Research On Religion » Abraham Lincoln

Curtis Freeman on Undomesticated Religious Dissent

tonygill — Sun, 17 Jun 2018 08:00:54 +0000

Religion and socio-political dissent have often been historically linked. Prof. Curtis Freeman, research professor of theology and Baptist studies at Duke University’s Divinity School, guides us along a journey of religious dissent in the British and American tradition, focusing on three notable authors/artists — John Bunyan, Daniel Defoe, and William Blake. This journey for Dr. Freeman began when the Wesley Chapel in London was closed and someone suggested that he travel to the cemetery across the street, a place known as Bunhill (Bone-hill) Fields and the resting place of these three historical figures. Fascinated by their prominence in this graveyard, filled with many other dissenters who couldn’t receive eternal rest amongst the official Church of England burial grounds, Curtis set out to write about these figures who spanned about two centuries of British history.

Our conversation begins with an explanation of religious dissent in England that dates back to the early 17th century, encompasses the turbulent times of the English Civil War, and then moves forward through the period of the Restoration monarchs and a wee bit further. Curtis explains that the Church of England had a stamp of approval on all things religious and a “polite culture” developed to keep a medieval status quo of economic classes in place despite the growing role of the urban workforce. Religious dissenters who chafed under this regime often married their spiritual protests with apocalyptic visions and covenant-type community that also served as socio-economic commentary.

We then move into the three main authors that Prof. Freeman uses to illustrate his points — John Bunyan (1628-88), Daniel Defoe (1660-1731), and William Blake (1757-1827). It is at this point that Tony notices that he has written “William Dafoe” (1955-present) in his notes and quickly corrects himself. Curtis reviews how Bunyan’s work, primarily A Pilgrim’s Progress, represents a “slumbering dissent” that turns attention inwards to reflect upon the spiritual journey we fight for salvation within during changing times. Themes of “church” (the institutional faith) and “chapel” (the congregation of religious people) figure into this narrative and provide the basis for the type of dissent that landed Bunyan in prison. Daniel Defoe’s work, principally Robinson Crusoe, is presented as “prosperous dissent” and an allegory for British economic culture at the time. While Tony remembers this work largely as secular, Prof. Freeman reminds him how the Bible — particularly Psalms, the story of the prodigal son, and Job — played an important role in the story. It is at this point that Tony realizes he was reading Defoe through the lens of Gilligan’s Island when growing up. Defoe’s work is also reminiscent of the Protestant work ethic notion of the age and Curtis notes the curious mix of Tory politics and support for the working class that permeated the author’s life. Finally, we move on to William Blake who was a poet but also an artist and printer. Again, we see the working class lifestyle of Blake that mirrored the other two figures we discussed. Blake’s work, Curtis argues, resembles an “apocalyptic dissent” with vivid imagery of end times, destruction, and redemption that comes across in his artwork and poetry. His fascination with the Albion Mills fire, an example of the inherent dangers of early industrialization, figures prominently in his poetic works such as Jerusalem. Our discussion then travels across the Atlantic and fast forwards in time to discuss how many of these dissenting and apocalyptic themes work their way into the thinking of colonial Americans, Abraham Lincoln, and even the rhetoric of Martin Luther King, Jr. Curtis notes that America is often viewed as a “Beulah land” of dissent and we ponder the rhythms of history that continually bring new forms of dissent to the fore.

The conversation finishes with Prof. Freeman’s reflection on his own intellectual journey, and he notes how “little steps across a street” (as he took to Bunhill Fields many years ago) can lead one to new adventures and the ability to tell untold stories. Recorded: June 11, 2018.

Undomesticated Dissent: Democracy and the Public Virtue of Religious Nonconformity, by Curtis Freeman.

Contesting Catholicity: Theology for Other Baptists, by Curtis Freeman.

Baptist Roots: A Reader in the Theology of a Christian People, by Curtis Freeman.

A Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan.

Bunyan Meeting in Bedford, UK.

Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe.

Songs of Innocence and Experience, by William Blake.

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Thomas Kidd on Benjamin Franklin’s Faith.

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John Wilsey on American Exceptionalism & Civil Religion.

tonygill — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 09:00:42 +0000

Ever since John Winthrop’s famous declaration that America was a “city on a hill,” the notion of “American exceptionalism” has been woven throughout U.S. history. Dr. John Wilsey, assistant professor of history and Christian apologetics at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, explores what this concept means and how it has changed over time, looking at some of the more challenging periods of US history that include the Civil War and race relations over the past century. Prof. Wilsey ties all of this together with a further examination of civil religion and the role of Christianity in defining what it means for our nation to be “exceptional.”

