I have read extensively about intellectual history, especially as it relates to Christian theology. The following is a summary of major trends, showing how we got to this miserable situation, where "conservative" Lutheran leaders promote New Age happy-clappy entertainment services, man-centered for the Me Generation. The links provide general information for the typical reader. Google the topic for millions of websites on these topics.
- Reformation. The Socinians were the Unitarians of the 16th century, but not very significant at that time.
- Sixteenth Century, Swiss Reformation. Rationalism spread from two sources. One was the Swiss Reformation, because Zwingli and Calvin had rationalistic tendencies that grew in Calvinism.
- Seventeenth Century. The second source for Lutherans was Pietism, which blended Calvinism and Lutheran doctrine, supplanting orthodoxy with "love," cell groups, and ecumenical missions.
- Eighteenth Century. In the European universities, like Halle (citadel of Pietism), the professors taught the Bible as a book written by and selected by man, subject to rationalistic analysis. Nothing miraculous in the Bible could be true, and Jesus was just a good man who died. Reimarus was the first of these professors. Schleiermacher (Halle student and professor) was the most significant theologian, because he bridged the gap between the old Pietism and the new Rationalism (19th century until now).
- Nineteenth Century. Wescott and Hort, plus Tischendorf - these men undermined trust in the traditional text of the New Testament (see the ending of Mark). By discovering sources without a real history (Tischendorf) and inventing rules for validity (Wescott and Hort), they made the New Testament text a fun puzzle anyone could put together or take apart. Read the Wescott and Hort link if you want to find out how heretics completely undermined the KJV.
- Nineteenth Century. Various Evangelicals accepted Darwin's evolution, forging a compromise doctrine that allowed for God working through evolution. This amalgamation sabotaged the doctrine of Creation, the efficacy of the Word, but it was consistent with the rationalism of Calvinism, making the faith reasonable and attractive.
- Early Twentieth Century. The Lodge Movement reached its peak in America, promoting New Agism and prosperity religion via the Masonic Lodge and various other lodges (Modern Woodmen, Odd Fellows), plus the copy-cat lodges - the KKK and the Mormon sect.
- Twentieth Century. The adulterous theologians Karl Barth and Paul Tillich wowed the academics and journalists. Like Karl Rahner (Roman Catholic), they used theological terms to deny the articles of faith.
- Late Twentieth Century. The Barthians took over Fuller Seminary's faculty and kicked inerrancy out altogether. Robert Schuller's New Agism (via Norman Vincent Peale, who plagiarized his best-seller from an obscure New Ager) and McGavran's sociology statistics completely replaced Christian doctrine with CG principles.
- The "conservative" Lutherans, profoundly influenced by liberal academics in their midst, kicked the KJV out of the publishing house and pews. They slowly abandoned the historic liturgy in favor of entertainment seeker services.
- Twenty-first Century. Except for a few, no one really fought Church Growth. Now the coast is clear for New Agism to dominate, in the name of Emergent Church, Becoming Missional, "transforming lives," and so forth. This is a blend of motivational business-speak and Asian paganism. The powers of the universe (spunky little obedient spirits) will give you everything you demand, if you demand it in great detail. Like the Masonic Lodge, every Christian term used has pagan content behind it. The Christian terms used are camouflage for New Agism.
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LutherRocks has left a new comment on your post "Your Christian Apostasy Calendar - Learn It. Remem...":
Matthew 24:24 (King James Version)
24For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
