1. Using full sentences, list 10 features of the Shakers
2. Choose one of the sectarian groups from Lecture 13A or B (Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christian Science, Mormons, Oneida Community) and list 10 features of this one group.
3. List 5 commonalities of the Shakers and the other sectarian group that you wrote about in question 2.
4 List 5 differences between the Shakers and the sectarian group that you wrote about in question 2.
Chapter 7
Sectarians and
New Christian Religions
which began in the 19th century
Image: bible, cross, and separated flame
Sectarian groups covered in this lecture:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
7th Day Adventists
Jehovah’s Witnesses
Christian Scientists
Mormons
The Oneida Community
Sectarians are defined as:
1. Religious Societies
2. Live together, separated from the rest of society
3. Emphasize Law
4. Millennialists
Image: woman with hair covering
Millennialism
A Belief that the End of the World will come soon
and a New Kingdom of God will be established.
Christ will reign for 1000 years
1000 = a millennium
Image: judgement scene, with living and the dead
There are two types of millennialism
1. Pre-millennialism
2. Post-millennialism
Pre-millennialism
First Jesus returns
Then there is a final battle between good & evil
Then Jesus will reign 1000 years
Image: Jesus as king on a horse
Post-millennialism
First Christians, through their good efforts,
establish the kingdom of peace and righteousness,
preparing the way for Christ’s return
Then Jesus comes back & reigns for 1000 years
Image: man planting seeds
There is more millennialism in times of crisis
1. Medieval times
2. the Reformation:
Anabaptists (Mennonites, Amish)
Bohemian Brethren
3. 19th century Protestant Sectarians:
7th Day Adventists
Jehovah’s Witnesses
Mormons
1. Seventh Day Adventists
Background:
Started in 19th c.
Emerged out of a millennialist movement of William Miller
He predicted Jesus’ 2nd coming would be in 1843
image: William Miller
In 1844 when the End of the World did not come
Many millennialists left Miller’s group
One of these groups formed into the 7th Day Adventists
Beliefs of the 7th Day Adventists
1. Worship on Saturday
2. Do not believe in hell
Image: Seventh Day Adventist billboard
3. Dietary restrictions
a. vegetarians
b. no caffeine, alcohol, tobacco
Images: heart-shaped salad, decaf coffee
4. Specific clothing
a. dress modestly
b. no tight clothing
Image: modest sectarian clothing
5. The Foot-washing ceremony
From the gospel of John
Emphasizes service to others
Image: one man washing another’s feet
6. The primary service to others is medical service
This creates a healthy community
in preparation for Jesus’ 2nd coming
Image: nurse
The 2 primary 7th Day Adventist communities:
Loma Linda, CA and Battle Creek, Michigan
Images: map of California and map of Michigan
2. Jehovah’s Witnesses
Began with a Bible Study group by Charles Russell
in 1869, in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania
Image: photograph of Charles Russell
Jehovah’s Witnesses are Millennialists
They have made several predictions of the End of the world:
1. Russell predicted that Jesus would return in 1874
2. Nelson Barbour predicted Rapture in 1878
3. Russell predicted End of World in 1914
4. Russell predicted Jesus would return in 1918
In 1916, Joseph Rutherford became the new leader
Rutherford was the one who named the group
Jehovah’s Witnesses
Image: historic image of Jehovah’s Witness advertisement
Further predictions of the End from Jehovah’s Witnesses
5. Rutherford predicted that in 1925 governments would fail,
to be replaced by patriarchs of the Old Testament
who were going to rise from the dead.
Image: Moses, a patriarch of the Old Testament
The 3rd leader was Nathan Knorr
He predicted that in 1975 the End of the World would come
(#6 wrong prediction)
Image: Nathan Knorr
Jehovah’s Witness Beliefs
1. They believe that their religion is the one true faith
2. Strict control of members outside activities (sexuality)
3. They do not vote
4. Do not encourage personal prayer
5. Do not celebrate birthdays
6. Do not celebrate holidays such as Christmas, Easter, etc.
saying they are pagan holiday.
Christmas was originally a celebration of the Winter Solstice
The Early Church converted this holiday into Jesus’ birthday
to keep the early Christians from celebrating the Solstice
So no, Christmas is not a pagan holiday.
It is Jesus’ birthday celebration.
(The Puritans also did not celebrate Christmas)
Image: Christmas tree
Easter
was originally the Jewish Passover (not pagan)
Easter is still called variations of Passover (pascha)
by Christians in other countries
In 4th c. the Church adopted the date of Easter as the 1st Sunday
of the full moon in Spring, the Vernal Equinox.
People did not have calendars; they used the movement
of celestial bodies to keep track of seasons
Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus
Image: cross
Beliefs (cont.)
7. They do commemorate the death of Jesus on Good Friday
image: cross
Beliefs (cont.) #8
Various Afterlife beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses:
a. The deceased no longer exist, or
b. are sleeping & will come back to life at the 2nd Coming
c. However, a special group totaling 144,000 do go to
heaven when they die to live with Jesus
The reference to 144,000 is from the book of Revelation. It says that
12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel will be saved at Jesus’ 2nd
coming, but it also says there was a multitude from every nation that
could not be counted.