After exchanging a few pleasantries and finding out about how John came to write this book, we dive into the concept of “American exceptionalism.” Building upon the work of noted political scientist Seymour Martin Lipset, Dr. Wilsey lays out two distinct variants of exceptionalism — open and closed. The former views the nation in terms of an example for the rest of the world that attempts to expand freedom to all in the world by means of example. Closed exceptionalism, on the other hand, has a much more nationalistic overtone and is exclusionary. John discusses how the concept has changed over time, with special attention to the era of Westward Expansion and the US Civil War. Along the way, he highlights how several noted historical figures championed and presented the idea of American exceptionalism, including John L. O’Sullivan, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, John Foster Dulles, Ronald Reagan, and (of course) Abraham Lincoln who had a very nuanced version of the concept.

Discussion then moves to the notion of “civil religion,” and John lays out the various sources of this blend of secular and religious ideas to craft a unique American ideology. He talks about Protestant theology, Enlightenment philosophy, and Roman civil religion and how each element plays out in our thinking of America’s place in history and the world. John acknowledges that there are many variants of civil religion and argues that it tends to be at its worth when borrowing explicitly from Christian theology. Our conversation then covers a number of key eras of American history with particular attention to the Civil War and Lincoln’s view of America, as well as providence. This leads us into a discussion of race relations following the Civil War and W.E.B. DuBois’s view of Lincoln and America’s reality lived against its ideals.

The interview closes with some of John’s thoughts on the future of American exceptionalism and his desire to see a more open version of that concept. He also discusses some of the main things he learned throughout the process of writing the book, including a sobering look at racial tension, all of which is leading him to undertake another research project on the thought of DuBois. Recorded: November 11, 2015.

American Exceptionalism and Civil Religion: Reassessing the History of an Idea, by John Wilsey.

One Nation Under God: An Evangelical Critique of Christian America, by John Wilsey.

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David Mislin on Embracing Religious Pluralism.

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Robert Delahunty on Alexis de Tocqueville and Religion.

Daniel Dreisbach on Abe Lincoln’s Religious Rhetoric

tonygill — Sun, 08 Mar 2015 08:00:27 +0000

On the sesquicentennial anniversary of the waning months of the US Civil War, Dr. Daniel Dreisbach — professor of Justice, Law, and Society at American University — stops by to discuss the use of religion in Abraham Lincoln’s rhetoric. We pay special attention to Lincoln’s most famous, and shortest, speeches – the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural.

The conversation starts with an examination into the use of biblical language dating back to the earliest days of colonial America. Prof. Dreisbach notes three consistent aspects of political language used from the early 17th century through Lincoln’s era: 1) the citizenry was biblically literate; 2) the nation was by and large Protestant; and 3) there was a vision of America as being God’s “new Israel.” We revisit some themes of earlier podcasts with Mark David Hall regarding how many of the Founding Fathers of the revolutionary era were influenced heavily by religious thinking, despite the best known Founders (e.g., Madison, Jefferson) being more influenced by the Enlightenment.

The interview then jumps over to the early life and times of Abraham Lincoln, a descendant of Puritans and born into a family that was active in a Calvinist Baptist tradition. While Daniel points out that Abe was known to ridicule preachers and exhibit some skepticism about his theological upbringing in his teen and early adult years, Lincoln was unmistakably shaped by the religious milieu of his time. The role of the King James Version Bible weighed heavily in his early education and was the dominant translation of Scripture in America during the early 19th century. Prof. Dreisbach points out some of the unique aspects of the KJV Bible with respect to its use of words and cadence that made it accessible to a “less educated” (or ploughboy) population. Tony notes that given Lincoln’s humble upbringing, this version of the Bible would seem to resonate with Lincoln.

We then move to Lincoln’s political career observing that the use of religious rhetoric in speeches was apparent quite early, including in his Young Men’s Lyceum and “House Divided” speeches. Lincoln comes to the White House at a time when states are seceding from the republic and his First Inaugural Address takes on a more “workman” flavor, laying out the difficulties facing the divided nation, though at the end there are references to the “better angels of our nature.” The podcast then fast forwards to the Gettysburg Address, given several months after the famed battle, and turning point, of the Civil War. Daniel fills us in on some of the background of the speech itself, dismissing the popular notion that it was written on the back of an envelope during the president’s train ride to Pennsylvania. Instead, Prof. Dreisbach points out that it is a carefully crafted speech with language that is not directly taken from the Bible, but calls strongly upon its use of particular words and phrases. He recounts a number of these portions of the speech and further observes that in its spoken form it has a cadence that is reminiscent of the King James Bible. The theme of conception, birth, death, and re-birth is also highlighted.

