Christian Modernism - Timeline Movement

1870 - 1930

In the mid-19th century, the United States underwent massive intellectual changes. Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species (1859) challenged literal interpretations of the Bible and various developing academic disciplines (e.g., biblical studies and history) introduced more relativistic interpretations of truth.

In response, many Christians adopted modernism, or liberalism, as a solution to reconcile Christianity to the modern social world. Highlighted by the works of Horace Bushnell, Christian modernists emphasized feelings and the experience of God over strict obedience to biblical law. Moreover, they welcomed doctrinal revisions based on developments in science and biblical understandings. By the early 20th century, modernists became prevalent in many mainstream Protestant denominations, particularly Presbyterianism.

The liberal and relative worldviews of modernists outraged many orthodox believers, who later became associated with the fundamentalist movement. Tensions with fundamentalists, along with the disenchantment of human progress following World War I and the Great Depression, ultimately weakened the movement by the 1930s.

Social Movements and Religion

Social Movements and Religion
All Entries