Thesis (M.A.)--Cincinnati Bible College & Seminary, 1997. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 408-432).

This dissertation examines the life and work of Charles Ewing Brown (1883-1971), an influential twentieth-century leader of the Church of God (Anderson, IN). During his editorship of the Gospel Trumpet from 1930 to 1951, Brown reinterpreted Christian doctrine in ways that often challenged predominant evangelical and fundamentalist theologies of the mid-twentieth century. Although often associated with theological developments in the nineteenth century, the holiness movement impacted the twentieth century in significant ways, concurrent with the contributions of pentecostalism and neo-evangelicalism. In the late 1950s, a prominent mainline leader heralded the rise of the “Third Force in Christendom,” which prioritized an experiential and primitivist faith that was not encapsulated in Roman Catholicism or historical Protestantism. Despite the presence of holiness groups like the Church of God in the Third Force, prevailing historical narratives of the mid-twentieth century have prioritized the importance of the Reformed fundamentalist tradition associated with Baptists and Presbyterians. In contrast, Brown’s holiness fundamentalism rejected the premillennialism and cultural separatism that prevail in most historians’ depiction of the tradition. Overall, Brown complicates how historians have understood terms such as fundamentalist and evangelical. This work offers a nuanced historical account by showing how a significant holiness leader inherited and modified the beliefs and practices of formative traditions. Through a survey of monographs, editorials, and addresses, this dissertation foregrounds the foundations and implications of Brown’s claim of being an evangelical and a fundamentalist. It begins with a biographical chapter and successive chapters explore how Brown’s outlook informed his view of revivalism and doctrine, his ecclesiology, his critique of premillennialism, his articulation of the social dimensions of Christianity, and his socio-political commentary. The conclusion contextualizes Brown and analyzes his historiographical significance. For Brown, the evangelical and fundamentalist disposition was primarily communal, and the prevailing trend toward hyper-individualism and separation deeply concerned him. By challenging the assumptions about the conservative nature of evangelicalism and the epistemological foundation of fundamentalism, this study offers an initial foray into how holiness groups shaped the contours of twentieth-century American Christianity. It reveals Brown’s continuity with nineteenth-century evangelical social reform efforts and with late twentieth-century progressive evangelicals.

This dissertation is a historical and missiological study of the concept of the child in North American holiness and pentecostal mission discourse between 1897 and 1929. Despite official prioritization of evangelistic preaching, new holiness and pentecostal mission movements devoted much of their energies to starting schools and opening homes for children in need. Growing widespread interest in studying and protecting children encouraged child-focused activity. At the same time, an evangelical spirituality that emphasized childlike trust in God helped to sustain mission work with children. The study analyzes narratives found in denominational and mission periodicals as well as other missionary writings to uncover the voices and actions of mission practitioners. In early holiness and pentecostal mission movements, publications enabled the exchange of stories, ideas, and funds. This exchange spread the idea of living by childlike faith, provided resources for raising children in Christian faith, and supported and built children’s homes. Child-centered discourse thus propelled the spread of holiness and pentecostal meta-cultures that formed the next generation of the movements. Chapters 1 and 2 show the links between holiness and pentecostal mission and earlier evangelical movements. Chapter 1 argues that the child has been central to historical evangelical identity, spirituality, and mission. Chapter 2 identifies changing understandings of the child and approaches to mission that accompanied changes in evangelical identity. These developments contributed to the proliferation of mission discourse on the child during the period of this study. Chapter 3 shows how holiness and pentecostal missionaries, such as Albert Norton, looked to God as a good father who met their needs. Missionaries’ response to a benevolent father was called “living by faith,” and it shaped their approach to mission with children. Chapter 4 examines how members of North American Wesleyan holiness groups, the Free Methodists, Wesleyan Methodists, and Nazarenes, pursued a mission of rescuing and raising children in Christian faith around the world. Chapter 5 explores how pentecostals, such as Leslie and Ava Anglin and Lillian Trasher, set up homes for needy children in various global locations and contributed to the formation of pentecostal childhoods. This dissertation argues that holiness and pentecostal efforts to care for and train children helped to form global evangelical movements. It contributes to the history of mission, sheds light on how and why these movements spread, and provides a historical link to popular practices of twentieth-century child sponsorship. The study concludes by highlighting the role that narratives and the concept of the child played in shaping evangelicalism.

