Class Notes - October 24, 2012

Sarah Bacon – October 24, 2012

Remaking the World: Three Great Revolutions

“When we talk about history, we make choices based on our own assumptions. Modernity is the age of smothering, dominating government where all their jurisdictions God has established for society are placed under the authority of the government. This will be the story that we will examine over the course of this year and that will drive us back to our own assumptions and choices over what is good and true and important over and over and over.”

Vocabulary:
tautology – needless repetition of an idea, especially in words other than those of the immediate context, without imparting additional force or clearness
dichotomy – division into two parts, kinds, etc.; subdivision into halves or pairs.
compilation – the act of compiling
triune – three in one; constituting a trinity in unity, as the Godhead
paradox – a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth
catalyzation – (Chemistry) to influence (a chemical reaction) by catalysis
cohere – to stick together; be united; hold fast, as parts of the same mass
Jacobin – (in the French Revolution) a member of a radical society or club of revolutionaries that promoted the Reign of Terror and other extreme measures, active chiefly from 1789 to 1794:so called from the Dominican convent in Paris, where they originally met; a extreme radical (especially in politics).
radical – a person who holds or follows strong convictions or extreme principles; extremist
feudalism – the feudal system, or its principles and practices
yellow journalism – the type of journalism that relies on on sensationalism and lucrid exaggeration to attract readers
ideology – the body of doctrine, myth, belief, etc., that guides an individual, social movement, institution, class, or large group; the study of the nature and origin of ideas
demagoguery – the methods or practices of a demagogue
metastasize – to transform, especially into a dangerous form; to spread injuriously

“Three great revolutions in the West transformed both the shape of nations and the shape of their ancient Christian cultures.” ~Christopher Dawson

Many problems of the world are create on purpose by the government so that they could come in and “fix” it to be the hero of the day. They seek to control our thoughts and emotions. They seek also to blur the lines within domestic and international. This is not new…it is a New World Order agenda that is being pushed. Today they won’t be discreet and try to cover their agenda because they have the power and authority to do what they want. When you break down the barrier for countries, you are getting rid of self-identity. You also open the door for many conflicting religions and culture. This gives way for the government to have more control and authority. New World Order seeks to make “unity” which will mean one people and therefore one god. Man. Every man is god but with any religion there must be unity within the godhead. But if man was god, then the godhead would be in chaos due to different views of right and wrong. From this we would get uniformity.

Choosing a Date for Modernity’s Start:
When did it start? It is disagreed upon when exactly Modernity was born. Many like to put the date of the birth with specific events that happened starting with 1618 and ending to 1815.
The English Civil War: 1642-1651
The English Commonwealth: 1649-1659
The Thirty Year War 1618-1648
The Peace of Westphalia: 1648
The Glorious Revolution: 1688
The Second Hundred Years War: 1688-1815
The American War for Independence: 1763-1781
The French Revolution: 1789-1799
The Congress of Vienna – 1815

So where do we draw the line? Where do we trace it back? Where do we find the roots of any real religion or worldview? Can we ever know for sure?

“Ideas have consequences” is more of theological and ideological while “Consequences have ideas” are more sociological. They are both needed and they reflect one another: Ideas have consequences and then in response consequences have more ideas. But if forced to pick the more important and truthful, it would be that ideas have consequences. It’s a timetable. You flip it upside down and it’s still important. Our idea of history will be based off of our worldview. But at the same time our worldview is influenced by history and what we are told about history. When you watch the news it’s not the news you’re really watching…it is the worldview of the person (people) behind it and their agenda and it impacts how you think and live. They tell you what they want to tell you and not something particularly relevant or needed to live. It is a manipulation game.

There is no one cause for Modernity. It started with an idea which spread and grew. There was a redrawing of the map of Europe…driven by new ideas and worldviews. This redrawing happened first by our first revolution.

