Acts20.com

I have been interested in this subject for a while now and with the recent events on this board I thought I'd try to start a discussion.

I think R. G. Robins may touch discuss this topic in his book, A. J. Tomlinson:Plainfolk Modernist (Religion in America).Tomlinson was a populist in the broader since, as he identified with poor and working class people (he may have run for political office as a populist when he was young). The radical Quaker influences, including his families early membership in the anti-slavery party (which became the Republican Party), their role in the underground railroad and multi-racial community they lived in, shaped his views. Many of the ministers that AJT was associated with had those progressive views you speak of and I'm sure these view are reflected in how he saw the Church of God.

As one who has for many years had a great interest in the study of historic Christian revival movements, my understanding is that culture and ethics of the 19th century Holiness Movement was indeed foundational to the early Pentecostal Movement, and impacted the thought thereof to a large extent. Ironically enough, the social reform movements of the 19th century, such as Temperance, Abolitionism, women's suffrage, etc., derived much of their impetus from the postmillennialism that was the prevailing eschatology in that day.

Progressivism has gone off down it's own weird path since Pentecostalism was founded

Progressivism, as I would characterize a major portion of the sociopolitical mindset of the 19th century Holiness movement, was not originally a bad thing at all, but was in fact a benevolent Christian approach to social problems like slavery, alcohol, child labor, dietary reform, women's suffrage, etc. Where progressivism as a political movement got way off course, in my opinion, was under President Woodrow Wilson, FDR, LBJ, and so forth. It has eventually turned out to be a movement whose motto is freedom to do as one pleases, instead of one that sought freedom for the truly oppressed.

[quote=Quiet Wyatt]That said, I don't see how it can reasonably be argued that the status quo of social ills like slavery, child labor, alcoholism, etc., should have been supported and maintained by Christians in any age or society.[/quoteSlavery was outlawed before the Progressive movement started.

Bump!