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James DeForest Murch (1892–1973)

Autore di Christians Only: A History of the Restoration Movement

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Opere di James DeForest Murch

The Coming World Church (1963) 19 copie
Teach or perish! (1961) 17 copie
Bible Studies (1900) 8 copie

Opere correlate

Great Songs of the Church II (1942) — Collaboratore, alcune edizioni108 copie

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Contents include: The Modern Ecumenical Movement, The Coming Great Church, Dangerous Trends in the Ecumenical Movement, World Missions and the Ecumenical Movement, The Ecumenical Movement in the Prophetic Word, The Way of Escape in a Day of Apostasy.
 
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phoovermt | Mar 28, 2023 |
The book’s strength is the quick survey of the beginnings of the Restoration Movement: the revivals that preceded it, Thomas Campbell’s struggle and disassociation with sectarianism, and Alexander Campbell’s guidance to organizational infrastructure. However, the discussion on unity is peculiar in that it attributes unity of those in agreement by virtue of their separation of those with whom they disagree--and in nuances at that! Murch calls it fraternization (110). Murch reiterates (368ff) the Restoration plea for Christian unity in the stated hope that it would be adopted by the ecumenical movement of the time of writing (early 1960s). It didn’t work. It’s the same plea that resulted in the split of the three Churches of Christ: a) the centrality of Christ. b) A return to Biblical authority, c) the church is one body, d) it’s name is the Church of Christ, e) the polity and ordinances of the church are those identified in the NT as interpreted by the Churches of Christ denomination, f) there are no church hierarchies. In other words, ecumenicism is possible when everyone accepts and implements restoration principles (372). This position is naive and condescending and will never succeed in achieving Christian unity.… (altro)
 
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Occasionally | 2 altre recensioni | Aug 3, 2019 |
Christians Only

The full title of the work is Christians Only: A History of the Restoration Movement and was authored by James DeForest Murch in 1962. The purpose of the work, as noted, is to present the history of the Restoration movement from its beginnings and those influences that impacted the movement which is a uniquely American religious event. As primarily a history book, Murch does a thorough job of research and documentation citing specific dates, people, and places that proved important to the movement. This specific printing has an Index included that covers many of the topics and people noted by Murch, and at the end of each chapter is a brief bibliography that indicates authors and works used by Murch but does not include printing dates, companies, or pagination in those bibliographies.

Murch starts his documentation of the Restoration movement with an introduction that begins with the institution of the Church as recorded in the Scriptures, and from there briefly traces the Church and the presence of believers to the end of the 18th century. Many during this time fell prey to the humanistic thought and spirituality declined, but there was a period which is seen as The Great Revival which “prepared the way for the movement which is the theme of this work” (22). As Murch goes on to note in the first chapter, the Great American Revival, sometimes referred to as the “Second Awaking” was not the beginning of the Restoration movement, but this period was significant in certain “thought reactions” of the Restoration leaders.

Over the next several chapters Murch highlights four men whose names have become permanently associated with the Restoration movement: Thomas Campbell and his son Alexander, Barton W. Stone, and Walter Scott. Indeed, in some scholastic circles the title Stone-Campbell movement is synonymous with the Restoration movement. Thomas Campbell is noted to have verbalized the motto, “Where the Bible speaks we speak, and where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent” during a small meeting in the home of Abraham altars in “early summer 1809.” Repercussions from this meeting spurred the production of the Declaration and Address which was formalized and printed September 7, 1809 (40-42). In 1816 A. Campbell, in a meeting at Cross Creek, gave his famous Sermon on the Law in which he defended the position that Christians are “under the law to Christ, not the law to Moses” (62), and eventually produced The Christian System in 1836 (137). Further, as his popularity increased, A. Campbell became an able debater, leader in the restoration of NT Christianity, and editor of the Christian Baptist, the first edition of which appeared July 4, 1823 (71).

Murch begins the chapter covering Barton W. Stone with the observation that his “greatest contribution lay in his irenic spirit, his bent to practical unity, and his deep concern of the saving of lost souls” (83). Stone, along with others, found themselves unable to continue under the authority of the Synod of Kentucky and began the formation of the Springfield Presbytery which itself only lasted nine months. On June 28, 1804 the final meeting of the organization met at Cane Ridge and presented The Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery (88). A. Campbell met Stone in Georgetown, Kentucky in 1824 and the two came to realize that they were “engaged in identical ministries with the same general objectives” (94). Both Stone and A. Campbell were committed to the opposition of creeds as terms of Christian Communion, and both desired a return to the Bible as the sole rule of faith and practice.