Revolution #1: Remaking of England and Scotland:

There was a Civil War in 1642 which contained the revolt against Charles I, the Solemn League and Covenant, and also the rise of Oliver Cromwell.
Conflict broke out when Charles I refused to give way to the people and they rose up against him. The Scots and English came together with the Solemn League and Covenant that bound them together to create a new force. Oliver Cromwell came forward because of his great leadership and courage in battle and when the king was taken and killed the Parliament turned to Oliver Cromwell to rule over them and he did this by the changing the way of ruling to more of a protecting type of rule. He was thereby named Lord Protectorate.

There was the Commonwealth which includes the Regicide and Parliamentary Victory, the Protectorate of Cromwell and the Restoration of the Stuarts.

There was also the Legacy of the Stuarts: Charles II and James II, William III, Mary II, Anne, and the House of Hanover and finally the Jacobite Rising.

Revolution #2: Remaking Continental Europe

The Thirty Years War (1618-1648) which included the Hapsburg Hegemony and Reformation, the Dutch and the Moravians, and Sweden, France, and England.
Hegemony meaning a smothering and controlling…it eventually turned to the reform and betterment of Hapsburg. England’s concern was turned inward at itself and to fix all the problems going on there. While all this happened Suleiman the Magnificent marched to London with his Muslim army to conquer it. If it wasn’t for his cannons getting stuck in the mud because of the heavy rains that year, then he would have completely wiped out London and it would be Muslim today. There were little uprising by the Dutch and the Moravians seeking to bring in their religion.

The Peace of Westphalia which included the Dismantling the Holy Roman Empire, National Sovereignty, and Central European Chaos.

The Grand Alliance brought in the Rise of Louis XIV (who sought to bring in a French sovereignty and rule), the Revocation of the Treaty of Nantes, and William III and the Refugees.

Revolution #3: Remaking the Great Rivalry:
This began with the Second Hundred Years War which brought in the Nationalist Alliances, Colonial Conflicts and Hegemony and also Mercantilist Ambitions.

The second thing brought in by all this was the French Turmoil which included the French Revolution (1789), the Reign of Terror, and the Rise of Dictatorship. This was a bloody time of tyranny and all this lead to World War.

This was the final impact of the Great Rivalry…World War. This brought in the Napoleonic Empire, the Specter of Perpetual Warfare, and the Congress of Vienna. This was a time of great war. But with the Congress of Vienna we have a remaking of the map of Europe.

All of these events shaped and laid the formation for the entrance of Modernity. Lots of rulers, dates, wars and other great events that have aided in bringing Modernity about. Modernity is defined most by ideological conflict. Modernity has set the agenda. You have to be able to speak in terms of government if you want to seek to control the chaos of the world. We have to speak in terms of Modernity…even if you are seeking to oppose it. So much of the world revolves around the government…how big is it? What does it control? Does it do its duty of justice? Our government hasn’t been given the authority over Church, home, education, media, guilds, and healthcare. They have stuck their fingers in pies that are not theirs. This has been driven by Modernity. Modernity is the age of smothering, overpowering government.

Thirteen signs of New World Order Progressivism:
1) The Promise of Utopianism – Kingdom of Man
2) Planning – State plans instead of individual
3) Centralization – Power moves to being diffused to being clumped into one
4) Identity/Sameness – All differences are erased
5) Majoritism – Everyone moves as a blob…if you don’t then you are cut off
6) Hostility Against Organized Religion – If you resist their religion then you are held in hate.
7) Hate Free Enterprise – Someone else planning is considered wrong.
8) Anti-family – Family is an organize group and can challenge centralization.
9) Intolerance – Intolerance for intolerance.
10) Statism – Everything moves in the state.
11) Messianism – Every religion must have a savior or messiah.
12) Colonialism – One country moves into a weaker and forms and shapes it with new principles.
13) Interventionism – Sticking our nose into everyone else’s business.

The age of Modernity is the age of the government.