Truce - History of the Christian Church

Give to help keep Truce going!What is the difference between premillennialism and postmillennialism? And what does it matter?After the French Revolution in the late 1700s, Christians began to see the world as coming to an end. Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 describe an oppressor who will wear the people out for a period of time. Some Christian interpret that as being 1260 years. That 1260 years can be placed over the reign of Justinian all the way through history up until the French Revolution. That is just one interpretation that not everyone shares. But if you hold that view then this event was HUGE. It meant that the end of the world was super close. It has now been over 200 years since that event, but many premillennialists still hold up this prophecy as proof of the fulfillment of scripture.Many Christians were sparked to uncover the meaning of it all. Some turned to an old idea -- premillennialism. It's the notion that the world is on a downward trajectory. Things are going to get really bad and then Jesus will return. Before this time, many evangelicals were postmillennialism. They thought the world was going to get better over time. This split was an important part of what would become the fundamentalist/ modernist debate.Premillennialism has some dark "logical" conclusions to it. Some premillennialist like pastor John MacArthur argue that since the world is going to burn anyway, we humans shouldn't worry about things like global warming.Discussion Questions: Why was the French Revolution such an important moment in world history? Pre-Revolution the nobles and clergy controlled much of the power in France. They could out-weigh 98% of the population of France. Is this perhaps a reason why the French people turned against them? Are you a premillennialist, a postmillennialist, or neither? Did you read the Left Behind books? What do you remember? How did they impact you? Do you think you have a positive or negative view of world history? How does that impact the way you act? Should premillennialists see Jesus' second coming as a reason to avoid taking care of the planet? Helpful Links: The Victoria and Albert Museum's article about Mysore and Tipoos Tiger "Fundamentalism and American Culture" by George Marsden (book) "The Evangelicals" by Frances Fitzerald (book) "Who is an Evangelical?" by Thomas S. Kidd (book) Interesting article about Napoleon, the Pope, and the French Revolution A fantastic book about Napoleon (one of my fav books) is "Napoleon: A Life" by Andrew Roberts John MacArthur sermon excerpted and used with permission from "Grace to You" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donate to support the Truce Podcast!Correction: The original version of this episode incorrectly represented Arminian belief. It involves the belief that once grace is offered by God that a sinner can reject the offer. The original version stated that the sinner made the first move to initiate a relationship. That is incorrect. Arminians believe that God makes the first move, but His offer can be rejected. The error has been corrected in this version, My apologies for any confusion. Who is an evangelical? If you go by the news today, you probably think evangelicals are all American middle-class white men. Nope! Evangelical Christians come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. They can be men or women from anywhere in the world. They can speak any language. And they can have a lot of variety in their beliefs.This season on the Truce Podcast we are examining the history of Christian fundamentalism. How did fundamentalism begin? What is Christian fundamentalism? Is Christian fundamentalism a good thing, a bad thing, or somewhere in between?In this episode, we're joined by author and professor George Marsden. He's the author of Fundamentalism and American Culture, which is THE book everyone else refers to when they talk about fundamentalism. According to Marsden, fundamentalism is "militantly anti-modernism protestant evangelicalism". That is a lot of big words! By the end of the season, you should understand all of that. One important part of that definition is the word "evangelicalism". It is one of those words that has been used so much in so many different ways that it can be difficult to define it. There are whole movements to create new definitions these days. But in order to move forward this season, we need to pick some frame of reference. I chose David Beggington's definition of what defines an evangelical:Bebbington's Quadrilateral Biblicism (a focus on the Bible) Conversionism (an emphasis on evangelism) Crucicentrism (the centrality of the cross) Activism Those four things, according to Bebbington, are what make up an evangelical. Again, it is a hotly debated subject.So when did evangelicalism begin? Many of the sources that I found pointed to the revivals in the decades leading up to the American Revolution. Evangelists like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield spread the gospel using a post-millennialist vision of the end times mixed with Calvinism. This was part of the First Great Awakening. Then there were others after the revolution who spread an Arminian view of salvation. Guys like Finney. Belief in God became more personal, without the direct oversight of a priest or minister. It became an individual's responsibility to look after their spiritual growth.Welcome to season 5! God willing, I'll be releasing new episodes every other week.Discussion Questions: What is an evangelical? What