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Tanya  Marchun  Global  Christianity  

Final  Paper       While  the  sixteenth  century  was  most  important  in  the  changes  between  the  Catholic  and  

Protestant  churches  there  were  many  factors  that  lead  to  the  changes  that  took  place.    Many  of  those  

changes  came  from  previous  centuries,  most  notably  the  eleventh  through  thirteenth  centuries.    During  

these  centuries  the  transformation  of  the  church  subtly  began.    During  the  eleventh  century  the  split  of  

the  Eastern  and  Western  churches  laid  the  foundation  for  the  rise  of  the  nation  state,  the  Protestant  

Reformation,  the  Catholic  Reformation  as  well  as  the  development  of  the  Gutenberg  Printing  Press  and  

Renaissance  thinking.    Thomas  Aquinas  pursued  interpreting  Aristotelian  theology  into  Christianity  and  

wrote  his  most  important  work  the  Summa  Theologica.      

  The  rise  of  scholasticism  allowed  people  to  become  more  knowledgeable,  it  trained  the  Western  

mind,  and  the  printing  press  helped  motivate  individuals  to  communicate.    One  major  writer  that  had  an  

impact  on  society  was  Thomas  Moore  who  famous  book,  Utopia,  had  a  large  impact  upon  the  political  

and  social  movements  taking  place  within  Europe  at  the  time  of  its  release.    The  centralized  monarchy  

had  many  tensions  between  where  authority  should  lie,  with  the  King  or  with  the  Church.    A  separation  

of  church  and  state  caused  new  developments  and  new  belief  systems.      

  During  the  Renaissance,  Humanism  developed  which  lead  to  a  completely  different  way  of  

thinking,  that  a  man  can  choose  his  own  destiny.    Previously,  Christian  thinking  was  theocentric  which  

was  God  centered  while,  the  Renaissance  lead  to  an  anthropocentric  way  of  thinking,  based  on  self  

centeredness.    Many  centrifugal  forces  lead  to  the  breakup  of  Christendom.    Over  one  third  of  Europe  

converted  to  Protestantism,  tensions  between  authorities  arose,  there  were  political  as  well  as  

theological  changes  taking  place,  and  much  of  the  papacy  was  corrupt.    Martin  Luther  ignited  the  wick  

which  detonated  the  reformation  bomb,  so  to  speak.      

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  Martin  Luther  had  many  doubts  and  questions  about  the  Catholic  faith,  which  grew  as  he  

studied  the  Bible.    Luther  entered  a  monastery  and  became  part  of  the  order  of  the  Observant  

Augustinians.    What  is  ironic  about  Luther  is  that  he  was  not  a  person  that  was  against  the  Catholic  faith  

at  all,  he  just  questioned  some  of  the  beliefs  such  as  salvation.    He  seemed  to  have  a  hard  time  believing  

that  humans  could  not  achieve  salvation  on  their  own.    As  he  studied  the  Bible  more,  he  was  able  to  

come  up  with  a  phrase,  justification  by  grace  through  faith,  which  allowed  him  to  realize  where  he  

places  his  authority,  in  himself  or  in  Jesus  Christ.    

  Mostly  Luther  is  known  for  his  attack  on  the  sale  of  indulgences.    

“Indulgences  released  people  from  the  penalties  or  works  of  satisfaction  they  still  owed  by  

drawing  on  the  surplus  good  works  of  the  saints  and  of  Christ….Thus,  for  example,  a  sinner  

might  receive  an  indulgence  to  offer  prayers  and  alms  instead  of  a  pilgrimage  as  her  work  for  

satisfaction,  and  the  merits  of  Christ  and  the  saints  would  make  up  the  deficiency  (Cory  &  

Hollerich,  319).”      

