Restoration Movement help

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hizstory

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Hi,

I’m wondering if anyone out there would have any suggestions for books regarding the Restoration Movement which lead to the establishment of the Churches of Christ, aka Christian Churches. I have visited a couple of their websites and have emailed questions to a webmaster. However, while I’m waiting for a response I would like to do my own research from respectable academic sources.
 
I grew up in the (Restoration Movement) Church of Christ. My dad’s still involved.
 
fons_vitae said:
I grew up in the (Restoration Movement) Church of Christ. My dad’s still involved.
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So did I, at least during my pre-teen years. I was baptized in a Church of Christ (I was also baptized in a Baptist church, but my mother can’t remember which came first). I never gave much thought about it until last year when a girl I was dating told me I was going to hell for not belonging to her church (a Restoration Movement church). Ever since then I’ve been curious about what they teach (I was too young when I attended myself to remember much). The one I belonged to was of the variety that allowed piano music. Everything else was in line with the other Churches of Christ though.
 
There are three denominations that grew out of the Restoration Movement—Churches of Christ, Disciples of Christ and Christian Churches. The Disciples are pretty well organized and operate like a denomination. The other two consist of churches that are completely independent of one another as to their governance. Disciples and Christian churches have instrumental music. Churches of Christ do not. In general Churches or Christ are the most conservative and the most like the Restoration Movement as envisioned by Alexander Campbell and Barton Stone. The Christian churches are more conservative than the Disciples, who have become quite liberal over the last half century.

Basic beliefs of the Churches of Christ include:
• Strictly literal adherence to the New Testament.
• Each church governed by a board of elders.
• Each church has deacons who assist the elders in administration of the church.
• A minister, who is not an ordained person, but who is responsible for the day to day operations of the church, conducting worship services, etc. Most but not all of them are seminary trained.
• Women cannot hold any church office or teach men.
• The Lord’s Supper observed every Sunday. Open communion is the norm and it is viewed as a memorial meal, not as a sacrifice.
• Believer’s (not infant) baptism by immersion for remission of sins. In this respect they see baptism as very much like a sacrament although they would not call it a sacrament.
• No musical instruments because there were none of record in the New Testament churches of the Bible.
 
fons_vitae said:
I grew up in the (Restoration Movement) Church of Christ. My dad’s still involved.
Click to expand...
Becoming, do you find a similarity between the Church of Christ’s soteriology and that of the Catholic Church’s? Because, it seems to me that their view of salvation, works, and baptism are quite the same as the Catholic Church.

From a Catholic perspective, the Church of Christ is quite interesting. As explained to me by a Church of Christ evangelist, during the second great awakening, their founders, Cambell, et al, decided that the reason for the multitude of denominations was because of the multitude man-made creeds and confessions. So, the solution was to forget about all these creeds and confessions and just go back to the bible. So they did. And, by ignoring the Westminster confession, the Augsburg confession, Calvin’s books, Luther’s teaching, and so on, by just studying the bible alone, they came back to an understanding of salvation and baptism just like the Catholics had always believed! By the bible alone.

So, from a Catholic view point, this shows that an unprejudiced reading of scripture leads to the Catholic position.

P.S. Of course, their position on Church is quite different, being strongly congregational. Each church is independent. And no infant baptism, because they don’t believe in original sin.
 
mackbrislawn said:
Becoming, do you find a similarity between the Church of Christ’s soteriology and that of the Catholic Church’s? Because, it seems to me that their view of salvation, works, and baptism are quite the same as the Catholic Church.

From a Catholic perspective, the Church of Christ is quite interesting. As explained to me by a Church of Christ evangelist, during the second great awakening, their founders, Cambell, et al, decided that the reason for the multitude of denominations was because of the multitude man-made creeds and confessions. So, the solution was to forget about all these creeds and confessions and just go back to the bible. So they did. And, by ignoring the Westminster confession, the Augsburg confession, Calvin’s books, Luther’s teaching, and so on, by just studying the bible alone, they came back to an understanding of salvation and baptism just like the Catholics had always believed! By the bible alone.

So, from a Catholic view point, this shows that an unprejudiced reading of scripture leads to the Catholic position.

P.S. Of course, their position on Church is quite different, being strongly congregational. Each church is independent. And no infant baptism, because they don’t believe in original sin.
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As I’ve been visiting their websites and reading about them, there is definitely a similarity with Catholics on some things. It is indeed very interesting. I have posted some questions on one of their forums regarding my salvation (I was told by a RM member that I was going to hell), the nature of the New Testament Canon, and the need to restore Christ’s church. So far though, no one on their forum as answered any of the questions.
 
I also came from a Cambellite “Christian Church” - the independent variety as described above, not “Disciples”. The Church did have a pipe organ, by the way, so we weren’t opposed to music or instrumentation.

You can find some information in any general history of religion in America.

