Ecclesiastical separatism
Ecclesiastical separatism is the withdrawal from Christian denominations, usually to form new denominations.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the separating puritans advocated departure from the Church of England. These people became known as dissenters.
Ecclesiastical separatism has also been associated with Christian fundamentalism, and such withdrawals have been mainly due to perceived theological liberalism. They have often been accompanied by a refusal to have any further association with the parent denomination or its members. George Marsden notes that Arno C. Gaebelein was one of the early fundamentalist leaders to advocate ecclesiastical separation in a conference address in 1914.[1] Gaebelein had left the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1899.[2]
In fundamentalism, ecclesiastical separatism is closely connection to the doctrine of separation, in which Christians are urged to be personally separate from the world.
References
- ^ Marsden, George M. (2006). Fundamentalism and American Culture. Oxford University Press. p. 127. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
- ^ Pierard, Richard V. (1999). "Gaebelein, A(rno) C(lemens)". Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions. Eerdmans. p. 233. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
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