Belief #9
The Final Battle at Armageddon, a physical resurrection,
and a judgment scene.
The good will live on a paradise on earth
The bad will be thrown into a lake of fire, a burning hell.
image: battle scene
In the next lecture,
• We will look at further sectarian groups
Chapter 7
Sectarians (continued)
3. Christian Scientists
4. Mormons
5. The Oneida Community
3. Christian Science
Founded by Mary Baker Eddy
In 1869, in Boston, Massachusetts
Christian Science should not to be confused with
the Church of Scientology
which was started by L. Ron Hubbard in 1950s
which attracts celebrities such as Tom Cruise
And is investigated by Leah Remini
Image: Mary Baker Eddy
Background:
Mary Baker Eddy had health problems
She contacted a psychic healer, Phineas P. Quinby
He used hypnosis to discern
how one’s thoughts were affecting their health
He was very successful.
image: Phineas Quinby
After Quinby died, Mary slipped on ice & hurt her spine
3 days later she was reading the Bible
and felt miraculously healed
Mary Baker Eddy spent the next 10 years researching
and writing a book:
Science and Health with a Key to the Scriptures
Published in 1875
Image: book cover
In the book, she explained miracles in the Bible:
1. Our thoughts affect our health
2. We need to follow in the model of Jesus
3. This will align us with the Spirit of God in creation
4. When we do this, we are no longer blocking the flow
of the Divine Spirit and are healed
Mary Baker Eddy began the Church of Christian Science
in Boston
There are No ordained clergy, but Trained Practitioners
The Practitioners delve into how your thoughts affect you
They generally do not use medicine
But lawsuits followed when children died
so now their stance is “Pro-health” not “anti-medicine”
They use Prayer and changing one’s thoughts for healing
There are 2000 churches world-wide
and local Practitioners in most major cities
They have much research on the effectiveness of prayer
A famous Christian Science book is, The Heart of Christian
Science: Case Studies on the Effectiveness of Prayer
image: artist’s drawing of the inside of the church in Boston
4. Mormons:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Background:
The founder was Joseph Smith (1805-1844)
From New York state
At 14, he listened to the revivalist preachers
Image: Joseph Smith
Smith wondered what was the one true religion
He had a Vision: No religion was the one true religion
At 17, he had another vision:
The angel Moroni directed him to a hill & told him to dig.
He found:
2 golden plates with writing
a brass plate with a genealogy
a breast plate & divination stones
Years later he brought the objects home
& translated the tablets with the help of the angel.
The translation became the Book of Mormon
According to the Book of Mormon:
In 600 BC Jews came to America
They were descendants of Joseph from Lehi (not Levi) family
Lehi’s sons: Laman & Lemuel started rebellion
Their descendants are native Americans, called Lamanites
The non-rebellious sons of Lehi are called Nephites
(white skinned)
One Nephite, named Mormon was the one who buried
the golden plates in New York.
Mormon’s son Moroni was the angel
Beliefs:
1. Book of Mormon as scriptures along with the Bible
2. They believe they are the one true church
3. Literal interpretation of scripture
4. Pre-existence of souls
5. Baptism of the dead
(being baptized on behalf of someone who has died)
6. Polygamy for men
Image: Mormon temple Salt Lake
Mormons experienced persecution:
In 1830, they moved from NY to Ohio. Lived in a commune.
1837, moved to Missouri
1841, Nauvoo, Illinois
Built a temple
Image: Nauvoo temple
In 1844, Smith was arrested while trying to suppress a liberal
Mormon group from separating from the group
Smith was killed in jail by an angry mob
Image: jail
Leadership passed to Brigham Young
More protests and schisms of the group occurred
Young had 55 wives
He made polygamy a church doctrine
He denied church membership to African-Americans
Image: Brigham Young
Brigham Young
moved the group to Salt Lake City, Utah
The group wanted to establish a Zion in the wilderness
Image: Salt Lake
Statehood of Utah was denied because of polygamy
Young died in 1877
In 1896, Utah was granted statehood
on the provision that they put an end to polygamy
image: seal of the state of Utah
5. The Oneida Community
1. Founder: John Humphrey Noyes of Putney, Vermont
2. In 1848, his group moved to Oneida, New York
Image: Oneida, New York
Noyes believed the millennium had already arrived in the year
70 CE when the Romans destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem
Noyes based this on The Gospel of Luke in the New Testament
which says that the Kingdom of God replaces the Jewish
Temple and is here now. The kingdom of God is based on the
ethics of Jesus, and his followers living by these ethics.
image: artist rendering of Saint Luke
Noyes believed that each of us could reach perfection
He started his own church founded on this idea.
Image: John Humphrey Noyes
Noyes married Harriet Holton
a rich woman, granddaughter of Lt. Gov. of Vermont.
Her money helped him finance his new religious community.
