Clash of Cultures
v Religiopolitic
confllict between the indigenous peoples of the North American continent
and European colonists
v
Religion = ideals about the nature of
reality; how reality should be; a worldview
v Politics
= power; the natural human drive to the ideal REALIZED in the world
v Religion
& Politics (as power) are inseparable!
ONTOLOGICAL DUALISM
Two Different worldviews about BEING:
1. UNITIVE: all is one, the Divine is
immanent and enlivens and empowers everything in creation; typical of
earth-centered spirituality = Native American spirituality or wicca
& neo-paganism
2. DUALISTIC: the Divine is transcendent;
Creator and creation are separate = “dual” means “2”
ONTOLOGICAL DUALISM
v One
of the most powerful ideas in human intellectual history
v Provides
the philosophical, theological, and social underpinnings of Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam
v As
a religiopolitical worldview, it “clashes” with the unitive worldview
of most Native American groups
ONTOLOGICAL DUALISM: Characteristics
1. The Divine is separated in terms of “being” from the creation (earth,
human activity)
v the
source of being is “outside” human experience
v the
source of being is “outside” the natural world
v God
does control the course of human history
ONTOLOGICAL DUALISM:
Characteristics
2. Usually, earthly existence is
seen as inferior or, at best, a stage to prepare human beings for their eternal
reward or punishment.
v Radical
Dualism = some interpretations see the Earth and nature as Satan’s realm
v Nature
is a “howling wilderness,” a place of demonic temptation and evil
ONTOLOGICAL DUALISM:
Characteristics
3. Nature is devalued
v
Christian men are
identified with the Creator
v
Native Americans are
identified with Nature; they are dehumanized
v
Nature is a mere prop
for the Divine plan
v sets up a manipulative, controlling, exploiting
attitude towards nature and Native Americans
v radical dualism sees nature as evil and Native
Americans in league with the Devil
Religiopolitical Conflict: Death by biblical replication!
v “Indian”
originally came from “En-Dios” = “in God”
v When
the “indians” refused to convert to Christianity or conform to European ideas
about land ownership and usage, they were dehumanized and slaughtered
v Judges
in the Bible; convert or die!
America’s Protestant Christian Culture Core
The biblical culture core of America:
• A
people chosen by God
• Possessing
a special destiny
• To
build God’s kingdom and live freely under moral law (prosperity/morality link)
• In
a “land of milk and honey” where the people will grow and prosper = reward
• Breaking
the covenant = punishment!
Awakenings
v
During a time of cultural
challenge: social, economic, political, or act of war!
v
REVIVAL = the biblical
ideals of the culture core are revisited
v
AWAKENINGS = 30-40
year periods of cultural transformation
v
REFORM = the process
of redefining the culture core so that the nation is, once again, UNITED
in purpose and direction
Awakenings
v 1st
Awakening (1730-1760) social result = creation of a new nation
v 2nd
Awakening (1800-1830) social result = settling the frontier
v 3rd
Awakening (1870-1920) social result = resolving massive social revolutions
v 4th
Awakening (1965-?) = social result = creating united States of America
When & Why Awakenings Happen
Disjunctions between:
§
Religiopolitical values and inworld experience
§
Old beliefs and new realities
§
Dying patterns and emerging patterns of behavior
§
Cognitive dissonance in daily cultural
experience
How Awakenings Occur
v Period
of individual stress; bonds of society begin to snap
v Period
of cultural distortion & political rebellion:
v attacks
on authority
v distrust
of institutions
v rise of conservative politics and
fundamentalist religion
How Awakenings Occur
v
Appearance of a cultural prophet(s) – someone
who can redefine the culture core
v Cultural/religious
revivalism – the prophet begins to attract more flexible members of society
v Prophet(s)
wins over population at large; balance achieved between religious ideals and
political/cultural reality
The Puritan Awakening
v Protestant
Reformation: 16th century religiopolitical power
transformation
v Change
from Catholic sacramental worldview to Protestant sacrificial worldview
v Development
of a negative theology regarding the human condition
v God
is a distant, judgmental Creator
Synod of Dort (Tulip)
v Total
depravity
v Unconditional
election
v Limited
atonement
v Irresistibility
of Grace
v Perseverance
of the Saints
v Other
key doctrines = predestination and Original Sin
Paradoxical Perspective
v The
“world” is evil, yet earthly rewards may determine whether one is saved or not.
v This-worldly
asceticism = sober, hard work in this life brings rewards in the next.
v Rewards
(excess wealth) may indicate that a person is among the “elect” (going to
heaven).
v Welcome
to the Protestant Work Ethic!