With Gettysburg and Vicksburg behind us, and the war drawing to a close, we then examine Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, which also clocks in as a remarkably short speech. Unlike the Gettysburg Address, though, the Second Inaugural uses references to God and the Bible more directly. Daniel observes that this is not a speech that gloats upon (inevitable) victory by the Union forces, but instead develops a tone of reconciliation and noting that all parties in the conflict have borne the costs of the sin of slavery that blemished this young nation. We discuss whether the concept of providence was a strong theme in the speech, with Daniel taking a very nuanced version of this question and noting that Lincoln was circumspect in seeing the United States as the “new Israel” as earlier Puritans had done. We finish with some of Dr. Dreisbach’s personal reflections on what he learned in studying Lincoln’s rhetoric and what it means for our understanding of our modern times. Recorded: March 6, 2015.

(Note: Tony is well aware of his odd pronunciations of “rhetoric” and “address” and was surprised at how “ploughboy” he sounded when reviewing the tape.)

RELATED LINKS

Daniel Dreisbach’s bio at the School of Public Affairs, American University.

“Lincoln’s 700 Words of Biblical Meditation,” by Daniel Dreisbach (at the Library of Law & Liberty).

“The Sacred Sounds of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address,” by Daniel Dreisbach (at the Library of Law & Liberty).

Faith and the Founders of the American Republic, edited by Daniel Dreisbach and Mark Hall.

The Sacred Rights of Conscience, edited by Daniel Dreisbach and Mark Hall.

The Forgotten Founders on Religion and Public Life, edited by Daniel Dreisbach, Mark Hall, and Jeffry Morrison.

Thomas Jefferson and the Wall of Separation between Church and State, by Daniel Dreisbach.

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Sean Scott on Religious Rhetoric in the US Civil War.

Mark David Hall on Religion and the Founding Fathers.

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Mark David Hall on Religious Minorities in the American Founding.

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Gary Laderman on Resting in Peace: The Death Industry in American History

tonygill — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 08:00:05 +0000

Death is one of the realities of life, but how we view death and partake in funerals has changed over time. Prof. Gary Laderman, chair of the Department of Religion at Emory University, takes us on a two-century tour of how Americans have dealt with death, including the interesting rise of the “death industry.”

As we typically do, the interview starts with a bit of background to Prof. Laderman. He indicates some of his favorite horror films and then discusses how he came to study the topic of funerals in American history, first examining death in the 19th century in his first book The Sacred Remains and then the sequel to this work, Rest in Peace. The discussion of how death and funerals have been conceived of in American history begins with an examination of George Washington’s passing. Prof. Laderman contrasts the pageantry and reverence given to our first president with what became of a man who committed suicide around the same time. The latter’s body was used for dissection, which at the time was not something that was widely discussed. We also cover the typical process of funerals in America at this time, which often occurred at home, particularly in rural areas.

The next pivotal moment in the death industry came following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. While this event was momentous for the nation in many other aspects (cf. Sean Scott’s podcast on religious rhetoric in the Civil War), the drawn out funeral and viewing of Lincoln’s body brought attention to a rather new technology that was set to change the death industry in the U.S. — embalming. With the rise of embalming, we see the creation of professional specialties such as the undertaker (or mortician). And much like ancient guilds, this funeral business industry begins to develop professional societies, codes of ethics, and training schools. While it begins as mostly a family business, with undertakers often using their own abodes as “funeral homes,” eventually it develops into the form that we know it today, taking the practice away from an individual’s home. Gary points out later in the interview that over the past century dying tends to occur in hospitals and is segregated from the land of the living.

Tony asks about whether or not the 20th century experience with wartime mass casualties and the increasing visibility of these deaths via television (particularly with the Vietnam War) have any impact. Gary doesn’t believe that had a significant impact noting that these were still individuals dying on the battlefield and their funerals were still a personal matter for families. However, he does note that in 1963 the publication of Jessica Mitford’s The American Way of Death, an exposé of the death industry, impacted the national conscience. As a New York Times bestseller, we see how this book shifts attention away from the casket burial and towards cremation over the next several decades. He also notes regional variation with the West and urban areas relying on cremation much sooner, whereas the South tended to lag behind in this trend. He also notes a few other recent developments in the 21st century including the popular YouTube series “Ask a Mortician.”

We finish with some of Gary’s thoughts on what he has learned over the course of his study of this topic, as well as how his views have changed as he grows older. Recorded: October 17,2014.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. Gary Laderman’s bio at Emory University.

The Sacred Remains: American Attitudes Toward Death, 1799-1883, by Gary Laderman.

