In the mid-1600s, New England Puritans found themselves in the middle of a theological compromise.

The church began to say this.

You don't need to be regenerate.

You don't need to be a member of the pure church, hence Puritanism, in order to have your child baptized.

It is one step towards nominalism, and it is a step away from a faithful church.

When the Puritans first arrived in America, they had a deep evangelical zeal.

They said about translating the scriptures for the native Algonquin people, and their churches were strong.

But over the years, genuine Christianity began to slide.

Today on renewing your mind, Dr. Stephen Nichols continues our look at the history of Christianity in America.

With a message titled, Halfway Christianity.

Welcome back.

Last time we were talking about Puritanism.

It had a lot going for it.

It was so great.

I think as we think about what Puritanism was all about, and we think, well, the next thing on the scene for American Christianity is the first great awakening.

That naturally brings up the question, why do we need an awakening?

If Puritanism has this kind of a theology that is part of it, then why are we talking about the first great awakening?

Well, we have got to look at what happens from roughly the 1690s to the 1740s when the great awakening comes on to the scene.

And what we see in that time period is a decline.

This is going to be the story, it's going to be the story again and again of American Christianity, of a founding of an institution.

And then you see decline and drift, and eventually apostasy.

And you're going to see it happen to institutions, you're going to see it happen to denominations, you're going to see it happen to particular churches.

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