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the relationship between evangelicalism and modernity with the Swedish holiness preacher Emil Gustafson (1862–1900) as a case. This is achieved by comparing Gustafson’s spirituality with Charles Taylor’s characterization of modernity. The investigation identifies five central themes in Gustafson’s spirituality: conversion, calling, suffering, sanctification, and spiritual experience. With regard to these themes paral-lels with modernity are noted. For example, the analysis shows that modern individualism influenced Gustafson’s view of conversion, and that instrumental rationality informed his evaluations of his own work as a preacher. But there are also instances where he distanced himself from modernity. He did not embrace a modern optimistic anthropology, or the view of suffering as purely negative. It is concluded that Gustafson is neither anti-modern, nor identical to Taylor’s depiction of modernity. He represents one kind of modernity. One that is theocentric rather than anthropo-centric. In order to uphold this theocentric character Gustafson’s opposition to the basic struc-ture of modernity had to be grounded in social practices. For instance, his negative anthropol-ogy was grounded in the revival-meeting where outsiders were called to repent and rely on God rather than themselves. Based on the results from this study it is suggested that evangelicalism should be inter-preted as neither in conflict with modernity, nor in continuity with it, but rather as a kind of modernity. There are multiple modernities, and evangelicalism is one of them.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T12:21:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Jeffersonpg1_50.pdf: 585856 bytes, checksum: 276d37970a463a993a070f39dab4cdd2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-04-05 / This thesis is a description and a socio-historical analysis of Church of the Nazarene in all major aspects that contributed to its insertion and expansion in Brazil. We describe the formative history of this church in the United States, drawing on historical and sociological considerations of theological values that it brings, as arminianism, the wesleyan tradition and the doctrine of holiness. We try to understand, primarily, as was the process of integration and expansion of the Church of the Nazarene in Brazil, its governance, its liturgical practice, the training of pastors, the form of aggregation of members and the relationship established between these pastors and members. The study of that denomination is still incipient in the Brazilian academic, so we try to overcome the lack of information about it in the medium. Therefore, we emphasize the aspects of a socio-historical institutional approach that can distance themselves form the Church as the Nazarenes understand their own denomination. In addressing this subject, we emphasize the literature, documentary analysis, use of audiovisual resources, as well as participant observation. This work enabled the understanding that the Church of the Nazarene, from its beginnings, the practice follows the distinction between Protestant in which it operates. In the case of Brazil, where there are many others denominations, the Church has been firmed on its main distinction, the doctrine of holiness, which, by a focus on the theory of religious economies, has served as a product to meet specific market niche Brazilian religious. / Este trabalho é uma descrição e análise sócio-histórica da Igreja do Nazareno nos aspectos mais importantes que contribuíram para sua inserção e expansão no Brasil. Descrevemos a trajetória formativa dessa Igreja nos Estados Unidos, partindo das considerações históricosociológicas dos valores teológicos que ela agrega, como o Arminianismo, a tradição wesleyana e a doutrina da santidade. Buscamos entender, primordialmente, como se deu o processo de inserção e expansão da Igreja do Nazareno no Brasil, sua estrutura de governo, sua prática litúrgica, a formação de pastores, a forma de agregação de membros e a relação que se estabelece entre esses pastores e os membros. O estudo sobre essa denominação ainda é incipiente no meio acadêmico brasileiro, assim, buscamos suplantar a ausência de informações sobre ela, nesse meio. Portanto, ressaltamos os aspectos de um enfoque sócio histórico institucional que podem se distanciar da forma eclesial como os próprios nazarenos compreendem sua denominação. Na abordagem desse objeto, enfatizamos a pesquisa bibliográfica, a análise documental, a utilização de recursos audiovisuais, bem como a observação participante. Este trabalho possibilitou o entendimento de que a Igreja do Nazareno, desde seus primórdios, conduz sua prática pela distinção no meio protestante em que se insere. No caso do Brasil, em que existem muitas outras denominações, a Igreja se firma sobre sua principal distinção, a doutrina da santidade, a qual, por um enfoque da teoria das economias religiosas, tem servido de produto para atender determinado nicho do mercado religioso brasileiro.

