Introduction
The Christian reforms and corresponding movements of the nineteenth century were significantly informed by societal changes; however, the latter is more complex that it seems. This stance is supported by the evolving religious perspectives, which somehow complement these movements, deriving from the most critical issues of the population. Hence, in order to understand the examined period and its shifts, it is necessary to take into account the perspectives of pre-millennialism and post-millennialism as well as their historical meaning.
Relationship Between the Millennium’s Views and Social Reform
The main aspect to be considered in order to shed the light on the changes performed in relation to Christianity in the nineteenth century is its preconditions. They can be effectively determined through the lens of societal processes. In this situation, they include a variety of problematic spheres of life, which were not addressed by the authorities at the time. For instance, such challenges as inequality stemming from slavery, which seemed to be previously acceptable, and limitations of women’s role to domestic affairs instead of public activities were crucial for the emergence of essential concerns. Accordingly, these circumstances had a significant moral underpinning as premillennial perceptions led to their exacerbation, whereas in the new era, they became inappropriate. From the perspective of these shifts, it can be claimed that there is an apparent relationship between the particular views of the millennium and social reform since the former is the reaction to the latter. It means that social reform was the key trigger of shifting attitudes in Christianity.
Pre-Millennial Views and Post-Millennialism: Reformation
As follows from the conditions, given above, the contemporary popular pre-millennial view of Christ’s return clearly presents an obstacle to the reformation of society. This idea is based on the assumption that negative phenomena in society are inevitable as they are viewed as a sign of the mentioned event. When relying on this provision, religious activists are unlikely to see any problems, which are to be solved by readjusting efforts and neglect the need for developing effective measures. For instance, in the case of the challenges of women, mentioned in the previous section, they are still not fully addressed in present-day society. Ignoring them as per the doctrine means denying people the opportunity of spiritual growth. In turn, the reformation of essential processes linked to the population’s activity under post-millennialism is encouraged since no time limits are suggested. On the contrary, the consideration of the prophecy from this standpoint means that the ongoing struggles of humanity are not connected to Christ’s return in any way and, therefore, should be adequately addressed.
What History Seems to Indicate
Taking into account the general provisions of pre-millennialism and post-millennialism with respect to social reform, it is reasonable to suggest their effects on the selected course of actions of religious activists. The latter seems to be connected to the attempts to affect the wellbeing of the citizens. Meanwhile, the former reflects the perception of negative phenomena as somehow positive when viewing them as a sign of better future. In this way, history indicates the difference between the actions of Christians based on their guidance with one or another doctrine.
Conclusion
To summarize, the postmillennial view as per Christian reform movements of the nineteenth century shows that the link between the millennium and social reform is the reaction to changes, evoked by growing concerns. From the contemporary pre-millennial view, this stance appears to be more effective than the opposing convictions for improving people’s wellbeing. In other words, the historical underpinning of these doctrines is in their varying degree of feasibility for society.