EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the sixth in a series of articles on the various denominations in North America, written by Robert W. Caldwell III, who serves as professor of church history at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. We begin the this part of our series on “American Denominations and Other Religious Movements” by examining those groups which originated in the United States. The first movement we will examine was an attempt to be an anti-denomination, that is, they were trying … [Read more...]
Methodism: John Wesley’s plan to bring Christ’s holiness to the world
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the fifth in a series of articles on the various denominations in North America, written by Robert W. Caldwell III, who serves as professor of church history at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. What is Methodism? Methodism is a Protestant denomination that formed in England during the middle of the 1700s. Originally, it was a highly-devotional and energetic evangelical movement which sought to inspire a deep evangelical ethos within the Church of England. … [Read more...]
Congregationalism: Self-governing churches ‘gathered’ under Christ’s rule
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the fourth in a series of articles on the various denominations in North America, written by Robert W. Caldwell III, who serves as professor of church history at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. What is Congregationalism? In church history, the term Congregationalism refers to that form of ecclesiastical polity (or church governance) which envisions the church’s spiritual authority to reside in the local congregation. According to Congregationalists, … [Read more...]
Presbyterianism: Carrying the torch of ‘Reformed’ ecclesiology, theology
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third in a series of articles on the various denominations in North America, written by Robert W. Caldwell III, who serves as professor of church history at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. In the previous article we examined Anglicanism (and its American counterpart, Episcopalianism) and observed that the denomination’s uniqueness stemmed from the way its founders sought to unite the best features of Protestantism and Roman Catholicism. They sought, … [Read more...]
Anglicans & Episcopalians: A Middle Way between Catholicism and Protestantism?
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the second in a series of articles on the various denominations in North America, written by Robert W. Caldwell III, who serves as professor of church history at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Sometimes if you want to understand something you have to dig deep to get at the roots. In order to understand the complexity of today’s American denominations, we must dig deep into the roots history in search of a sound starting point. Long before the American … [Read more...]
Why so many religious denominations in North America?
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first in a series of articles on the various denominations in North America, written by Robert W. Caldwell III, who serves as professor of church history at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Two hundred years ago frontier revivalist Barton Stone was fed up with Presbyterianism. He found the denomination too theological, too elitist, and out of touch with the common frontier folk he ministered to in southern Kentucky. His biggest problem was that he … [Read more...]