Editing Restoration Movement (section)

{{short description|Christian movement seeking church reformation and unification}}
{{About|the Stone–Campbell Restoration Movement and Christian churches that have a historical and/or theological connection to it||Restorationism (disambiguation)}}
[[File:Pioneers in the great religious reformation of the nineteenth century, eng. by J.C. Buttre.tif|thumb|Early leaders of the Restoration Movement (clockwise, from top): Thomas Campbell, Barton W. Stone, Alexander Campbell, and Walter Scott]]

The '''Restoration Movement''' (also known as the '''American Restoration Movement''' or the '''Stone–Campbell Movement''', and pejoratively as [[Campbellite|Campbellism]]) is a [[Christianity|Christian]] movement that began on the [[American frontier]] during the [[Second Great Awakening]] (1790–1840) of the early 19th century. The pioneers of this movement were seeking to reform the church from within{{Sfn | Fife | 1999 | p = 212}} and sought "the unification of all Christians in a single body patterned after the church of the New Testament."<ref name= "I Just Want to Be a Christian">[[Rubel Shelly]], ''I Just Want to Be a Christian'', 20th Century Christian, Nashville, [[Tennessee|TN]] 1984, {{ISBN|0-89098-021-7}}</ref>{{rp|54}}

The Restoration Movement developed from several independent strands of religious revival that idealized early Christianity. Two groups which independently developed similar approaches to the Christian faith were particularly important.<ref name="Redigging the Wells">{{Citation | first = Monroe E | last = Hawley | title = Redigging the Wells: Seeking Undenominational Christianity | publisher = Quality | place = Abilene, [[Texas|TX]] | year = 1976 | isbn = 0-89137-513-9 | pages = 27–32}}</ref> The first, led by [[Barton W. Stone]], began at [[Cane Ridge, Kentucky]], and identified as "[[Christians (Stone Movement)|Christians]]". The second began in western Pennsylvania and Virginia (now West Virginia) and was led by [[Thomas Campbell (minister)|Thomas Campbell]] and his son, [[Alexander Campbell (minister)|Alexander Campbell]], both educated in Scotland; they eventually used the name "[[Disciples of Christ (Campbell Movement)|Disciples of Christ]]". Both groups sought to restore the Christian church based on visible patterns outlined in the [[New Testament]], and both believed that [[creed]]s kept Christianity divided. In 1832, they joined in fellowship with a handshake.

Among other things, they were united in the belief that [[Jesus]] is the Christ, the [[Son of God]]; that Christians should celebrate the [[Eucharist|Lord's Supper]] on the [[Sabbath in Christianity|first day of each week]]; and that [[Believer's baptism|baptism of adult believers]] was necessarily by [[Immersion baptism|immersion in water]].<ref name="McAlister & Tucker, 1975" />{{rp |147–148}} Because the founders wanted to abandon all [[Christian denomination|denominational labels]], they used the biblical names for the followers of Jesus.<ref name = "McAlister & Tucker, 1975" />{{rp |27}} Both groups promoted a return to the purposes of the [[Christianity in the 1st century|1st-century churches]] as described in the New Testament. One historian of the movement has argued that it was primarily a unity movement, with the restoration motif playing a subordinate role.<ref name="Garrett 2002" />{{rp |8}}

The Restoration Movement has since been divided into multiple separate groups. The three main groups are the [[Churches of Christ]], the [[Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)]], and the independent [[Christian churches and churches of Christ|Christian Church/Church of Christ]] congregations. Additionally, there are the [[International Churches of Christ]], the [[International Christian Church]], the [[Churches of Christ in Europe]], and the [[Evangelical Christian Church in Canada]],<ref>Sydney E. Ahlstrom, ''A Religious History of the American People'' (2004)</ref><ref>Melton's Encyclopedia of American Religions (2009)</ref><ref>{{Citation | url = http://www.kentaurus.com/domine/protestant.HTM | title = Restoration Movement | publisher = Kentaurus | year = 2011}}.</ref> and the [[Churches of Christ in Australia]]. Some characterize the divisions in the movement as the result of the tension between the goals of [[Restorationism|restoration]] and [[ecumenism]]: the Churches of Christ and unaffiliated Christian Church/Church of Christ congregations resolved the tension by stressing restoration, while the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) resolved the tension by stressing ecumenism.<ref name="Garrett 2002">Leroy Garrett, ''The Stone-Campbell Movement: The Story of the American Restoration Movement'', College Press, 2002, {{ISBN|978-0-89900-909-4}}.</ref>{{rp |383}}