Rest in Peace: A Cultural History of Death and the Funeral Home in Twentieth-Century America, by Gary Laderman.

Sacred Matters: Celebrity Worship, Sexual Ecstasies, the Living Dead, and Other Signs of Religious Life in the United States, by Gary Laderman.

American Civil Religion, an e-book by Gary Laderman.

Sacred Matters, Prof. Laderman’s new online journal project.

Religion Dispatches, an online journal founded by Prof. Laderman.

The King’s Two Bodies, by Ernst Kantorowicz (mentioned in podcast).

The American Way of Death, by Jessica Mitford (mentioned in podcast).

“Ask a Mortician,” a YouTube Series (mentioned in podcast).

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Sean Scott on Religious Rhetoric in the US Civil War.

Sean Scott on Religious Rhetoric in the US Civil War

tonygill — Sun, 19 Oct 2014 08:00:57 +0000

As we approach the sesquicentennial mark of the cessation of hostilities in the US Civil War, Prof. Sean Scott — visiting assistant professor of American Studies at Christopher Newport University — joins us to talk about the religious views of the “common folk” in the “Old Northwest” and his book A Visitation of God: Northern Civilians Interpret the Civil War. His research dives into the personal letters, diaries, sermons, and other forms of correspondence of individuals living in the Great Lakes states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa.

The conversation begins with Prof. Scott describing one of his previous jobs, namely searching for “lost” documents related to President Abraham Lincoln. We find out that he had success in finding a few pieces of correspondence that were not yet documented and he received a special reward for doing so! This then sends us into a discussion about how Scott became interested in the Civil War era and the more specific topic of religious rhetoric in the mid-1800s. While much of his interest in the subject was generated in graduate school, he does note that he wrote a paper on the Civil War in junior high school which may have prompted his current interest.

We then look at his recent research on how Northerners tended to use religious imagery and language to correspond with one another during this tumultuous era in American history. Tony asks a number of methodological questions about who was included in the study, how were documents tracked down, what was the nature of those documents, and whether Sean ever had a “chill up his spine” when reading these sometimes very emotional documents. We talk about Sean’s emphasis on “common folk” who included everyone from individual soldiers, to farmers, housewives, preachers, and even a prominent banker or two. Prof. Scott also notes that few scholars have studied the area of the Old Northwest, favoring instead the South, mid-Atlantic states, or New England. Sean makes the case that his region of focus represented an interesting melting pot of different people as many of these states had just been settled in the few decades before the Civil War and were still attracting a wide range of individuals from across the country. Many of these folks were not necessarily in favor of the abolition of slavery or shared the same views of secession that other Yankees might.

We then examine some of the first bits of rhetoric to come out in the months immediately leading up to the war and the first few months of fighting. Sean notes that there was a strong sense of Providence that ran through much of the rhetoric, seeing the US as the New Israel and/or individuals understanding the war in terms of payment for a variety of sins including slavery. The view that God’s hand was running through, or directing, the conflict was reflected a number of different ways. And given the diverse population of the Old Northwest at the time, some of the preaching from the pulpit about the Civil War led to divisions among congregation members, with some individuals deciding to up and leave their church.

Following our discussion of the first few months of the war, our conversation turns to a more thematic approach to the use of religion to understand the conflict. We cover whether or not Christians advocated picking up the sword to do battle or preferred more pacifistic methods. We also discuss how family members who remained at home used religion to cope with their loved ones going off to war. This includes both wives who sent their husbands and often faced the difficult challenge of raising a family on their own, and fathers who had to impart the wisdom of Christian manhood to their sons who were placed in difficult situations. As the war comes to an end, the theme of whether northern Christians would follow the path of forgiveness or mete out revenge on the South. Sean finds that there was a great deal of the latter, including towards “copperheads” (traitors to the Union cause that lived in the North). We finish with how religious rhetoric was used as a lens to view the Lincoln assassination. The image that Lincoln was a “providential” figure in American history was bolstered by the fact that he was killed on Good Friday, shortly after the end of the war. Sean concludes with a few thoughts on what he learned from his study of this era and how it might apply to our world today. He argues about the danger of religion becoming too closely connected to political causes and how the study of the past brings a much needed humility towards how we live our lives today. Recorded: October 16, 2014

A Visitation of God: Northern Civilians Interpret the Civil War, by Sean A. Scott.

While God Is Marching, by Steven Woodworth (mentioned in podcast).