Social Implications of Reformation Theology
v No
divine rulers in society
v Reform
the Christian Church
v Establish
a place for secular authority
v Worship
in the language of the people
v Opens
the door for individualism and democracy as collective realities
v Nation-state
consciousness arises
Colonial Religious Diversity
v Anglicans
(Episcopalians Jews
v Congregationalists Amish
v Presbyterians Anabaptists
v Baptists Dutch
Reformed
v Quakers
Witchcraft
v Lutherans Occult
v Roman
Catholics Ritual
magic
“Churched” America:
Evangelical Christian Beliefs
v Jesus
is God’s only son; his death and resurrection make salvation possible.
v Accept
Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior or you have no chance for
salvation.
v Human
beings are sinners in need of Jesus.
v Unbelievers,
meaning all non-Christians, are unrepentant sinners headed for Hell.
“Unchurched” America
v Spiritual,
but not religious; distrust of organized religion; “seeker style”
v Personal
spiritual experience is more important than accepting religious dogma on faith.
v The
human soul and God are one. Humans are
not sinners; God is ever-present.
v Interest
in “metaphysical realities” beyond ordinary human consciousness.
America’s culture core: A Result of the Puritan Awakening
v Authority
of the Bible
v “Priesthood”
of believers
v Morality
and prosperity are linked (very Old Testament!)
v America
is the new “promised land”
v Millennialism
– building God’s kingdom in America
v Separation
of civil and religious authority
Cambridge Platform of 1648
v
Puritan religiopolitical system is a de facto
theocracy
v Ecclesiastic
& civil power rests with the church elders
v You
must demonstrate “moral regeneration” to be a voting church member
v Outside
the church, citizens have no power or representation in government
First Great Awakening
(See Class 9, Study Guide)
v Breakdown
of the rigid, Puritan interpretation of the culture core
v The
religiopolitical ideals are redefined in a more democratized, inclusive
manner
v Real
religious freedom emerges
v Great
revivals breakdown colonial boundaries
v Sets
the stage for “national conscience”
First Great Awakening
v Protestant
Pietists = religious experience over doctrine & denominational boundaries
v Enlightened
Rationalists = influenced by Deism, the rational approach to human
beings & society (John Locke) and the scientific method (Isaac Newton)
v Both
support religious freedom for different reasons
First Great Awakening
Reasons:
v
Disjunction between religiopolitical ideals and
in-world experience
v
Changing structures of authority and power
v
Puritan “distance” between God and human beings
becomes “unacceptable”
v
Requires theological and social
“fine-tuning”
Reasons for the Awakening
v Economic
pressure/confusion = ambition v. common good; laudable industry v. sinful
worldliness
v Breakdown
of the extended family = new generation “moves on” to new land & areas
v Enlightenment
ideals = “this-worldly” focus; reason, liberty, progress, universalism
Reasons for the Awakening
v Vast,
rich natural environment = God’s blessing v. Satan’s temptation in the
wilderness
v Freudian
analysis = “getting right with the Father” – The Puritan “God” is a grinding
source of anxiety and guilt
v Social
deprivation theory = the development class struggle – “haves v. have nots”
Revivalism Transforms Culture
v
Itinerant preachers = George Whitefield, the Tennent
family cross denominational boundaries & preach religious experience
v God
is “democratized” – no elite religious or educational establishment
v Key
issues:
v Nature
of religious experience
v Assurance
of salvation, saving grace
Revivalism Transforms Culture
v Formation
of national conscience
v Post-millennialism
– building the kingdom of heaven on American soil
v Revitalization
of the individual let to revitalization of society
v Religious
revival as political activity = born-again citizens remodel society according
to God’s will
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)
v Master
psychologist of religion
v Bridges
the gap between God and humans
v Clarifies
the idea of conversion
v Provides
a method for rebirth
v Brings
order and vision to revivalism and the cultural transformation of the 1st
Awakening
v Redefines
the American culture core
Jonathan Edwards
v Puts
“made-in-America” stamp on religious revivalism:
v Rewrites
history from Adam/Eve to Northampton
v God
will begin epochal work in America
v Kingdom
of Heave will be built with the voluntary help of Americans
v American
will be a “Light unto the World”
v The
“idea” of a nation begins to emerge