Restorationism

===Christadelphians===
{{Main|Christadelphians}}
[[File:John Thomas.png|thumb|150px|right|John Thomas]]
[[John Thomas (Christadelphian)|John Thomas]] (April 12, 1805 &ndash; March 5, 1871), was a devout convert to the Restoration Movement after a shipwreck at sea on his emigration to America brought to focus his inadequate understanding of the [[Bible]], and what would happen to him at death. This awareness caused him to devote his life to the study of the Bible and he promoted interpretations of it which were at variance with the mainstream Christian views the [[Restoration Movement]] held.  In particular he questioned the nature of man.  He held a number of debates with one of the leaders of the movement, [[Alexander Campbell (clergyman)|Alexander Campbell]], on these topics but eventually agreed to stop because he found the practice bestowed no further practical merits to his personal beliefs and it had the potential to create division.  He later determined that salvation was dependent upon having the theology he had developed for baptism to be effective for salvation and published an "Confession and Abjuration" of his previous position on March 3, 1847. He was also [[Rebaptism|rebaptised]].

Following his abjuration and rebaptism he went to [[England]] on a preaching tour in June 1848 including Reformation Movement churches,<ref>''Encyclopedia of new religions: new religious movements, sects and  '' Christopher Hugh Partridge - 2004 "In June 1848, he returned to England and was well received in Nottingham and had further speaking engagements in Derby"</ref> Although his abjuration and his disfellowship in America were reported in the British churches magazines<ref>''The British Millennial Harbinger and Family Magazine'' ed. James Wallis July 1848 cover, October 1848 in full</ref> certain churches in the movement still allowed him to present his views. Thomas also gained a hearing in Unitarian and Adventist churches through his promotion of the concept of "independence of thought" with regards to interpreting the Bible.

Through a process of creed setting and division the Christadelphian movement emerged with a distinctive set of doctrines incorporating Adventism, [[Nontrinitarianism|anti-trinitarianism]], the belief that God is a "substantial and corporeal" being, [[Conscientious objector|objection to military service]], a [[Laity|lay-membership]] with full participation by all members, and other doctrines consistent with the spirit of the Restorationist movement.<ref name="christadelphianhistory">{{cite web | title =Our History | publisher =Williamsburg Christadelphians | url =http://www.widomaker.com/~cpatax/xadelfia/who01.htm | access-date =2008-04-03 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20080509084920/http://www.widomaker.com/~cpatax/xadelfia/who01.htm | archive-date =2008-05-09 | url-status =dead }}</ref> One consequence of objection to military service was the adoption of the name Christadelphians to distinguish this small community of believers and to be granted exemption from military service in the [[American Civil War]].<ref name="christadelphianhistory" />