Among the many unusual religious movements that emerged in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, few were as distinctive as the Shakers. Officially known as the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, the Shakers became famous for their ecstatic worship, communal living, celibacy, craftsmanship, and radical commitment to equality between men and women. At their … Read More “The Origins of the Shakers: Visionaries, Celibates, and Radical Communal Christians” »
Tag: Sects
Christian Science is a religious movement that emerged in the 19th century, blending elements of Christianity, metaphysical healing, and idealist philosophy. It was founded by Mary Baker Eddy, who claimed to have discovered a spiritual system of healing based on the teachings of Jesus. This article explores the origins, inspirations, beliefs, and evolution of Christian Science, as well as what it looks … Read More “The Origins and Development of Christian Science” »
Heresies have been connected to Christianity from the beginning. Because this is a historical more than theological blog, I’m defining a heresy as a smaller group breaking off from the main group with significantly different doctrines. Some time ago I taught a course on what are often called cults or sects. I was amazed at … Read More “Heresies: Now and Then” »
I am especially interested in the development of new religions in the 19th century, including the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses. I taught a course on this for Tyndale University College. As a part of the background, I put together a bit of timeline of the major religious figures from the 19th century (and early 20th … Read More “Historical Timeline of Religion in the 19th Century” »
I just finished teaching a course on Contemporary Religious Movements at Tyndale University College. One of the things that I enjoyed about the course was seeing the connections between the different groups. We focused on groups that developed during the 19th and early 20th centuries. What was interesting was that there were two basic types of … Read More “Prophets and Bible Teachers in New Religions” »