This guy seems to have a web site you can peruse. Can’t vouch for the info.:

therestorationmovement.com/masterindex.htm

You could also read some Alexander Campbell, who seems to have made it back into print:

amazon.com/Christian-System-Alexander-Campbell/dp/0892254793/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294186196&sr=1-1
 
mackbrislawn said:
Becoming, do you find a similarity between the Church of Christ’s soteriology and that of the Catholic Church’s? Because, it seems to me that their view of salvation, works, and baptism are quite the same as the Catholic Church.

From a Catholic perspective, the Church of Christ is quite interesting. As explained to me by a Church of Christ evangelist, during the second great awakening, their founders, Cambell, et al, decided that the reason for the multitude of denominations was because of the multitude man-made creeds and confessions. So, the solution was to forget about all these creeds and confessions and just go back to the bible. So they did. And, by ignoring the Westminster confession, the Augsburg confession, Calvin’s books, Luther’s teaching, and so on, by just studying the bible alone, they came back to an understanding of salvation and baptism just like the Catholics had always believed! By the bible alone.

So, from a Catholic view point, this shows that an unprejudiced reading of scripture leads to the Catholic position.

P.S. Of course, their position on Church is quite different, being strongly congregational. Each church is independent. And no infant baptism, because they don’t believe in original sin.
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I think the CoC can be crypto-Catholic at times. It just begs for real power behind things like the Lord’s Supper and baptism, for instance. And of course, it does claim to be the church of the apostles.
 
Alexander Campbell was a prolific writer, and most of his work is available in public domain here. All you have to do is download them.
 
Restorationists have problems with baptism for the remission of sins. Their repressive society is a result, in avoiding the near occasion of sin. Their indirect descendants, the Mormons, also resolve it in that way. Plus they often deny that they sin, narrow the definition of sin, and regard others as guilty of their own sins (projection).

At one point, AC was rebuked by another preacher whom he respected, for his judgmental and adversarial attitude. This was probably a result of his staging public debates with his religious adversaries. He changed his tune, at least for a while.

This can be resolved through the Catholic concept of renewal of baptismal vows, like whenever they bathe or shower. Mormons also do this through baptism for the dead.
 
Restorationists have problems with one baptism for the remission of sins.

Mormons also practice re-baptism after excommunication or self-excommunication.
 
As I continue reading from their websites, I become more and more intrigued. I guess the thing that frustrates me the most is the way they “control” the discourse. The forum that I have posted on requires that a moderator approve every post/reply before it is made available for public view. This can take up to 24 hours per post. In one of my original posts on their forum, I referred to their church. I was quickly rebuked that it was not “their” church, but the Lord’s church. It’s kinda hard to discuss things in that kind of environment. :rolleyes:
 
Some good resources:

Bruce Sullivan coc preacher to Catholic has a book I can’t think of the title, he has been on epsidoes of Coming Home with Marcus Grodi I think you can still see on ewtn archives.

“We’re Just Searching for the Truth” by Paul Gracia (sp?) and a host of converts disscuss their conversions from coc to Catholic. Sort of like Surprised by Truth but just for coc converts. Very good book!

Also, google the -exc-hurchofchrist forum. It is an ex-coc message board and the posts there really spell out the frustrating flaws with this group! A+ posters on there!
 
MercyMia said:
Some good resources:

Bruce Sullivan coc preacher to Catholic has a book I can’t think of the title, he has been on epsidoes of Coming Home with Marcus Grodi I think you can still see on ewtn archives.

“We’re Just Searching for the Truth” by Paul Gracia (sp?) and a host of converts disscuss their conversions from coc to Catholic. Sort of like Surprised by Truth but just for coc converts. Very good book!

Also, google the -exc-hurchofchrist forum. It is an ex-coc message board and the posts there really spell out the frustrating flaws with this group! A+ posters on there!
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Thanks for the info!
 
Here is an update for anyone else who is interested. I got a response from a question I had asked on a RM forum about how they know with certainty that they have the correct New Testament canon. One of the moderators posted this powerpoint presentation. While it starts out as trying to discredit the Catholic Church as the authority of the canon, later slides try use the Church Fathers and councils as evidence. Their leaps of logic and self-contradictary evidence left me well…:banghead:

Anyone interested in viewing the powerpoint can send me a private message. I tried to upload it here as an attachment but it didn’t work. I think the file size is too big.
 
hizstory said:
Here is an update for anyone else who is interested. I got a response from a question I had asked on a RM forum about how they know with certainty that they have the correct New Testament canon. One of the moderators posted this powerpoint presentation. While it starts out as trying to discredit the Catholic Church as the authority of the canon, later slides try use the Church Fathers and councils as evidence. Their leaps of logic and self-contradictary evidence left me well…:banghead:

Anyone interested in viewing the powerpoint can send me a private message. I tried to upload it here as an attachment but it didn’t work. I think the file size is too big.
Click to expand...
haha yeah, my husband is an ex-coc and the head banging icon is the same conclusion we have come to 🙂
Its is a very stubborn group because basically they claim to be everything the Catholic Church is but lack the facts, logic or history for that to be true. They also have a pride complex about it, which makes them even harder to deal with :o
 
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