Image: Harriet Holton
The Oneida Community was communal
They shared all property
They produced steel traps and silverware.
Image: steel trap
Noyes began the idea of Complex marriage
All women in the group were wives to all men in the group
The group practiced male continence:
the males were not allowed to reach orgasm.
The Oneida Community was NOT very successful
There were 21 Oneida communities
with only a total of 306 members nationally
The community suffered persecution because of their lifestyle
And were gone within a generation
Noyes died 1879
In 1881
The remaining members formed a joint stock company
This became the Oneida Silverware Company
Image: Oneida silverware
Summary: Sectarian Christian groups which began in the
nineteenth century
1. Seventh Day Adventists
2. Jehovah’s Witnesses
3. Christian Science
4. Mormons
5. Oneida Community
At their beginning, most lived separated from the rest of society.
They tend to have strict laws, and are millennialists.
Lecture by J. Corey, Victor Valley College, 2019
The Shakers:
The United Society of Believers
in Christ’s Second Appearing
Image: artist’s painting of the Shaker’s worship service
The Shakers
are a Christian sectarian group
who tried to make a heaven on earth, a utopia.
Image: a Shaker village
Their founder was Ann Lee (1736-1784)
Prior to coming to New York
Ann lived in England.
Her parents forced her to get married.
She and her husband, Abraham Stanley, had 4 children
who all died in infancy.
Image: map of England
Ann joined an ecstatic Quaker group near Manchester, England.
called the Wardley Quakers, or shaking Quakers
Ecstatic means moved by the spirit
They danced in their worship services
Image: painting of the Shakers
In 1770, Ann was imprisoned for her religious beliefs
In jail, she had a revelation:
That sex was sinful
and the only way to prepare
for Christ’s second coming
was through celibacy.
Image: person behind bars, symbolic image of Garden of Eden
The Quakers were persecuted in England
Ann had another vision to move to America.
So she, her husband, her brother
and 6 other Shaking Quakers (9 total)
came to New York
near Albany.
Historic image of New York Quakers
Ann started her new ecstatic Quaker community
The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing
It was called the Shakers by outsiders
because they would see them shaking in the spirit
as they danced in their worship services.
• Image: Shakers dancing in worship
The dance
was how they experienced connection with God
Image: Quakers dancing in worship
Ann’s group was communal
They shared all property
They were celibate
They practiced gender equality
and were Pacifists
Ann’s husband eventually left the group and remarried.
The community regarded Ann Lee
as their spiritual mother.
She performed many miraculous healings with just a touch
Image: hands and light
The group attracted many converts
and grew and grew through Ann’s preaching
Image: church pulpit with bible
But it also suffered persecution.
In 1780, Ann was imprisoned for treason in New York
because of her pacifist preaching.
Image: prison cell
Ann died in 1784.
One member of the group reported
seeing her ride off in a chariot to heaven
Image: golden chariot
Under new leadership
The dance was less ecstatic,
and began to take on routine movements,
It was said, to reflect the orderliness of heaven.
The Shakers also reported
experiencing the presence of spirits of people who had died,
such as George Washington and native Americans
Image: George Washington
The group continued to grow after Ann’s death
By 1793, there were 12 Shaker villages in 8 states.
By the mid 1850’s there were over 25 villages in 11 states,
Each with hundreds of inhabitants.
Image: artist’s rendering of Shaker village
At their height, in the mid 1800’s
there were 6,000 members
with villages spreading as far west
as Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana.
Image: map of U.S. with Indiana highlighted
The Shaker villages supported themselves
through farming,
making clothing
growing and selling seeds
making honey & medicines
raising cattle
Images: Shaker barn, Shaker Seed Company label
They were also very creative,
coming up with many inventions:
• The clothes pin
• The circular saw
• The flat broom
• Water-resistant clothing
• Wrinkle-free clothing
• Images: clothes pins, flat broom vs. round broom
They are best known for their furniture
• High quality
• Hand-made
• Selling today for high prices at auctions
Image: Shaker chairs
And architecture
Their products and villages reflect
order, simplicity and perfection
• Historic image of Shaker village in Maine
Besides attracting many converts
The Shakers also took in orphans
Providing them food, shelter, and a loving environment
They also fed and sheltered the homeless
and soldiers during the Civil War
both from the North and South
Image: Civil War soldier
The Shakers also provided
an alternative for women who did not want to marry
and did not want to remain in their parents home.
Image: painting of woman
With the rise of the Industrial Revolution
• Their numbers started to drop
• While all their quality products were hand-made,
• They could not compete with machines.
• Image: pollution from industry
By the mid 20th century
Federal laws denied adoption of children to religious groups.
Image: orphan girl
As of January 2017
There are only 2 remaining Shakers
They are at Sabbathday Lake, Maine
Image: Shaker building Sabbathday Lake Maine
According to scholars of religion,
The Shaker movement, started by a woman, Ann Lee,
is one of the most successful utopian religions
in America’s history,
Lasting over 240 years and producing many inventions
Image: Shaker communal house
Lecture by J. Corey, Victor Valley College, 2019