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Robert Delahunty on Alexis de Tocqueville and Religion

tonygill — Sun, 25 Aug 2013 08:00:51 +0000

Back in the 1830s, a young Frenchman by the name of Alexis de Tocqueville travelled to the United States to write a report about its prison system. Although he did write such a report, the trip became more notable when Tocqueville put pen to paper and generated a two-volume set of observations about American political and social life known as Democracy in America. While the book contains many profound observations, we invite Prof. Robert Delahunty (University of St. Thomas) to discuss Tocqueville’s thoughts on the importance of religion in a democratic society based on a series of posts he recently wrote on the Center for Law & Religion Forum hosted by St. John’s University Law School (see below).

Our discussion begins with an examination of the historical setting for Democracy in America, namely the Jacksonian era of U.S. history. Prof. Delahunty reviews the many social, economic, political, and religious changes taking place in this fledgling nation. He then reviews the personal background of Alexis de Tocqueville, who was only in his mid-20s when he journeyed to America. His early life as a Catholic is covered as well as his “deconversion” at about age 16. Interestingly, though harboring doubts about his Catholic faith, Alexis continued to participate in the Catholic Church throughout most of his adult life. Robert notes how these personal experiences come to shape Tocqueville’s views of American relgion, most notably the more mainstream form of Protestantism typical of the northern US at the time, and also how he understands the growing Catholic presence in America during the 1830s. Robert makes an interesting historical observation that Tocqueville seems to have overlooked the dynamic ferment that was the Second Great Awakening in America. We also cover Tocqueville’s political outlook, noting how his parents had been persecuted during the French Revolution and how Alexis was also influenced by various French Enlightenment thinkers.

We then plunge fully into Tocqueville’s thinking on church-state relations and the role of religion in society more generally. Robert connects Tocqueville to a long tradition of Western political thought about religion dating back to Niccolo Machiavelli. This dialogue with previous philosophers, and Machiavelli in particular, helps to anchor our conversation. Robert notes that religion has been seen as being connected to governance in three ways. First, religion has historically been used to sacralize or legitimize secular authority and the state. Second, religion serves to moralize the population in ways that are beneficial to a smooth-functioning society. Finally, he notes that religious groups and leaders have served a “prophetic role” of challenging abuses of state authority. It is the latter two functions, Delahunty argues, that Tocqueville comes to increasingly see as the important aspect of religion in a democratic republic. Tocqueville is concerned that American Protestantism may not be sufficiently prophetic enough in the era in which he observed the nation. Nonetheless, we explore how important religion is, and could be, in limiting what Prof. Delahunty calls the “political immagination.” Religion, as a force in civil society, helps to restrict the options before democratic political leaders preventing it from devolving to mob rule. We close with Prof. Delahunty’s thoughts about how Tocqueville’s philosophy could be useful for understanding church-state relations and the role of religion in America over the past half century. Recorded: August 23, 2013.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. Robert Delahunty’s bio at St. Thomas University.

Prof. Delahunty’s short blog articles on religion and Tocqueville at the Center for Law & Religion Forum.

“Russell Moore: From Moral Majority to ‘Prophetic Minority’,” by Naomi Schaeffer Riley in Wall Street Journal (mentioned in podcast; subscription required for access).

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Gary Scott Smith on Presidential Faith

tonygill — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:00:46 +0000

A week before Presidents’ Day, we visit with the chair of the Department of History at Grove City College, Prof. Gary Scott Smith to survey the faith of various presidents in US history. Our discussion opens with some thoughts as to why it is important to understand the religious underpinnings of the occupants of the White House. Prof. Smith then reveals who he considers both our most and least religious presidents. Our coverage of individual presidents proceeds slightly out of chronological order as we first dip into the interesting spiritual background of Dwight Eisenhower and how his beliefs reflected the nature of the 1950s. We then step back in time to discuss Thomas Jefferson and the controversies surrounding his theological leanings. Prof. Smith offers up his perspective on Jefferson’s famous “wall of separation” quote. We then cover George Washington and Abraham Lincoln before moving into the 20th century. Whilst in the 20th century, our survey of presidents encompasses the beliefs and practices of Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton. We briefly make reference to Richard Nixon before moving to our two most recent presidents, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Finally, Gary offers up some thoughts on whether or not Mormonism will become an issue for Mitt Romney should he secure the nomination of the Republican Party in the 2012 elections. At the very end of the interview, Tony professes ignorance about much of what was discussed and wonders why he is so lacking in knowledge. Prof. Smith provides us a few thoughts about the state of historical education as pertains to the faith of our presidents. Recorded: January 13, 2012.

Faith and the Presidency: Religion, Politics, and Public Policy from George Washington to George W. Bush, by Gary Scott Smith.

Heaven and the American Immagination, by Gary Scott Smith.

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