Luther’s  Ninety-­‐Five  Theses  expressed  many  of  the  questions  and  reservations  people  had  about  

indulgences.    However,  this  lead  to  greater  questioning  of  not  only  the  church,  but  also  the  authority  of  

the  pope,  which  ultimately  lead  to  Luther’s  excommunication  from  the  Catholic  Church.    Luther  also  had  

many  important  writings  in  the  year  1520:  Address  to  the  Christian  Nobility  of  the  German  Nation,  On  

the  Babylonian  Captivity  of  the  Church,  and  Christian  Liberty.    The  Address  called  for  German  princes  

and  rulers  to  complete  the  reforms  that  the  church  officials  would  not  do.    Luther  defended  the  position  

that  he  took  saying  that  Christians  have  the  right  because  of  their  baptism.    The  Captivity  of  the  Church  

was  writings  about  the  sacraments  of  the  church.    Luther  refused  transubstantiation,  thought  it  was  too  

much  of  a  philosophical  approach  to  the  body  and  blood  of  Jesus.    In  the  broader  picture,  Luther  was  

criticizing  the  way  the  Catholic  Church  practiced  and  believed  the  sacraments.    Oddly  enough,  Luther  

still  believed  in  two  of  the  sacraments,  Eucharist  and  Baptism.    He  also  believed  that  the  practice  of  

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private  confession  was  good  for  Christians  to  do.    In  his  third  writing,  Christian  Liberty,  he  describes  his  

theology  of  justification  by  grace  through  faith.    He  defines  Christian  freedom  and  describes  the  

relationship  between  faith  and  other  works  in  a  Christian’s  life.  

  Luther  got  protection  from  his  own  ruler,  who  took  him  into  hiding  for  10  months.    After  his  

hiding  Luther  was  preaching  again  and  called  for  reform,  which  caused  another  uprise  a  few  years  later  

called  the  Peasants’  Revolt.    However,  he  was  also  successful  in  helping  conclude  the  revolt  by  asking  for  

a  resolution  between  the  peasants  and  the  German  princes.      

  An  important  foundation  within  the  reformation  was  the  First  Diet  of  Speyer.    This  allowed  for  

each  German  prince  to  act  however  he  wanted,  some  supported  Luther  while  some  stayed  loyal  to  the  

Catholic  Church.    The  Second  Diet  of  Speyer  declared  that  Lutheranism  would  only  be  allowed  in  areas  

where  it  could  thrive  without  violence.    Germany  was  divided  into  Catholic  and  Protestant.    The  

Augsburg  Confession  is  an  important  document  that  was  used  to  attempt  to  show  the  similarities  

between  Protestants  and  Catholics.    After  the  spread  of  Lutheranism,  Luther  spent  many  years  

afterwards  organizing  the  church.    Luther  translated  the  entire  Bible,  wrote  two  catechisms  to  help  

instruct  believers,  reorganized  and  reworded  the  Liturgy  of  the  Mass,  and  created  a  hymn  book.      

  Another  important  person  within  Protestant  reformation  was  John  Calvin.    Calvin  had  much  of  

the  same  thought  as  Luther  did  regarding  faith.    “Calvin,  then,  is  very  much  of  the  same  mind  as  Luther  

in  his  emphasis  on  the  inability  of  human  beings  to  save  themselves  by  fulfilling  the  Law.    They  must  rely  

on  their  faith  alone,  for  only  God  can  bring  about  their  redemption  (Cory  &  Hollerich,  337).”    Calvin  also  

believed  in  election,  which  was  the  idea  that  God  chooses  certain  people  to  entire  into  a  special  

relationship  with.    Calvin’s  two  defenses  for  this  idea  of  election  were  that  one,  God  could  choose  

emphasizing  God’s  dominion  and  two,  it  is  part  of  God’s  plan  to  make  one  holy  and  set  the  person  apart  

for  a  special  task.      

