We humans seem to have a natural tendency to glamorize our past, reinterpret our miscalculations, rationalize our mistakes and develop an idealistic "history" in retrospect. The official chronicles of nearly every king of antiquity provide sufficient evidence for such a judgment. Religious movements generally do the same. There is reason to think the popular account of the Restoration Movement of Campbell and Stone has also enjoyed cosmetic touches here and there. Literature and filmstrips used in outreach efforts often include an integral section on the movement's history. It tells a … [Read more...]

Go with me to the early 19th century, to a devout Presbyterian minister and his godly, scholarly son, lately come separately to America. Disenchanted with the sectarianism which choked their church, they determined by God's grace to do better. This country became their Promised Land - a territory ruled by sectarian giants who lived in churches with great walls, but ripe nonetheless for the vengeance of the Lord, and ready to yield their spoils to the simple People of God. Soon the trumpets sounded, the foes were thrown into confusion and turmoil, and the breezes hummed with the arrows of … [Read more...]

In this powerful booklet, Edward presents a Christ-centered review of the origins, present crisis and potential glorious future of the Stone-Campbell "restoration movement" which produced the Churches of Christ, Independent Christian Churches and the Disciples of Christ. As a faithful critic-lover of his own religious heritage, Edward honestly portrays the flawed premises of the movement, exposes its slide into sectarianism and legalism, but holds great hope for its potential as it focuses anew on Jesus Christ rather than on itself. God is doing a mighty work in the "restoration movement," … [Read more...]

Edited from Edward's church bulletin articles written during his 1968-72 ministry in St. Louis, Mo., this collection of spiritual reflections makes for easy reading in short snatches. Edward Fudge Table of Contents Foreword [clear-line][clear-line][clear-line][clear-line] [clear-line] … [Read more...]

The Campbells and their associates were not alone in pursuing simple Christianity. Although their restoration movement now seems easy to identify, it sprang from many different currents which sometimes mingled and sometimes crossed. Yet today's Churches of Christ represent the heritage of Alexander Campbell above that of his fellows, and his own early progression of thought is easy to summarize. His plan went something like this. The millennium is surely coming soon. The world must be converted first. Christians must unite if the world is to convert. The way to this unity is … [Read more...]

Probably no one in the Churches of Christ today (or any other part of our restoration movement) shares Campbell's four basic views. The great disappointments of the nineteenth century burst many an optimistic bubble - particularly the bloody Civil War which divided most denominations as well as the country. Campbell's postmillennial hope was but one form of utopianism that dashed against the rocks of history. The Restoration Movement has a small premillennial segment still, centering in strength around Louisville, Kentucky, but it derives from the later teaching of R. H. Boll, not from the … [Read more...]

Today the Restoration Movement resembles a venerable family that has occupied the same house for many generations. The rooms are comfortable, the furnishings are familiar, and the attic is full of fascinating memorabilia. But now the time has come for a thorough housecleaning. God has given the men and women of our Restoration Movement certain valid insights, as even those outside our churches are free to say. But it would be foolish and naive indeed for us to suppose that no dust has settled, no broken antiques have been closeted, no trash has been mixed mistakenly with the treasures. In … [Read more...]

The theme of the Bible is Jesus Christ. It speaks of his church, but the church never competes with Jesus for attention. The Old Testament anticipates and prefigures the coming of the Son of God (Lk. 24:44-45). Its (noral laws anticipate his sinless life. Its ceremonies and rituals prefigure his sacrificial death and priesthood (Matt. 5:18; Hebrews). The New Testament describes Christ's saving work as it transpired (the Gospels). It relates his ongoing work by the Spirit as the gospel marched in triumph across the first-century world (Acts). It tells Christians how to live in view of what … [Read more...]

The Jews of Paul's day were so busy trying to establish their own righteousness that they missed the righteousness God freely provided (Rom. 10:1-3). Their essential mistake was that they sought God's approval as if it were a matter of works. They were trying but they were not trusting. And they were left out while the Gentiles were entering in (Rom. 9:30-33). Many in the Restoration Movement seem to have made the same mistake today, with equally tragic results. Paul defended the Law, but he insisted that it had found its fulfillment in Jesus. He urged the Jews to see themselves standing in … [Read more...]