Briefly, regarding Walter Scott, Murch notes that where A. Campbell provided the intellectual and theological guidance, it was Scott that provided the practical evangelistic promotion which is necessary to any great religious movement. “It is often said that without the ministry of Walter Scott the work of the Campbells might soon have been forgotten” (97). It was noted that A. Campbell and Scott complimented each other in such a way that they were able to work together in a “rare and delightful companionship” (100). Scott is also credited with the “five fingered exercise” which he would use to announce his meetings in an area. He used the method with school children; the five points were (beginning with the thumb): faith, repentance, baptism, remission of sins, gift of the Holy Spirit. After rehearsing the children several times, Scott would send the children home to tell their parents and invite them to a meeting which would be occurring in the area (103).

In Chapter 7 – “Christian Unity in Practice” – Murch provides a section (pp. 114-119) where the differences in theological thought between A. Campbell and Stone are briefly discussed. Yet despite these differences, there was a progressive move toward union between Disciples and Christians. Murch presents three specific reasons for the unity which occurred during those early days: (1) a lack of denominational overhead authority to prevent it, (2) a unanimous acceptance of the Scriptures as authority and guide for practice, and (3) a “generous and patient attitude accorded all those that held divergent views” (119).

By the time of the Civil War (a period discussed in Chapter 10), Murch notes that the Christian churches were “the only major Protestant body having sizeable numbers of constituency in both the North and South that did not divide.” This is credited to several factors: the Christian churches were a unity movement; the issue of slavery was considered a matter of opinion, not a matter of faith; many of the early leaders were pacifists; there was no authoritative body above the local congregation to legislate on the slavery issue; and a fair split of congregations between the free and slave states (151-152). Interestingly, while Abraham Lincoln’s father and stepmother were members of the Christian church, Murch notes that Lincoln himself never formally committed himself to any specific denomination but did maintain strong Christian Biblical convictions (155). While the four men noted above were lost to the Restoration movement during the years leading up to and around the Civil War, other men came to the forefront. Sadly, as those other men became more vocal and influential, the divisions over theological issues and church practice became more pronounced.

Around the centennial mark of the beginning of the Restoration movement, there began to be significant “rifts” in the brotherhood and trends began to be noted. There were many that began to perceive a movement toward a centralization of authority and saw this expressed in the missionary societies that were being formed for evangelism. Along with this opposition to the missionary associations there was also those that opposed the use of musical instruments and other “innovations,” and in 1906 J. W. Shepherd and others convinced the Census Bureau of the United States that there should be a recognition between the Disciples of Christ and the Church of Christ. As noted by Murch,

"The beginnings of this separate people can be traced in the thought and actions of their forebears as recorded in Chapter 10. Moses E. Lard, Benjamin Franklin, Tolbert E. Fanning, and others had opposed the introduction of organs, open Communion, a paid and located ministry, missionary societies, and every doctrine and practice that was not specifically approved in the words of Scripture. Robert Richardson, Isaac Errett, and others had pointed out that in matters of faith, Scriptural approval was essential, but in matters of opinion and method, there should be freedom, and that such matters should never be made tests of fellowship." (215)

Along with this major split in the Christian Church, another development in theological thought in general Christendom is seen by Murch as an exacerbating factor for the deepening divide among the brethren … the rise of liberal theology. This liberal theology is seen as a development of those men that were “under the spell of the evolutionary principle and a philosophy of immanence” and because of that they “merged special and general revelation and blended humanity with God. The Bible was all but abandoned, and they turned to the universal movements of thought for the most significant disclosures of God and moral and spiritual absolutes” (223-224). The Bible became merely a historical record, Jesus became more a teacher and moral philosopher, the cross a thought form of the apostolic era, and the gospel was changed as a means of reconciliation with God into a message of “filial piety, brotherhood, or of mutual understanding and human betterment” (225). While the right-wing movement of the Restoration, the Churches of Christ, had so isolated themselves that the liberal theologies had little effect upon them, the spirit of Liberalism was introduced into the mainstream of the Restoration movement by “forward looking” brethren. For the more liberal minded, the Restoration plea of Scripture as the only source for faith and practice appears to have been eclipsed by the need for unity and this thought began to infiltrate various organizations associated with the Disciples of Christ resulting in further tensions and in-fighting across the brotherhood.

In an attempt at reconciliation among the brethren, “the 1934 International Convention at Des Moines authorized the appointment of the Commission on Restudy of the Disciples of Christ” to bring about better understanding and unity. Murch felt that the formal report resulting from this Commission is of such importance that he reproduced much of the information between the pages of 264-267. From this analysis of the positions among the brotherhood on various topics, three clearly defined schools of thought are indicated by Murch. First, The Legalistic Right Wing which are seen as Biblical exclusivists who see the Scriptures as authoritative and normative and refuse to have fellowship with those with whom they disagree. Second, The Conservative Center who are Biblical inclusivists accepting the Scriptures as authoritative and normative but seek communication with all Christians. Third, The Liberal Left Wing composed of non-Biblical inclusivists who reject the Scriptures as authoritative and normative and are prepared to accept a non-Biblical basis for an ecumenical church (268). As we sit 50+ years removed from Murch’s analysis of a report done in the 1930’s, the divisions he perceived among those in the Restoration movement continues to be a valid observation.

