though it might also be that in a sense, he was the last of what might be termed “Traditional” Presidents. The following are quotes that show him in that vein:
Quote:
| "It is no use to preach to [children] if you do not act decently yourself." Speech to Holy Name Society, Oyster Bay, August 16, 1903 |
Quote:
| "I have a perfect horror of words that are not backed up by deeds." Oyster Bay, NY, July 7, 1915 |
It would be tough to picture any of our last three presidents issuing this quote:
Quote:
| "A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user." An Autobiography, 1913 |
In so many ways, his presidency was the end of an era. A spillover from the previous century. As Barbara Tuchman describes it in the The Proud Tower many institutions and ways of thought toppled in that first decade of the 20th century.
This occurrence is often referred to as Modernism.
Wikopedia defines Modernism or Liberal Christianity in the following quote:
Quote:
| Liberal Christianity, progressive Christianity—or liberalism within a modern Christian context—is a movement within Christianity that is often characterized by the following features: 1.internal diversity of opinion 2.an embracing of higher criticism of the Bible with a corresponding willingness to question supernatural elements of biblical stories (e.g., the virgin birth) 3.the rejection of biblical literalism and the inerrancy of the Bible the freedom to construct one's own personal view of God broader views on salvation than those held by conservative Christians, including universalist beliefs 4.an emphasis on inclusive fellowship and community, often applied in recent years to racial minorities, women and homosexuals 5.a willingness to consider and adopt viewpoints which have their roots outside of Christianity (e.g., other faith/philosophical traditions) 6.a willingness to combine theology with modern scientific theories |
This toppling of the traditional view of the Bible and Salvation is what prompted leaders from many denominations to begin, what came to be known as, the Fundamental Movement.
Historian David Beale had this to say concerning the movement:
Quote:
| "The essence of Fundamentalism ... is the unqualified acceptance of and obedience to the Scriptures. ... The present study reveals that pre-1930 Fundamentalism was nonconformist, while post-1930 Fundamentalism has been separatist" (Beale, In Pursuit of Purity: American Fundamentalism Since 1850, Bob Jones University Press, 1986, p. 5). (emphasis mine) |
During this time period, many Denominations believed the lie, that in order to reach the world, the church had to accommodate this movement of Modernism. Their drinking in of this errant philosophy was Socratic in it's development and ultimate result. Many of these denominations stand today as “Dead men walking”.
Quote:
| “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it” - George Santayana |
In this age of Post-Modernism we have much to learn from our brethren of a century ago. In my next post we will explore what those lessons might be.
Posted On May 3, 2006 at 0:00 AM
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