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  Calvin  also  expounded  on  this  idea  with  double  predestination,  in  which  God  has  already  chosen  

some  for  salvation  and  some  for  damnation.    “Calvin  believed  that  double  predestination  was  a  freeing  

doctrine:  It  meant  that  people  did  not  need  to  be  anxious  about  the  destiny  of  their  souls,  since  that  had  

already  been  determined  (Cory  &  Hollerich).”    Much  of  what  Calvin  believed  was  similar  to  Luther;  

however,  one  thing  set  him  apart.    Calvin  did  not  completely  agree  with  transubstantiation  but  he  did  

ask  an  important  question  of  how  the  body  of  Christ  becomes  present  in  us  and  how  Christians  become  

more  united  to  Christ.    He  had  three  answers:  first,  Jesus’  sacrifice  for  us,  second,  thanksgiving  of  

acceptance  for  what  Christ  did,  and  finally,  a  communion  where  all  Christians  take  part  in  one  body.      

  Calvin  was  very  important  in  attempting  to  give  an  understanding  of  authority  for  the  reformed  

Protestant  church.    He  established  a  consistory,  which  was  a  group  of  twelve  members:  four  church  

members,  four  from  the  government,  and  four  from  the  church  leadership.    However,  this  did  not  last  

long  and  Cardinal  Sadoleto  drafted  an  appeal  to  the  Genevan  people  to  return  to  the  Catholic  Church.    

This  did  not  work  either,  but  the  Genevan  people  wanted  to  reply  to  Sadoleto  and  turned  to  Calvin  to  

write  it.    Calvin  returned  to  Geneva  and  remained  there  until  his  death  in  1564.    He  was  also  an  

important  figure  in  the  foundation  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  his  idea  of  consistory  is  still  useful  

today  for  other  denominations.      

  During  this  time  of  Protestant  Reformation  there  was  also  a  reformation  taking  place  within  the  

Catholic  Church.    Just  like  previous  reformations  and  changes  within  the  church,  this  reformation  was  

the  renewal  and  clarification  of  doctrines;  it  was  a  spiritual  renewal  as  well  as  a  renewal  for  religious  

orders  and  missionization.    The  Protestant  Reformation  actually  opened  up  a  space  that  allowed  for  the  

changes  in  the  Catholic  Church  to  take  place.    There  was  the  external  change,  to  confront  the  movement  

of  the  Protestant  reformers,  as  well  as  the  internal  change,  to  meet  concerns  of  those  who  believed  the  

fundamental  changes  within  the  Catholic  Church.      

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  Some  of  the  new  religious  orders  that  were  created  before  the  Council  of  Trent  included:  

oratories,  which  were  groups  of  clergy  who  banded  together  to  pray,  meditate  and  support  each  other  

in  discussion  about  the  reforming  church.    The  most  famous  is  the  Oratory  of  Divine  Love  which  trained  

reform-­‐minded  clergy  to  enter  into  the  church.    There  was  also  the  Congregation  of  the  Mission,  which  

held  retreats  and  prepared  men  for  priesthood,  founded  by  St.  Vincent  de  Paul.    There  was  also  the  

Ursulines,  which  was  the  first  order  of  women  that  dedicated  themselves  to  teaching.    One  of  the  most  

influential  even  to  this  day  was  the  Society  of  Jesus  also  known  as  the  Jesuits,  which  was  founded  by  

Ignatius  of  Loyola.    The  Jesuits  were  highly  skilled  in  education,  especially  higher  education  and  even  

today  there  are  universities  founded  by  Jesuits  as  well  as  classes  still  taught  by  Jesuit  priests  or  brothers.      

  One  of  the  most  important  parts  of  the  Catholic  Reformation  was  the  Council  of  Trent.    Pope  

Paul  III  called  this  council  together,  which  wanted  to  come  to  grips  with  the  basic  teachings  within  the  

church  and  then  have  internal  reform.    The  council  gathered  in  1545,  but  it  spanned  over  a  matter  of  

nearly  20  years.    It  consisted  of  three  different  sessions,  the  first  from  1545-­‐1547,  dealt  with  doctrinal  

definitions.    The  second  from  1551-­‐1552,  dealt  with  doctrinal  and  practical  matters.    The  third  from  

1562-­‐1563,  dealt  with  disciplinary  correction  and  regulations  of  church  activities  for  the  future.    The  

Council  was  able  to  make  clarifications  about  many  of  the  issues  that  the  Protestant’s  regarded,  such  as  

justification  by  faith.      

