THE MODERN CHURCH

EXAM QUESTIONS
1. Give a brief synopsis of the early
formation of two churches in America.
(Student's own words)
2. Why were the Quakers not welcomed by
the Puritans in Boston in 1655?
They held Separatist ideas and were indifferent to
doctrine
3. Why were famous Universities like Yale
and Princeton started?
To train young men for the ministry
4. What was the Great Awakening, and
when did it take place?
1726 - It was a revival of the church.
5. Was it restricted to one denomination?
No, it spread from the Dutch Reformed Church
through most denominations.
6. Name some of the famous evangelists
who took part in the Great Awakening.
Gilbert 1, William Tennant, George Whitefield,
Jonathan Edwards, Shubal Stearns.
7. The Great Awakening had two European
counterparts. What were they?
Pietism and the Methodist Revival in England.
8. Using New England statistics, what were
the positive results of the Great Awakening?
30 to 40,000 new members and 150 new churches out
of a population of 300,000. Higher morality, uplifted
social concerns and new colleges.
9. What was the negative impact of the
Great Awakening?
Creation of the Unitarian Church as a protest to the
use of unordained and uneducated evangelists, the
intrusion of revivalists into established congregations.
10. Name some of the impact of the
American Revolution on the churches.
After the war, state churches were banned, and
national denominations were formed. Religion
became free from politics.
11. Deism has been called a major enemy of
the faith. Identify the main reason for this.
The idea of 'natural law' that could be discovered by
reason, replaced the Biblical teaching that God
'reveals' His truth in the Word. This produced a school
of 'Rational Theology' - reason replaced revelation.
12. What is the major teaching of Deism?
That God created the world and then aban:oned it to
run like a machine.
13. What parts of orthodox belief are not
'needed' by Deism?
Revelation, Christ the Redeemer, the miracles and
prophecy. The Bible became an ethical guidebook
only.
14. What replaced salvation-by-faith in
Deism?
Salvation by personal virtue and churchless piety.
15. What unexpected result did Deism
bring to politics?
By removing the absolute of God, Deism replaced God
with the state as omnipotent. This was the beginning
of the secular all powerful state.
16. Identify some bad traits and some
good ones in Mysticism.
Bad: Swedenberg variety slides into spiritism, leads to
sectarianism and too much 'doctrineless' subjective
depend­ence upon 'feeling.' Good: German Pietism,
emphasizing a return to Biblical theology, to be lived.
The Holy Spirit illuminates the Bible. Always aware of
the need for justice and social responsibility.
17. Why was the Wesleyan Revival so badly
needed in England in the 16th century?
Pastors were not preaching the Bible, morals were at
an all time low, cheap gin was shortening life
expectancy and gambling was rampant.
18. Give some idea of the amazing scope of
the Wesley brothers activities.
John traveled 200,000 miles, preached 42,000
sermons, wrote 200 books and organized the
Methodist Society. Charles wrote 6,000 hymns.
19. What was the result of the Wesleyan
Revival?
It may well have saved England from a revolution
because it involved the British working and labor
classes. It drew 70,000 followers and vastly improved
the quality of life in England.