This thesis describes the unique transition of the German Alliance-Mission (GAM) from an interdenominational faith mission to a denominational church mission agency. This process was begun and developed by the affiliation on the Federation of Free Evangelical Churches in Germany (FFEC). The GAM was in the beginning stage an intentionally interdenominational mission agency. Their founding fathers Carl Polnick and Fredrik Franson were against denominationalism. Therefore they could not imagine approaching one particular denomination to work together. However, in the 1920's the GAM became more denominationally minded through the influence of the new mission leaders. After World War II the leaders of GAM and FFEC began to negotiate about cooperation. In 1960 the FFEC leaders asked their individual congregations to support the GAM only. In 1975, it became necessary to record an agreement. This agreement made the GAM the official world mission organisation of the FFEC in Germany. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)

This thesis examines five religious organisations which existed in the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, collectively known as the Maritime Region, between 1880 and 1920. Each of these denominations emphasised holiness theology, albeit in varying degrees. They include, in order of their establishment in the region, the Methodist Church, the Free Christian Baptist Conference, the Salvation Army, the Reformed Baptist Alliance of Canada and the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene. This study assesses these religious bodies in a number of ways. First, it examines their theological beliefs, comparing them with one another and tracing any changes which occurred in them between 1880 and 1920. Second, it considers the various associations which each of these denominations developed with the late nineteenth-century American holiness movement. The enquiry devotes particular attention to the response of each religious body to a spiritual encounter, known as ‘entire instantaneous sanctification’, popularised especially during the last quarter of the nineteenth century by the holiness movement in parts of Canada, Great Britain and the United States. Third, a review of the unique strengths and weaknesses of each of the five institutions offers an explanation for the numerical and financial growth of several of these groups early in the twentieth century, as well as the degeneration of others. Fourth, the study discloses much of the opposition which was directed towards Maritime holiness movement sympathisers, offering a number of explanations why some of these individuals left their traditional religious affiliations to join holiness bodies which they perceived to be true advocates of scriptural holiness. Fifth, it appraises the strong leadership which a number of individuals offered to the holiness cause in the Maritime region, taking into account the education, religious training, financial status, gender and ancestral origin of these men and women. Finally, a thorough statistical analysis of each constituency highlights the unique composition of each denomination’s membership. Taken together, these features inform the primary argument of the thesis, which is that significant transformations occurred in some of these religious bodies at the same time as large percentages of constituents became wealthier and more socially acceptable. These changes eventually facilitated the merger of the Methodist Church and the Free Christian Baptist Conference, the two oldest denominations, with national mainline religious bodies. This thesis contends that such unions may not have occurred had these groups not attained public recognition. Furthermore, in realising these achievements both of these denominations relinquished the more radical elements of their heritage, as well as much of the spiritual passion linked with it.

