Restorationism

This article deals with the restoration of Christian authenticity in worship and living; see Supersessionism for a discussion regarding Restorationism in Dispensational Christian views towards Jewish people in the End times.

Restorationists

Restorationism draws attention to the reason it exists, which is sometimes called the Great Apostasy, or the fallen state of traditional Christianity. Because of its divisions, errors, and compromises with the world, the corrupted church fell out of line with the church founded by Jesus. If there were no apostasy-at-large and a church on the true-and-legitimate pattern was present, there would be no need for a Restoration. Thus, Restorationists can be compared to one another in their conviction that there has been an apostasy, which they undertook to correct.

Related Topics:
Great Apostasy - Jesus - Apostasy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Some who adopt the restorationists' basic standpoint simply abandoned certain features of their own tradition, in favor of beliefs that have frequently appeared in other primitivist movements in the past. Typical of such non-traditional views might be adult baptism by immersion, congregationalism, indifference toward trinitarianism, disbelief in hell, lay ministers, non-substitutionary theories of atonement, free-will conversion, and often an elevated role for women.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In some cases, these groups believe that the Great Apostasy's departure from essential Christianity was so total and disastrous as to render futile any plan to remodel Christianity on existing foundations, necessitating a restoration so radical that the only feature familiar to traditional Christians is the name of Jesus the Christ.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Restoration Movement

Of these movements, the most optimistic about the then-present state of Christianity was the "Stone-Campbell" Restoration Movement. Others sometimes refer to the followers of this movement as Campbellites; but the movement itself never adopted the term, which it considers disparaging. These churches strongly prefer to avoid applying to themselves any of the labels of convenience, which divide Christians from one another, calling themselves instead by generic New Testament names, such as Disciples of Christ, the Christian Church, or Church of Christ. They brought together many from Baptist, Congregationalist, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches, and other Christians across a spectrum of Evangelical and also Unitarian Christianity, at first with astounding success. But, as the movement progressed, it developed non-negotiable distinctives of its own, sometimes referred to disapprovingly as unwritten creeds and fractured into three major groups—each of which has become a recognizable denomination. Perhaps, no movement more typifies the Second Great Awakening than the anti-denominational movement, the Restoration Movement.

Related Topics:
Christianity - Campbellite - Disciples of Christ - Christian Church - Church of Christ

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Latter-day Saints

Main articles: Latter Day Saint movement, History of the Latter Day Saint movement

Related Topics:
Latter Day Saint movement - History of the Latter Day Saint movement

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sought, as the "Christians" and "Disciples" did, to restore original Christianity: but they were much more pessimistic about the state of Christianity. The Great Apostasy was of such disastrous consequence, the Mormons believed, that a new Prophet and Apostles were required in order for God's Kingdom on earth to be re-established. They claimed that their founder, Joseph Smith, was just such a prophet.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As part of his prophetic mission, Smith published the Book of Mormon, said to be translated from Golden Plates as directed by an angel Moroni. Members of the Latter Day Saint movement (Mormonism) believe that the Book of Mormon contains doctrine of the original church of Jesus Christ given to people who lived on the American continent between about 600 BC and 421 AD. Smith also founded the Church of Christ in 1830, which he and his followers viewed as the restoration of the church created by Christ, since he considered the Great Apostasy a removal of God's Kingdom from the earth.

Related Topics:
Book of Mormon - Golden Plates - Angel - Moroni - Latter Day Saint movement - Mormonism - 600 BC - 421 AD - Church of Christ - 1830 - Great Apostasy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Adventism

Adventism is a type of Christian eschatology which looks for the Second Coming of Jesus to inaugurate the Kingdom of God, usually in the near future. This view often involves belief that Jesus will return to receive only a small group of those true Christians who are expecting his return, and in anticipation of it have made themselves ready.

Related Topics:
Christian eschatology - Second Coming - Kingdom of God

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Millerites and Sabbatarianism

The Millerites are the most well-known family of the Adventist movements. From the Millerites descended the Seventh-day Adventists. This group revived apocalyptic teachings anticipating the end of the world, and did not look for the unity of Christendom, but busied themselves in preparation for Christ's return. Millerites sought to restore a prophetic immediacy and uncompromising biblicism that they believed had long been rejected by mainstream Protestant and Catholic churches. The Worldwide Church of God movement belongs to this category because it fused with the Adventists and the Seventh Day churches and spawned, among others, the personal ministry of Herbert W. Armstrong which became the Radio Church of God which became the Worldwide Church of God which then splintered into many other churches and groups while the Worldwide Church of God disassociated itself with the Restoration movements and has made major attempts to join the Protestant branch of Christianity. More recently, the Nazarene (or using the Hebrew word Netzarim) movement claims that Jesus did not intend to replace the Torah, but only to demonstrate how to follow it. The Nazarenes generally hold to Aramaic Primacy, that the Christian New Testament was originally written in Aramaic, not Greek, and make their defense from Semitic languages.

Related Topics:
Millerites - Seventh-day Adventists - Worldwide Church of God - Adventists - Seventh Day - Herbert W. Armstrong - Radio Church of God - Protestant - Nazarene - Torah - Aramaic Primacy - Aramaic - Greek - Semitic languages

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Christadelphians

John Thomas, a convert to the restorationist "Christian" movement, began to publish strong criticisms of his colleagues, condemning them for their unwillingness to fully embrace primitive Christianity. His followers formed a new movement after their leader began to distinguish himself by his adoption of Adventism, a doctrine of a corporeal God, avoidance of political and military involvement, and other distinctives.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jehovah's Witnesses

The Jehovah's Witnesses originated in the 1870s as a Bible study group led by Charles Taze Russell. Like other Restorationists, the Witnesses believe that some time after the death of the last apostle, the Church generally departed in a Great Apostasy from the original faith on major points. Like the Millerites, the Witnesses believe that the original faith could be restored through a generally literal interpretation of the Bible, and a radical commitment to follow its teachings. The Jehovah's Witnesses focused on the restoration of a number of key doctrinal points evident from their interpretation of the Bible, including the use of the word "Jehovah" in reference to the Biblical deity, a rejection of trinitarianism in favor of a type of unitarianism, active proselytization, condemnation of the ingestion or transfusion of whole blood, strict neutrality in political affairs, total abstinence from military service, and a belief in the imminent inauguration of the Kingdom of God on Earth.

Related Topics:
1870s - Bible - Charles Taze Russell - Apostle - Great Apostasy - Millerites - Jehovah - Trinitarianism - Unitarianism - Proselytization - Transfusion - Blood

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~