“A man approaches, wearing sandals and simple raiment, a raw tomato held firmly in his right hand and says, ‘The affectations of family and country alike are hindrances to the fuller development of human love’. but the the plain thinker will only answer him, with a wonder not untinged with admiration, ‘What a great deal of trouble you must have taken in order to feel like that.’’ (Chesterton “Heretics/Orthodoxy; Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000. p. 70

“It is important to avoid falling into the trap of presentism, or assuming that some of the concepts and issues of the present time were operative in the past, especially a past two millennia distant” (30)

“The whole restorationist movement over the centuries hinges on this. Two main hypotheses of the nature and intentions of the first century Christianity confront each other. On the one hand, there is the view that the primitive church was just that - a primitive form or expression of the faith that would evolve, develop and mature in time and space. It began with a largely evangelistic mission conducted by an apostolic ministry and grew into a primarily pastoral mandate under the episcopacy while retaining some missionary responsibility. On the other hand, there is the view that the primitive church of the apostolic age was the model for all time and all peoples and its ministry was an exemplary model for all Christian service” (31)

— model of what? and “Christian service” doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive to the first hypothesis

Jaenen says his book is only a “documentary history”. It is “not a theological study of the evolution of Christian doctrine and praxis…there is absolutely no pretention to engage in the scholarly debates of the Jesus Seminar, the papal encyclicals or biblical exegesis” (33)

— I get it, the book is already over 500 pages long. Added theological debates to his argument would make it even longer. However, it weakens his argument by focusing on the exterior similarities between historical groups which does not prove anything. If anything, he proves that humans have desired to be close to Jesus and rightfully reacted against clerical excesses over history when they occurred.

AI Overview: Yes, there is a distinct and often debated connection between Christian Primitivism (the desire to return to the pure, uncorrupted, original form of early Christianity) and Presentism (judging the past by modern standards or interpreting history entirely through the lens of the present). [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

In theology, these two concepts connect in a few specific ways:

• The "Short-Circuiting" of Church History: Historians and theologians (such as Dr. Timothy George) critique how both concepts bypass the centuries of church development between the Bible and today. A primitivist looks back to the 1st-century New Testament church, while a presentist looks forward from modern-day culture. Both often ignore or dismiss the historical church (the Early Church Fathers, the Middle Ages, and the Reformation) in favor of just these two reference points. [1]

• Projecting Modern Ideals Backwards: Christian primitivism often suffers from a form of presentism by unintentionally projecting modern cultural values—such as individualism, democracy, or contemporary worship styles—back onto the early Apostles.

• "Restoration" as a Present-Day Fix: Primitivists believe they can "restore" the original church by stripping away historical, man-made traditions. Presentism enters the picture because it is usually the contemporary church—acting in the present—that decides which traditions are illegitimate and how those ancient practices should be re-implemented today.

In short, the connection is that Christian Primitivism often uses Presentist methods to selectively read and "reconstruct" history.

If you are exploring this, I can:

• Provide examples of denominations that hold primitivist views (e.g., the Restoration Movement)

• Detail how specific theologians critique this approach

• Discuss the difference between theological primitivism and historical objectivity

Jaenen, C.J. The apostles’ doctrine and fellowship: a documentary history of the early church and restorationist movements. Legas Publishing. 2003. ISBN 1-894508-48-3