The  council  responded  to  this  by  clarifying  the  difference  between  justification  and  salvation.    

Faith,  hope  and  charity  are  needed  for  salvation.    Another  issue  was  the  Bible  as  authority  for  the  

Protestants,  in  which  the  council  declared,  “Unwritten  tradition  of  the  church  must  also  be  received  

with  reverence,  since  it  too  contains  the  word  of  God,  having  its  origins  in  the  teaching  of  the  apostles.    

The  sacraments  were  reasserted  as  essential  to  the  Christian  life  (Cory  &  Hollerich,  356).”    Luther  and  

other  reformers  attack  of  the  traditional  Mass  of  Christ’s  sacrifice  was  met  with  a  strong  redefinition  of  

the  Liturgy,  which  incorporated  the  Vulgate  and  was  named  the  only  authoritative  translation  of  the  

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Bible.    The  Council  of  Trent  was  also  important  in  the  fact  that  it  ended  the  selling  of  indulgences,  gave  

Bishops  supervision  of  their  dioceses,  and  seminaries  to  educated  Bishops  were  created,  among  others  

things.      

Not  only  were  doctrines  and  people  changed  during  the  time  of  the  Reformations,  art  and  

architecture  was  also  changing.    Many  of  the  new  churches  that  were  built  by  the  Protestant  Reformers  

were  simple.    Many  of  the  churches  that  were  taken  over  by  the  Protestants  were  repainted  and  

stripped  of  their  ornamental  statues,  etc  for  a  more  simplistic  style.    The  art  of  the  Renaissance  had  a  

great  impact  upon  the  art  that  was  created  during  the  time  of  the  Reformations.    Realism  is  an  aspect  

that  the  artists  strived  for.    Many  of  the  artists  depicted  scenes  from  the  Bible,  while  others  also  

depicted  everyday  life  situations.    Some  strived  to  illustrate  the  beauty  of  creation,  a  sense  of  power,  

the  need  for  salvation  as  well  as  the  good  and  bad  sides  of  human  nature.      

Germany  was  most  influential  in  its  production  of  music  that  was  created  with  larger  masses  of  

people  in  mind.    “The  hymns  were  sung  in  the  vernacular.    Some  of  our  most  well-­‐known  Christian  

hymns,  including  several  new  arrangements  by  Johann  Sebastian  Bach,  date  back  to  the  time  of  the  

Reformation  (Cory  &  Hollerich,  359).”    New  art  was  also  commissioned  to  show  the  important  aspects  of  

Catholic  orthodoxy.    Baroque  was  the  term  given  to  this  art  and  architecture  during  this  time.    “While  it  

had  been  influenced  by  the  realism  of  the  Renaissance,  Baroque  art  and  architecture  added  the  

dimension  of  light  and  darkness,  suggesting  that  the  division  between  this  world  and  the  heavenly  realm  

is  penetrable,  at  least  through  the  mediation  of  the  Virgin  Mary  and  the  saints  (Cory  &  Hollerich,  359).”      

Much  of  the  art  changed  in  the  sense  that  it  tried  to  involve  the  observer.    Many  churches  were  

also  filled  with  depictions  from  the  Bible  which  were  meant  to  be  awe  inspiring  and  dramatic.    “As  an  art  

form,  it  was  the  intention  of  the  Baroque  to  bring  immediacy  of  experience,  to  appeal  to  the  feelings  

and  the  emotional  side  of  faith,  to  illustrate  doctrine  in  a  way  that  made  pastoral  sense  and  yet  was  

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compelling  religiously  and  artistically  (Cory  &  Hollerich,  360).”    The  art  and  architecture  was  specifically  

made  to  be  inviting  and  interesting  to  attract  people  to  the  church.  