In the last few chapters, Murch recounts the advancement of the Restoration movement in other countries around the world, reflects upon some “modern” attempts at unity among the brotherhood, and finalizes the work with a reflection of the “Restoration Plea in the Ecumenical Era” (359). As noted by Murch, “The ecumenical problem is not to unite the ‘churches’ or ‘denominations’ of our time, but to restore the one church in which exist the catholic functions of which sectarian bodies have robbed it” (369). The catholic name for the Church is the Church of Christ. The catholic creed for the Church – belief in Christ – is manifested for our guidance and edification in the Holy Scriptures. The catholic rule of faith and practice is the New Testament in which the catholic view of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper may be found. Finally, the catholic church polity may also be discovered from the Holy Writ. The goal of the Restoration movement cannot be unity for the sake of unity alone but must have a scriptural basis if that unity is to answer to the words of Christ and the Apostles in the New Testament as inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Quotes from the work:

“Another criticism that Mr. Campbell (Thomas, SDC) foresaw was that he had succumbed to latitudinarianism and liberalism. … The criticism was expected to come largely from the creedalists, so he turned the tables against them by intimating that they were the real liberals. He charged they took greater latitude than the divine law allowed when they expressed their own human opinions and made them of equal importance with the Holy Writ and tests of church fellowship.” (49).

“He (A. Campbell, SDC) opposed statements of faith only as they opposed the unity of the church by ‘containing human opinions not expressly revealed in the Word of God’ and as they were imposed as tests of fellowship in the churches.” (139)

“In the best tradition of the movement, Disciples did not ask others to come to them, did not proselytize, but asked seekers to join Christ and His church and to do His will as revealed in the New Testament.” (emphasis Murch, 219)

“The extreme Left in Discipledom may be characterized as having abandoned the authority of the New Testament and its normative pattern in all matters of religion. Having undermined this foundational pillar of Thomas Campbell’s platform for Christian unity, this school of thought further denies that fellowship is predicated upon a common body of doctrine. Its theology lies in the realm of expediency and opinion, consequently exalting the liberty of the human mind.” (279)

“With Christendom now widely concerned with its weaknesses, divisions, and inertia, and seeking to recapture the pristine purity, power, and effectiveness of the apostolic church, Thomas Campbell’s Declaration and Address has new meaning and relevance. No proposals for Christian unity made by the ecumenical leaders of our time are more irenic and humble in spirit, more aware of the true genius of the Christian church, more sound in basic principles, more revolutionary and cathartic with respect to outworn systems and traditions, more broad in vision and constructive, or more certain to achieve the revealed purpose of Christ for His church.” (373-374)
… (altro)
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SDCrawford | 2 altre recensioni | Oct 21, 2018 |
I read somewhere that this book, written by Mr. Murch, was disparagingly referred to as little more than an “I love me book.” Yes, the reader will find a lot of “I” and “me” in the book, but it is an autobiography after all. I encourage readers to look past the “I” and focus on the many-faceted ministry of one of the “greats” associated with the Stone-Campbell religious heritage. I think there are few, if any, who can match the impact that James DeForest Murch (1892-1973) had upon Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, in particular, and American evangelical Christian churches, in general, in his lifetime and beyond.

As may be seen by his birth date and death date, Murch lived during the turbulent years leading up to and during the second large schism of the Disciples of Christ, resulting in what one historian (A. T. DeGroot) sarcastically named “Church of Christ Number Two,” the title of a book he authored (and in my library). Murch was among the conservative Disciples, who today are generally known as the nondenominational Christian Churches and Churches of Christ. (The first large schism, usually dated with the US Religious Census of 1906, resulted in the religious stream known as the churches of Christ (non-instrumental).

Murch completed this book about one year prior to his death. It is sectioned into 28 “Episodes” because the events or situations reported on therein tend to overlap. Without attempting to list all, the reader will learn of Murch's involvement with Christian Endeavor, “Christian Standard,” “Lookout,” Clarke Fund, Christian Restoration Association, Cincinnati Bible Seminary, “Restoration Herald,” “Christian Unity Quarterly,” Disciples of Christ Historical Society, Christian's Hour radio broadcast, National Association of Evangelicals and its journal “United Evangelical Action,” National Sunday School Association, National Religious Broadcasters, Accrediting Association of Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges, “Christianity Today,” Pacific Christian College, and more.

Persons interested in learning more about the Stone-Campbell religious heritage, particularly the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ stream, should find this book to be an excellent resource. The book includes an excellent index, which is very helpful for persons doing research. The book is out of print but may be found in several libraries (check WorldCat) and is available on the used book market. I am glad to have recently added the book to my library and wish I would have read it years ago.
… (altro)
 
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SCRH | Aug 29, 2013 |

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