History of the Reformed Church in the U.S. in the Nineteenth Century

Author:

Dr. James I. Good (1850–1924)

Editor:

Eric D. Bristley, Th.M.

Source:

New York: The Board of Publication of the Reformed Church In America, 1911

Pages: 821

Format: eBook

Price: Part of THE RCUS eREFERENCE LIBRARY

Description:

Dr. Good continued his investigations into the history of the Reformed Church, bringing them down to the beginning of the twentieth century. He goes into the details of the Mercersburg theology and the liturgical controversies that disturbed the Church for more than thirty years, bringing to light many forgotten facts. He wishes to show the true and original character of the Reformed Church.

He provides an extensive treatment not only of the history of the Reformed Church in the U.S. in the period of the nineteenth century but is the most extensive history of the Mercersburg Theology and the controversies surrounding it. By the time this work appeared in 1911, new issues and movements developed on Mercersburg leading to a series of mergers that resulted in the United Church of Christ. Little did Dr. Good realize that by 1938 his beloved Reformed Church would be swallowed up in the ecumenicity of modernism.

Nevertheless, the work has enduring value today as there are new movements afoot in the context of churches calling themselves ‘Reformed’ or ‘Presbyterian’ which are looking again to Nevin’s theology as a path to a new ritualism. While we might not agree with Dr. Good in all of his analysis and judgments, this work provides a stimulating and realistic look not merely at a few theories developed in the study, but at the impact they had on the church. In fact, if God can teach us through history, understood in the light of Scripture, then we can be warned of the grave dangers of following false teachers.