While  these  changes  took  place  in  certain  areas,  there  was  a  need  to  expand  the  word  and  

works  throughout  the  world.    This  lead  to  the  global  expansion  and  missionizing  outward  proclamation  

of  the  faith.    Jesuits  were  large  leaders  in  the  missions  in  Peru  and  the  Franciscans  and  Dominicans  were  

leaders  in  the  East  such  as  Japan  and  China  as  well  as  in  the  West.    Francis  Xavier  was  influential  in  India  

and  the  Far  East;  he  brought  Christianity  to  Japan  for  the  first  time.    What  made  Xavier  so  successful  in  

Japan  was  that  he  made  himself  become  part  of  the  culture  of  Japan.    He  did  not  try  to  just  go  in  and  

convert  people,  he  took  his  time,  becoming  a  friend  to  people  and  learning  their  ways  of  life.    As  the  

exploration  of  the  new  world  expanded,  Christianity  also  corresponded  with  missionary  work.      

Portugal  and  Spain  were  important  in  the  exploration  of  the  new  world.    The  church  protected  

the  natives  that  were  in  the  new  world,  and  gave  them  rights  which  are  equivalent  to  Human  Rights  

today.    One  of  the  greatest  boosts  in  Catholicism  in  the  Spanish  new  world  came  from  an  apparition  of  

the  Virgin  Mary  to  Juan  Diego  in  Mexico  City.    Our  Lady  of  Guadalupe  is  influential  still  today  and  is  very  

important  to  the  devotion  of  Spanish-­‐American  Catholicism.    This  era  of  time  was  very  important  to  the  

expansion  of  Christianity  throughout  the  world  and  just  like  with  other  expansions  of  Christianity,  there  

were  challenges  to  it.      

The  deepest  disagreements  within  Christianity  really  seemed  to  be  disagreements  about  where  

to  strike  the  balance  between  seeing  modernity  as  revolt  versus  seeing  it  as  the  adulthood  of  the  human  

race.    The  modern  period  beginning  around  1600,  had  a  large  demand  for  autonomy  or  “one’s  self  as  

law.”    This  time  period  developed  more  importance  about  personal  rights  versus  being  under  rights  of  

the  church  or  another  authority.    The  ultimate  authority  was  “self.”      

Science  was  very  influential  in  the  changes  during  this  time  for  Christianity.    People  were  now  

capable  of  understanding  through  science,  Christianity  could  not  be  explained  with  science;  therefore,  

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many  people  began  to  question  its  very  structure  and  foundation.    Scientific  exploration  and  change  

began  with  Nicholas  Copernicus  who  proposed  that  the  earth  and  other  planets  revolved  around  the  

sun.    This  idea  contradicted  previous  scientific  statements  about  the  Earth  being  the  center  of  the  

universe  and  the  planets  and  sun  orbiting  around  it.    Galileo  Galilei  was  influential  because  he  supported  

Copernicus’  theory.    This  new  idea  was  a  threat  to  Christianity  because  it  contradicted  what  was  in  the  

Bible,  or  so  it  seemed  that  it  was  taught  that  the  sun  revolved  around  the  Earth.    Galileo  was  able  to  

teach  the  Copernican  theory  as  a  theory;  however,  he  could  not  teach  it  as  fact.    And  when  he  began  to  

teach  it  as  fact,  the  Catholic  Church  condemned  him  from  teaching  it  at  all.    Now  the  church  is  looked  

down  upon  by  scientists  because  they  believe  that  the  church  opposes  science,  when  in  reality  that  is  

not  true.  

The  New  Science  replaced  the  older  scientific  views  such  as  Aristotelian  physics  with  a  new  

physics  that  was  based  on  tiny  particles  –  atoms  that  followed  mathematical  and  mechanical  laws.    

