History of Religion in US - History Research Assignment (Essay Sample)

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The History of Religion in US
Christianity played a significant role in the history of the United States as a result of the various movements formed by the Christians in 1920s. In the early 20th century, people came together for the sake of movements, which were aimed at upholding Christian’s beliefs and doctrines. Christians felt that modernism was a significant threat to Christianity that undermined misinterpretation of the biblical inerrancy. Modernism led to the development of various Christian movement such as the Fundamentalism and the Lambert Conference, which were aimed at maintaining Christian doctrines and beliefs.
The Christian Fundamentalism
Christian fundamentalism is a movement that was initiated in the late 1900s among the American and British Protestants due to cultural modernism and theological liberalism (Dein). Thus, individuals who were involved in the Fundamentalism movement were referred to as the fundamentalists. They argued that modernism as a result of the emergence of new technology was the primary cause of biblical misinterpretation and the rejection of biblical doctrines such as the biblical inerrancy.
The movement in the United States was majorly influenced by William Bell Riley, a Baptist in Minneapolis through his Bible training schools and seminaries (Dein). The primary objective for the establishment of the movement was to fight against modernization in the U.S and command for a strict implementation and adherence to the Christian doctrines. The Bible and missionary schools established by William Riley such as the Northwestern Bible School, Northwestern College, and Northwestern Evangelical Seminary led to the widespread of Fundamentalism through the thousands of graduates from the schools. Riley also organized one of the largest fundamentalists’ conferences (World Christian Fundamentals Association) in 1919, which took place in Philadelphia (Dein). The conference later became the leading interdenominational organization for the fundamentalists in the 1920s.
There were other fundamentalists like Curtis Lee Lawes, Milton, and Lyman Stewart, who also promoted the movement through the publication and distribution of the fundamentals, which was a twelve-book collection on Fundamentalism teachings. The publication and the distribution of the Fundamentals books were sponsored by Milton and Lyman Stewart leading to the distribution of more than three million copies to the clergies and libraries in the U.S. The book's core has five beliefs that include:
1 The Biblical inerrancy, which is the belief that the Bible does not have any error in its teachings.
2 The resurrection and return of Jesus Christ.
3 The birth of Jesus by the Virgin Mary.
4 The death of Jesus on the cross as the atonement human sins.
5 The literal biblical accounts in regards to creation in the book of Genesis and the miracles performed by Jesus Christ.
The Lambeth Conference
The Lambeth Conference was an establishment of the bishops from the Anglican Communion, which was organized and summoned by the Archbishop of Canterbury (Selwyn 211-221). The first Lambeth Conference occurred in 1867 and was presided over by Charles Thomas Longley. The event was attended by more than 70 Anglican Bishops. In the 1920s, Lambeth Conference held its sixth meeting, which was headed by Randall Davidson (Selwyn 211-221). The number of the bishops in attendance grew to 252 f...