The 21st Century has seen major movements in Christianity. The advent of New Calvinism, a Calvinism for millennials who want to live out reformed and conservative theology and doctrine in modern times. The Apostolic Reformation, returning back to the Church of Acts, particularly Chapter Two which stipulate house churches and meals together instead of just services (Acts 2:42, Acts 2:46). The Neo-Charismatics, who believe that are the "Third Wave" of Charismata and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4-11) seek to bring reform to the moderate and lukewarm charisma in Evangelicalism. The Resurgence of Pietism, a movement that emphasized a simplified religious life of devotion and meeting in homes, the 24/7 Prayer Movement to pray in Christ's Return and for Israel, also known as IHOP, The Messianic and Jewish Roots Movements that aim at teaching Christians the Jewish symbolism, tradition, and etc. found in the Old Testament, and finally then there is the political Preterist revival called Network Christianity that tries to gain as foothold over governments through activism, political power, and votes, rather than preaching the Gospel. There are the are Ecumenical movements to unite all the denominational churches from Catholic to Charismatic, and the Conservative Movements to keep Liberal Christianity as well as Gay-Lesbian and Homosexual Church movements at bay. The Church in the 21 Century is experiencing a strong revival, that is to revive old pieties (devotions), to somehow rediscover the spark scene in the Gospels, Acts, The Epistles, as well as reforming zeal of the Renaissance, and the Piety of the 17th Century as in example of the Devotio Moderna and Pietist Movements. This rise of radical piety (devotion) is spreading across denominational lines, and is being noticed not just within the Church, but outside it.
Harvard did a study and discovered that while many millennials and younger generations are leaving institutional churches, they aren't all becoming athiests as was expected, rather they are developing what the study called, "intense spirituality, intense observance in their daily spiritual lives at home." Pictures of Kempis' The Imitation of Christ, and Bonehoffer's The Cost of Discipleship come to mind, but it is intriguing that it isn't an Age of Reason or Liberalized piety that is rising in prominence among young people. A zealous fire is being sparked, and the desire for radical piety and faith is growing into activism and the less political Charismaticism where the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are used in evangelism and to show God's power. There is a real thirst right now, across the board, with the exception of Liberal, Network, and Ecumenical Christian Movements, to become more devoted to Christ and to have what Harvard calls "intense spirituality." But what is causing this trend that so radically differs from Liberal and Age of Reason watered down theology, piety, and spiritual life of the 18th and 19th centuries? How has the trend shifted from liberal to conservative, from heterodox to orthodox so quickly?
The first possible clue is access. Today, young pietists can access all manner of devotional material from Kempis to St. Francis of Assisi, to the Pietists and Purtian writers to modern radical writers like David Pratt, whose book is aptly called "Radical." But this is simply a well of information, what is causing the thirst? Well one missionary pastor I spoke with had an interesting theory. It was his belief that in future there would no longer be "moderate Islam, only radical Islam, and in same token, there will be no more luke warm and moderate Christianity, only radical Christianity." As Radical Islam has grown around world with movements like ISIS, Hamas, Al-Shabab, and Boko Harem, we are seeing a rise of radical Christian movements (albeit they don't kill people) such as Neo-Charismatics, Neo-Pietists, New Calvinists, Apostolic Reformers, and etc. While I would not say the rise of Radical Christianity can be solely attributed to the rise of Radical Islam, it certainly is an interesting factor to contemplate. While Jihadists build bombs, Jesus Freaks are building up their spiritual gifts and intense devotions at home.
If Access and the rise of Radicalism in general aren't the full answer, then perhaps it has to do with the long monopoly Liberal Christianity has had on media. One must only look at the movies for 2018, and even the Pureflix ones to see a steady stream of liberal and lukewarm contenders that propagandize a peaceful and impotent Church. Perhaps, this new generation is tired of the placating and self flagellation for wrongs in past, and so have decided to be branded Fidei Defensors (defenders of the faith) and even Crusaders. The Political Correctness that has pervaded over Hollywood, The News Media, and even Churches has reached pitched fever and the boiling point, and the radicalism is a response to being caricatured, and told to cow tow to the ideas of Communist-Progressive-Liberal theologians and teachers. Perhaps the fire to resurrect old movements like Pietism, Calvinism, and the Apostolica is merely a festering response to the liberalization of the church in most of The West.
But perhaps another more tangible reason radical piety has entered the Church is brothers and sisters in Christ is because there is a sense we are in the End Times with all chaos in politics, calamities hitting the earth like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and the fact that the prophetic Scriptures in the Old and New Testament are being fulfilled; and example being that Lawlessness is spreading on the earth (2 Thessalonians 2:3), love is growing cold (Matthew 24:12), and people are becoming lovers of self and worse (2 Timothy 3:1-14). Perhaps these movements and radical pieties are merely God's people getting ready to meet Jesus Christ when He comes on clouds of glory (Matthew 24:31-40, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Eschatological pressure has caused people in past to become more ardent disciples and devote all their time to pious observance, prayer, and spending time in presence of the LORD. I personally believe we are in the End Times, and that signs are visible for those who have "eyes to see and ears to hear." I believe our Lord and God Jesus Christ is coming very soon (Revelation 22:10-21).
Another possible reason for the rise of radical piety in Church is the simple desire to get back to the Church as it is seen in the New Testament and experience a deeper depth of relationship with Christ and the mysteries of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26, John 15:26, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11). It is not secret that the Church has deviated, publicly, from its original role. We were suppose to be family, the Body of Christ, with many members, but One body, "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves[a] or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." (1 Corinthians 12:12-13, 27). For it was Constantine The Great placed the church back in a building, with an alter, priests, and a caste system, and this made the church gradually become lukewarm, indolent, and indifferent, as the laity let professional class of ecclesia (priests) do their pious jobs. This was never meant to be. Every believer, including myself, who reads the New Testament from Matthew to Revelation is astounded by how vastly different the church today is from what it was intended to be: a family of God, with God living in them and they in God (1 John 4:15, John 17:20-23), and that every Christian is a priest and ambassador of Christ (1 Peter 2:8-10, 2 Corinthians 5:20), and we may come into the holiest place and presence of God without any mediator but Christ (Hebrews 10:19, 1 Timothy 2:5, Colossians 1:22, Ephesians 5:27).
The motives perhaps vary or are many, but it is clear that the Church is veering towards a pious zealotry that cries, "Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may gain Christ,," (Phillipains 3:8), "As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world's interest in me has also died," (Galatians 6:14), "Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me," (Matthew 16:24), "Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me," (Luke 9:23), and "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21). Perhaps the persecution of the Church around the world, and the fact that Christianity is now the most persecuted religion in the world is part of the spark that is this revivalism and reform and resurgence. As a Christian myself, I welcome the intense piety as Harvard calls it, because I see in New Testament a devotion to Christ that is intense, "Worship the Lord God only and serve Him alone," (Luke 4:8), "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength," (Mark 12:30), "Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may gain Christ. If you are mature you will adopt this persepective, if not I believe God will show you," (Philippians 3:8, 15), "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God," (Hebrews 12:2), "We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ," (2 Corinthians 10:5), and many others verses. We are suppose to be all in disciples, "Unless you pick up your cross daily, you cannot be my disciple." (Luke 9:23). While certainly the factors aforementioned are contributing factors, I think it is going to be unavoidable as the missionary said, "there will be no moderate Christianity, only radical Christianity." And to be clear this radical Christianity isn't militant, it is an intense inner devotion to Christ using the Holy Bible, books like The Imitation of Christ, and etc; it is a revival within the home of each and every Christian, and a desire to be Reformation to the institutional and denominational churches. Amen.
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