The Maiden Association in Asker was founded in 1865 20 kilometers southwest of Örebro in the county of Närke. A group of unmarried women closely connected to the Asker Baptist congregation met for prayer, bible reading and conversations with early democratic overtones. They gathered in a time of change in a variety of areas, both social as well as church-related. The surviving material from these women – in the form of protocols, membership registers, etc. – provides an insight into their reflexive process. The local Maiden Association in Asker becomes a window, a vantage point into something that would otherwise be hard to access: in other words, the situation and thinking of "ordinary" women. The overall aim of this study has been to contribute to the understanding of how continuity and changes during the latter part of the 19th century, mainly in the realm of church history, could influence the thinking and life ideals of nonconformist Christian women. Based on my meeting with the source material, two central questions have been formulated: 1. How did the Maiden Association in Asker, during the time period 1865–1903 and in its context, formulate and shape the identities as Christian, woman and young? 2. Why were they formulated and shaped in this way? The method selected may be described as church historical and hermeneutic, with an inductive approach. The source material is derived from two distinct periods in the life of the association, 1865–1880 and 1888–1903, which has given the opportunity to identify changes over time. Two theoretical perspectives have been established – one based on identity and one based on intersectionality. The investigation shows the clear influence of the holiness movements at the local level in the shape of the Holiness Union and the Örebro Mission Association. But the study also shows that the lives and thinking of women were not only characterized by change, but also by continuity. The church historical changes that the nonconformist religious women in Asker took part in were not a clean-cut break with previous lutheran traditions and conventions. / Jungfruföreningen i Asker startade 1865 två mil sydväst om Örebro i Närke. En grupp ogifta kvinnor i nära relation till Askers baptistförsamling möttes för bön, bibelläsning och samtal med tidigdemokratiska förtecken. De hade en egen vald styrelse bestående av uteslutande kvinnor. I föreningen gällde allas rätt att rösta och göra sin röst hörd i samtalen långt innan kvinnlig rösträtt genomfördes i Sverige. I sammankomsterna formulerade de själva frågor, vilka de resonerade kring och sedan nedtecknade de sina slutsatser i samtalsprotokoll. Den lokala Jungfruföreningen i Asker blir ett fönster, ett titthål in i historien. Föreningens kvarlämnade spår i form av protokoll m.m. ger en möjlighet att se in i en svunnen tid och in i en grupp frikyrkligt präglade kvinnors tänkande och livsideal. Dessa ”vanliga” unga kristna kvinnor, de flesta och för de flesta okända, konstruerade sina identiteter som kristen, kvinna och ung i en tid av samhälleliga och inte minst kyrkohistoriska förändringar. Studiens frågeställningar fokuserar på hur dessa identiteter formulerades och gestaltades och varför det skedde på detta sätt, under perioden 1865–1903.

This thesis describes the unique transition of the German Alliance-Mission (GAM) from an interdenominational faith mission to a denominational church mission agency. This process was begun and developed by the affiliation on the Federation of Free Evangelical Churches in Germany (FFEC). The GAM was in the beginning stage an intentionally interdenominational mission agency. Their founding fathers Carl Polnick and Fredrik Franson were against denominationalism. Therefore they could not imagine approaching one particular denomination to work together. However, in the 1920's the GAM became more denominationally minded through the influence of the new mission leaders. After World War II the leaders of GAM and FFEC began to negotiate about cooperation. In 1960 the FFEC leaders asked their individual congregations to support the GAM only. In 1975, it became necessary to record an agreement. This agreement made the GAM the official world mission organisation of the FFEC in Germany. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)

Summaries in German and English. / Die vorliegende MTh-Dissertation ist eine missionsgeschichtliche Untersuchung. Sie beschäftigt sich mit der Entstehung der Erweckung in Wales (1904/05), indem sie diese zunächst in den Kontext weltweiter Erweckungen in jenem Jahrzehnt setzt, die gesellschaftlichen und kirchlichen Entwicklungen in Wales vor der Erweckung darstellt und anhand von Primär- und Sekundärliteratur die Entstehung der Erweckung untersucht. Es werden biografische Meilensteine im Leben von Evan Roberts, der herausragenden Persönlichkeit jener Erweckung, bis zum Höhepunkt seines Wirkens nach seiner ersten Missionsreise kritisch beleuchtet. Menschen aus der Schweiz sind nach Wales gereist, um die Erweckung zu erkunden. Parallel zu den Ereignissen sind zahlreiche Artikel und Schriften entstanden, um eine Erweckung in der Schweiz anzufachen. Die Arbeit untersucht die Auswirkungen der Erweckung von Wales auf die deutschsprachige Schweiz und deren Rezeption im historischen Kontext. Aus den Quelltexten wird in missiologischer Perspektive eine wegweisende Richtung für heute eröffnet. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)