is a fundamentalist? If fundamentalists are evangelicals who are angry at something, what are they angry at? Are you one of those people? Do you believe in the Calvinist view of salvation or the Arminian one? Does it matter? Why? The Great Awakening movements established a sense that belief in God was not something that needed to be handed down by a priest or minister. Do you think that was a positive move? What are some potential drawbacks (if any)? Helpful Links and Sources: "Fundamentalism and American Culture" by George Marsden (book) "The Evangelicals" by Frances Fitzerald (book) "Who is an Evangelical?" by Thomas S. Kidd (book) "A Godly Hero" by Michael Kazin (book) Transcript of the Scopes trial (book, though you can find it free online) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the Truce Podcast!In our present moment, it seems that people are inclined to extremes. Christian fundamentalism seems to be on the rise. This season we're examining the history of Christian fundamentalism. We'll start by defining terms like "evangelical", "premillennialism", "dispensationalism", "modernist theology", and "fundamentalism". Then we'll work our way to the Scopes Monkey Trial, that massive media event in 1925 that pitted fundamentalism against evolution.Our guests this season include George Marsden, Joel Carpenter, Kevin Belmonte, Edward Larson, Paul T. McCartney, and Michael Kazin. We'll also feature a fascinating conversation with Jacob Goldstein, co-host of the Planet Money podcast.We can never hope to cover every facet of a subject this huge. Instead, the goal is to help normal people like us understand the basics of this movement that is actively shaping world history.Subscribe so you get every new episode as it is released. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Christmas can be a difficult time for many of us. How do we love people who disagree with us? How do we cope with people who don't seem to make sense anymore?In this bonus Christmas message, I just want to remind all of us of Jesus' command to both love our God AND love our neighbor.How has 2021 been for you? Leave a comment on social media or on the website at www.trucepodcast.com. God willing, season 5 of Truce will begin in winter 2022.Merry Christmas,Chris Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcastWhen you think of the world's worst mass murderers, King Leopold II doesn't usually come up. But due to his forced labor practices in the Congo, nearly 10 million people lost their lives. He did this by pretending that his actions in that region were a missionary effort. In reality, he forced Africans to harvest wild rubber or risk having their hands cut off.The truth is even darker than that: it turns out that Leopold was far from the only person doing this. This same era was marked by many major world powers engaging in forced labor. From the US in the Philippines to Arab countries in eastern Africa, much of the modern world was built on forced labor.Author Adam Hochschild joins us for this episode to discuss his book "King Leopold's Ghost".I first heard about this story on the Noble Blood podcast and their episode "The Red Paint on Leopold II".Discussion Questions: Had you heard of King Leopold II before this? Leopold did send missionaries to the Congo. Was that a positive or negative thing for our Christian witness? Did you know that other major countries were engaged in forced labor into WWII? What do you think of the US-backed coup in Congo? Is it okay for the US to get involved in the politics of another nation? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcastThe British slave trade had several well-known opponents: William Wilberforce and John Newton (who wrote "Amazing Grace") to name a few. But historian Adam Hochschild ("King Leopold's Ghost", "To End All Wars") argues that history has largely forgotten the most valuable member of the abolition movement: Thomas Clarkson. Clarkson was in charge of gathering and disseminating information across the British Isles. He fought for years to end the slave trade and then slavery itself.This movement is important for many reasons. It was the first to use logos, a coordinated marketing campaign, and it established a high bar for investigative journalism. It was also an ecumenical movement.In this episode we explore slavery, the importance of slave rebellions, the power of ecumenical efforts, and the book "Bury the Chains".I mentioned the so-called Curse of Ham in the episode. Learn more about it here.Helpful discussion questions: Had you heard of Thomas Clarkson before this episode? Do you participate in any cross-denominational movements? Where do you draw the line? Has your church ever participated in anti-racism movements? Was there any wisdom in ending the slave trade first? Why do you think John Newton didn't give up the slave trade as soon as he became a Christian? Was it possible to be a Christian and own slaves? Do you think humanity will ever go back to slavery? Do modern payday loans keep people in bondage in the way that debt kept people in bondage in the 1700s? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcastSo many Christians are angry at the Church. Not just the Church but their local churches as well. Producer Chris Staron decided to take a look inside one small congregation to see how Black Lives Matter, COVID, the 2020 Presidential Election, and more have impacted one community. How are people in Jackson, Wyoming responding in a time of dissension and deconstruction in the body of Christ?Special thanks to Ray McDaniel and Karl Klemmer for talking with Chris for this interview.Helpful Links: Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Steps First Baptist Church Discussion Questions: How have the last few years changed your ideas about the global Church? How have they changed your ideas of your local church? How would you respond if you were the pastor of a local church today and your congregation wanted you to pick a political side? Should pastors speak about politics from the pulpit? Why do we put so much emphasis on messages from the pulpit and discount the ability for congregants to have meaningful conversations on their own? Are you deconstructing your faith? What does that term mean to you? If you are deconstructing your faith, have you removed the local church? The Bible? If so, how has that impacted your faith? Are you open to people who have different opinions? How do you interact with those people? Is it in person? Do you have friends with different opinions than you? How can you get some if you don't? Do you see the Church as a "we" and "us" or as a "them"? Why? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcastTruce usually uses research, music, sound effects, and expert interviews to tell complicated stories about the Christian Church. We've made something like 100 episodes! Our listeners recommended that we celebrate by asking Chris questions submitted by audience members.Special thanks to Melvin Benson of the Cinematic Doctrine podcast for asking the questions! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcastJackson, Wyoming is a small tourist town in the middle of nowhere. It is just a few miles south of Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone. Millions of people pass through each year as tourists. It's a vacation hotspot. But for those who choose to stay in this region, Teton County is anything but a vacation. Rising income inequality and housing costs have created a hostile environment for working people. The median home price in Jackson went up 47% in 2020 alone, rising to $2.2 million while wages remain stagnant.We've been talking for the last few episodes about myths of the American West, how cowboy myths about a lone rugged individual have shaped the US. Now it's time to understand how cowboy myths have impacted American Christianity.Our guest today is Justin Farrell. He's a sociologist and professor at Yale. His book is Billionaire Wilderness. In it, Farrell recounts his studies of the ultra-wealthy. What makes them tick? What are they afraid of? Why do they dress the way they do? And what draws them to the far western border of Wyoming?Discussion Questions: Read the story of the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-27). What do you think of Jesus' warning about wealthy people entering the kingdom of God? Many of the tax avoidance practices discussed in this series are legal (except pretending to live in one place while living in another). Do you think that legality and morality are tied together? Are these practices moral? What types of friction do you experience in your own life? How would more money change the level of friction you encounter? How would less money change the level of friction you encounter? Do you think that friction is a valuable thing to pay attention to in our lives? What is the role of empathy in a Christian's life? How do you use money to benefit yourself as opposed to others? Helpful Links: Justin Farrell's book Billionaire Wilderness NY Times article about President Trump changing his residence to get out of paying taxes Book The Velvet Rope Economy about inequalities in health care, airlines, services, and even Disney World. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes! Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcastSome of the wealthiest people in the world live (or pretend to live) in Jackson, Wyoming. That includes some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Digging into the property tax records, we discovered that one of the most successful actors in film history pays less in property tax than a single mom living on less land. What gives? Why are rich people paying less in property tax than working people?The answer has to do with a thing called a conservation easement. A conservation easement is essentially an agreement between a landowner and the government that says, "I promise I'll keep my property from certain kinds of building projects". In return, the government gives the landowner massive tax benefits on the federal and local levels.In this episode, Chris digs into the history of these instruments to understand what they are and how they are impacting rural Wyoming and the rest of the country.UPDATE: The original version of this episode contained an error that has since been corrected. The original version stated that getting an $800,000 tax deduction was essentially the same as getting an $800,000 refund. That is incorrect. My apologies. Helpful links: Helpful article about conservation easements Excellent pamphlet with information about easements YouTube video about how taxes are assessed Search the Teton County property tax records Discussion Questions What do you think about public land? Do conservation easements seem fair? Are conservation easements a helpful way to preserve the environment or government-sponsored private land? Both? What should Jackson locals do to make the property taxes fair? How do you feel when you learn that taxation practices favor the rich? Are there conservation easements where you live? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices