One In Jesus

Daniel Sommer was a student of Benjamin Franklin. Sommer lived a long and influential life, carrying on his mentor’s work–so much so that Sommer can properly be said to have been the father of two major divisions within the Restoration Movement. He initiated the division over missionary societies and the instrument in 1899, and he is the father of the division over institutionalism that took place in the 1950’s.

His most famous work is the Sand Creek “Address and Declaration,” intentionally copying Thomas Campbell’s title and reversing the terms, in unintentional irony, as Sommer used Thomas Campbell’s words to teach the opposite of what Campbell taught. Continue reading →

Alexander Campbell died shortly after the Civil War end, leaving a united Movement. The various congregations had a number of disagreements, but they were all willing to tolerate one another’s disagreements for the sake of unity. A handful of congregations had allowed the use of an organ, but the issue was not yet divisive. Campbell had been the president of the first national missionary society and had vigorously campaigned for its institution and support, but a few voices had been heard in opposition to this new venture. Continue reading →

The driving force behind the Restoration Movement’s doctrine of baptism is the writing of Alexander Campbell. As Part 3 suggests, Campbell’s early writing certainly seemed to suggest that he considered baptism essential to salvation. And this was conventional wisdom within much of the Movement.

However, Stone had never considered baptism essential, considering receipt of the Spirit, as evidenced by a reformed life, a truer test of salvation. Nonetheless, he practiced baptism.

Campbell’s views became much clearer in a series of articles in response to the so-called Lunenburg Letter written in 1837. Continue reading →

Thomas Campbell’s son, Alexander, very quickly became the intellectual champion of the Movement. Both Thomas and Barton W. Stone suffered from poor health and produced limited written work.

In 1932, the Stone and Campbell movements merged, beginning with the famous meeting of Stone with “Raccoon” John Smith, a legendary Kentucky preacher within the Campbell movement.

Alexander Campbell (henceforth, just “Campbell”) published his systematic theology The Christian System in 1835. Continue reading →

Perhaps the most influential document in the Restoration Movement is the “Declaration and Address” written by Thomas Campbell in 1809. It’s a very long document and often the 19th Century prose is hard to read. But it’s well worth the effort.

Fortunately, Campbell summarized his points in a series of numbered propositions, which serve as an excellent starting point for understanding his thought. Continue reading →

We in the Churches of Christ often claim to be part of or heirs of the Restoration Movement, founded by Barton W. Stone and Thomas and Alexander Campbell. We like to recite various Restoration Movement slogans and give them very nearly the authority of scripture. When we say that we must be “silent where the Bible is silent,” no one questions the truth of the proposition, only its application. The Restoration Movement is very deeply ingrained in our corporate DNA.

And I’m actually quite a big fan of the Restoration Movement. I wished we’d study it even more. Indeed, I’m confident we’d be spiritually more healthy if we were more knowledgeable of our historical roots. Continue reading →