Everything  was  based  upon  these  atoms  and  nature  was  seen  as  more  of  a  machine.    Many  scientists  

such  as  Galileo  Galilei,  Francis  Bacon,  Rene  Descartes,  Isaac  Newton,  and  others  were  influential  in  the  

beginning  of  the  new  science.    Isaac  Newton  developed  inertia  and  gravity.    This  new  understanding  of  

the  world  and  how  it  worked  as  a  machine  was  easily  developed  and  the  need  for  God  within  it  was  

unnecessary.    Rene  Descartes  developed  a  system  of  doubting  everything  that  was  traditionally  taught  

to  arrive  at  what  was  absolutely  certain.      

This  new  mechanical  philosophy  was  called  Deism.    “Deists  believed  in  a  God  who  designed  the  

world-­‐machine  and  started  it  going  –  as  a  clockmaker  might  make  a  watch  and  wind  it  up.    But  

thereafter  God  did  not  intervene  in  the  workings  of  the  universe,  which  ran  on  its  own  like  a  watch  (Cory  

&  Hollerich,  382).”    Deism  also  led  to  the  Enlightenment,  which  was  also  called  the  Age  of  Reason.    

Rationalism  came  from  this  time  because  of  the  reduction  of  reality  to  simply  science.    Rationalism  sees  

that  there  is  no  need  for  a  supernatural  being  to  understand  the  world  and  everything  within  it.    Many  

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of  the  Enlightenment  believers  would  antagonize  priests  and  clergy,  they  would  also  be  skeptical  of  

anything  supernatural,  which  lead  to  question  Jesus’  divinity.    If  they  did  not  believe  in  miracles  and  

supernatural  things,  then  they  easily  disputed  Jesus’  divinity  because  these  are  many  of  the  “proofs”  

that  show  Jesus’  divinity  in  Christianity.      

Enlightenment  thinkers  also  denied  original  sin  and  said  that  humanity  was  more  directed  

towards  the  good,  and  it  is  society  and  other  things  that  cause  people  to  do  bad  things.    Enlightenment  

thinkers  were  also  large  believers  in  liberty  and  freedom  from  political  and  religious  authority.    Religious  

freedom  was  achieved  in  America  when  the  Bill  of  Rights  was  created.      

After  the  Enlightenment,  many  of  the  Enlightenment  ideas  still  exist.    Religious  toleration  is  one  

of  those  examples,  as  well  as  the  fact  that  humans  have  certain  inalienable  rights.    Atheism  also  became  

acceptable  and  still  is  today.    The  Enlightenment  era  was  the  end  of  the  time  period  where  the  Christian  

Church  and  state  would  have  authority.    After  the  Enlightenment,  the  religious  atmosphere  was  much  

more  different,  it  was  seen  more  secular  and  more  skeptical.      

The  impact  of  the  Enlightenment  in  the  19th  century  led  to  the  rise  of  liberalism  from  political  

and  economic  problems.    The  18th  and  19th  centuries  also  had  a  large  development  in  geology  which  led  

to  the  Theory  of  Evolution  by  Charles  Darwin.    This  had  a  major  change  within  the  churches.    Many  

people  and  churches  were  split  between  whether  to  believe  that  humanity  evolved  from  animals  and  

about  the  natural  selection  and  survival  of  the  fittest.    Pope  Pius  XII  acknowledged  the  fact  that  maybe  

the  human  body  had  actually  evolved;  however,  it  was  God  who  created  and  gave  humans  their  souls.    

But  the  changes  in  science  led  to  a  better  clarification  that  science  cannot  explain  everything  within  

religion.    It  is  not  that  religion  and  churches  do  not  believe  or  support  science,  it  is  just  that  when  

science  tries  to  reduce  religion  and  God  down  to  what  can  be  measured,  there  is  a  problem.    The  

Enlightenment  thinkers  were  trying  to  update  Christianity  and  make  it  more  modern.    While  doing  so,  

being  able  to  reduce  everything  within  Christianity  to  measurable  instances  and  materials  created  a  

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different  outcome.    The  Church  responded  by  realizing  that  it  was  becoming  a  Christ  of  Culture  and  that  

this  reduction  was  limiting  instead  of  broadening  horizons.      

Christianity’s  intellectual  response  to  this  situation  was  to  ask  how  Christianity  fit  into  the  

changes  taking  place.    The  scientific  changes  were  causing  Christianity  to  become  a  Christ  of  Culture  but  

both  science  and  religion  have  autonomy.    There  was  a  change  of  looking  at  the  historical  Jesus  versus  

the  supernatural  Jesus.    The  churches  are  also  loosing  people  because  of  the  rising  idea  of  individualism.    

But  both  Protestant  and  Catholic  Churches  held  a  traditional  vantage  point.    They  were  over  and  against  

the  Christ  of  Culture  idea.    Both  hold  fast  to  the  traditional  Christian  fundamentals  of  the  Bible,  the  

creeds,  Christ’s  resurrection,  etc.    There  were  also  more  Catholic  missions  and  Evangelical  revivals,  

which  also  brought  upon  more  devotional  practices  that  were  expressed  in  response  to  secularization.    

Protestants  intensified  their  Biblical  reading  and  prayers  and  Catholics  put  more  emphasis  upon  the  

rosary,  charity  works  and  forgiveness.    The  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus,  which  emphasized  love,  charity  and  

devotion,  was  a  major  part  of  Catholicism.      

Post  modernism  is  a  radical  individualism  where  reality  is  a  social  construction  and  ultimate  

authority  rests  in  the  individual.    Nihilism  is  the  belief  that  there  is  no  objective  basis  for  truth  and  

human  values  are  worthless.    This  was  developed  by  Friedrich  Nietzsche.    Post  modernism  also  believes  

that  nothing  is  given  by  God.    Post  modernism  calls  people  back  to  the  religion;  however,  instead  of  just  

one  religion  it  is  pieces  of  many  with  no  coherent  order.    While  in  past  eras  scripture  and  tradition  were  

fundamental  building  blocks  for  theology,  the  post  modern  theologians  put  more  attention  on  human  

experiences  as  the  beginning  for  theology.    Post  modernism  also  challenges  the  way  that  historical  

methods  of  interpreting  the  bible  and  if  the  information  still  has  the  same  relevance  it  did  when  it  was  

written.      

Post  modernism  is  hostile  against  Christianity  because  of  all  of  these  previous  things.    It  really  

goes  against  all  the  things  that  are  most  fundamental  to  Christianity.    Christianity  has  to  stand  against  

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post  modernism  because  it  could  break  apart  the  foundation  of  Christianity.    There  needs  to  be  an  

authority  figure  within  the  church,  a  person  cannot  be  the  sole  authority.    Everything  is  given  to  

humanity  by  God,  humans  did  not  evolve,  and  the  world  was  not  the  result  of  colliding  energies  in  

space.    Post  modernism  is  much  like  the  Renaissance  period,  placing  more  emphasis  upon  human  

experiences  and  success.    The  emphasis  of  Christianity  is  the  one  true  authority  figure,  Jesus  Christ.      

“While  he  was  still  speaking,  suddenly  a  bright  cloud  overshadowed  them,  and  from  the  cloud  a  

voice  said,  “This  is  my  Son,  the  Beloved;  with  him  I  am  well  pleased;  listen  to  him!”    When  the  

disciples  heard  this,  they  feel  to  the  ground  and  were  overcome  by  fear.    But  Jesus  came  and  

touched  them  saying,  “Get  up  and  do  not  be  afraid.    And  when  they  looked  up,  they  saw  no  one  

except  Jesus  himself  alone.”  (Matthew  17:5-­‐8)