Religion between the World
Wars
American Religious History
Mainline Protestantism
Adrift
ˇ Ecumenical
movement: Federal Council of Churches, 1908
ˇ
National Council of Churches, 1950
ˇ Denominational
Unity on Prohibition
ˇ
Triumph! Eighteenth Amendment, 1919
ˇ
Drinking declines, but the law often ignored; rise of organized
crime
ˇ Churches
lose: Prohibition repealed, 1933
ˇ
Loss of prestige, loss of purpose
ˇ Mainline
churches adrift, 1930s
Pentecostalism Spreads
ˇ 1920s:
Pentecostals form denominations and races separate
ˇ Aimee
Semple McPherson
ˇ
Four Square Gospel, Los Angeles, 1923
Catholicism and America
ˇ Thriving
church adapts to American religious freedom
ˇ Roman
hierarchy hostile to American ideals
ˇ
Pius IX, “Syllabus of Errors,” 1864
ˇ
Vatican I, 1869-70: Pope is infallible
ˇ
Pius X condemns modernism, 1907
ˇ Leo
XIII condemns “Americanism,” 1899
ˇ
Condemns individual conscience: follow Church’s teachings
ˇ
No ecumenicism; Protestants could not be learned from (heretics)
ˇ
Freedom & individualism threatened monasticism &
priesthood
ˇ
Rejects full freedom of the press
Catholicism 1900–1960: The
“Brick & Mortar” Era
ˇ Conservative
impact of Americanism controversy
ˇ Parallel
society
ˇ
Schools
ˇ
Universities
ˇ
Hospitals
ˇ
Orphanages
ˇ
Charities
ˇ Political
conservatism
Black Churches & the
Great Migration
ˇ The
“Great Migration”
ˇ Challenge
to Northern churches
ˇ
Development of social programs
ˇ
Congregation grow; worship & music change
ˇ
Thomas A. Dorsey, Mahalia Jackson, and gospel music
ˇ “Storefront”
churches
ˇ
Rise of Pentecostalism
ˇ
C.H. Mason: Church of God in Christ
ˇ
Black Islam and Black Jewish (Black Hebrew or Black Israelite)
movements
ˇ