Disciples of Christ (Campbell Movement)
The Disciples of Christ (Campbell Movement) were a group arising during the
History
Thomas' son
The Campbells worked within the Redstone Baptist Association during the period 1815 through 1824. While both the Campbells and the Baptists shared practices of baptism by immersion and
Alexander used The Christian Baptist to address what he saw as the key issue of reconstructing the apostolic Christian community in a systematic and rational manner.
In 1827, the Mahoning Association appointed
Several Baptist associations began disassociating congregations that refused to subscribe to the
Influence of the Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment had a significant influence on the Campbell movement.[3]: 80–86 Thomas Campbell was a student of the Enlightenment philosopher John Locke.[3]: 82 While he did not explicitly use the term "essentials," in the Declaration and Address, Campbell proposed the same solution to religious division as had been advanced earlier by Herbert and Locke: "[R]educe religion to a set of essentials upon which all reasonable persons might agree."[3]: 80 The essentials he identified were those practices for which the Bible provided "a 'Thus saith the Lord,' either in express terms or by approved precedent."[3]: 81 Unlike Locke, who saw the earlier efforts by Puritans as inherently divisive, Campbell argued for "a complete restoration of apostolic Christianity."[3]: 82 Thomas believed that creeds served to divide Christians. He also believed that the Bible was clear enough that anyone could understand it and, thus, creeds were unnecessary.[5]: 114
Alexander Campbell was also deeply influenced by Enlightenment thinking, in particular the
Characteristics of the movement
Thomas Campbell combined the Enlightenment approach to unity with the Reformed and Puritan traditions of restoration.[3]: 82, 106 The Enlightenment affected the Campbell movement in two ways. First, it provided the idea that Christian unity could be achieved by finding a set of essentials that all reasonable people could agree on. The second was the concept of a rational faith that was formulated and defended on the basis of a set of facts derived from the Bible.[3]: 85, 86
Alexander Campbell's millennialism was more optimistic than Stone's.[6]: 6 He had more confidence in the potential for human progress and believed that Christians could unite to transform the world and initiate a millennial age.[6]: 6 Campbell's conceptions were postmillennial, as he anticipated that the progress of the church and society would lead to an age of peace and righteousness before the return of Christ.[6]: 6 This optimistic approach meant that, in addition to his commitment to primitivism, he had a progressive strand in his thinking.[6]: 7
Those following the Campbells were called "Reforming Baptists" because of the associations with the
Merger with the Christians (Stone Movement)
The Campbell movement was characterized by a "systematic and rational reconstruction" of the early church, in contrast to the Stone movement which was characterized by radical freedom and lack of dogma.[3]: 106–108 Despite their differences, the two movements agreed on several critical issues.[3]: 108 Both saw restoring apostolic Christianity as a means of hastening the millennium.[3]: 108 Both also saw restoring the early church as a route to Christian freedom.[3]: 108 And, both believed that unity among Christians could be achieved by using apostolic Christianity as a model.[3]: 108 The commitment of both movements to restoring the early church and to uniting Christians was enough to motivate a union between many in the two movements.[6]: 8, 9
The Stone and Campbell movements merged in 1832.[2]: 116–120 [7]: 28 [8]: 212 [9]: xxi [10]: xxxvii This was formalized at the High Street Meeting House in Lexington, Kentucky with a handshake between Barton W. Stone and "Raccoon" John Smith.[2]: 116–120 Smith had been chosen, by those present, to speak in behalf of the followers of the Campbells.[2]: 116 A preliminary meeting of the two groups was held in late December 1831, culminating with the merger on January 1, 1832.[2]: 116–120 [10]: xxxvii
Two representatives of those assembled were appointed to carry the news of the union to all the churches: John Rogers, for the Christians and "Raccoon" John Smith for the reformers. Despite some challenges, the merger succeeded.[1]: 153–154 Many believed the union held great promise for the future success of the combined movement, and greeted the news enthusiastically.[6]: 9
With the merger, there was the challenge of what to call the new movement. Clearly, finding a Biblical, non-sectarian name was important. Stone wanted to continue to use the name "Christians." Alexander Campbell insisted upon "Disciples of Christ". As a result, both names were used.[1]: 27–28 [11]: 125 The confusion over names has been present ever since.[1]: 27–28
See also
Notes
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8272-1703-4
- ^ a b c d e Davis, M. M. (1915). How the Disciples Began and Grew, A Short History of the Christian Church, Cincinnati: The Standard Publishing Company
- ^ ISBN 0-89112-006-8
- ^ Philadelphia Confession
- ISBN 0-7369-1289-4
- ^ ISBN 978-0-313-23312-8, 345 pages
- ^ ISBN 0-89137-513-9(cloth)
- ^ Garrison, Winfred Earnest and DeGroot, Alfred T. (1948). The Disciples of Christ, A History, St Louis, Missouri: The Bethany Press
- ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, Introductory section entitled Stone-Campbell History Over Three Centuries: A Survey and Analysis
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, Introductory Chronology
- ISBN 978-0-8028-3898-8, 854 pages, entry on Campbell, Alexander