America As Religious Refuge

Trends in America as Religious Refuge

A 17th Century – push v pull for a Church State 1. European Catholics and Protestant came to North American colonies with belief that it was duty of state to impose one true religion 2. Puritans emigrated to America believing that Church of England was the one true Church but needed reform 3. Bible Commonwealths was the term referring to the New England colonies where the codified laws were rooted in Scriptures

B 18th Century – The Federalists 1. Church attendance estimated to be between 75-80% 2. Awakening “new birth” inspired by the preaching of the Word resulted in the domination of the Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists with use of revivals; opponents included the Anglicans, Quakers and Congregationalists. 3. Deists - a smaller minority group which included G. Washington, J. Adams (“church going animal”) and T. Jefferson stressed morality and rejected orthodoxy 4. American Revolution (1774-77) ministers argued that “war was justified by God the cause of truth against error and falsehood … heaven against hell” Book of Common Prayer revised to conform to political realities blessing was requested for Congress and not King, head of Church 5. Covenant Theology(1774-89) God bound himself to a nation and its people and public prosperity was related to faithfulness 6. Nursing Fathers- some states allowed citizens to direct religious taxes to church of choice and citizens pleaded with legislatures not to forget this role but was repudiated with Madison’s Memorial and Remonstrance and Jefferson’s Act for Establishing Religious Freedom 7. Domain of the state – the power to legislate on religion, if existed at all, rested with state; religion not addressed in Art of Confederation or Constitution 8. Bill of Rights – first work product and concession of Madison for ratification: “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion nor prohibiting the free exercise therof.” 9. Early Presidential rhetoric: Farewell Address of G. Washington “religion and morality are great pillars of human happiness… natural morality could not exist in exclusion of religious principles… virtue or morality as products of religion were a necessary spring of popular government.”

C 19th Century – growth of “necessary spring” 1. Benevolent Societies – termination of tax support resulted in beginning of privatization of responsibility for virtuous citizenry

D:\Docs\2017-12-16\01246f4f0b6d259806425d4c488a866a.doc 2. African American Episcopal (A.M.E.) – merging of Black Baptists with Methodists into AME as a result of dissatisfaction with treatment from fellow white believers 3. Mormons- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints grew out of “Burned Out District” which was scorched by so many revivals but is truly sui generis wanted to restore a primitive Christianity

D. 1860-1920 American Pluralism – from accommodation of Christianity (mostly Protestantism) to separation ( pluralism and neutrality) Board of Education v. Minor (1872) Cincinnati, OH – school board stops Protestant Bible readings. Sp Ct: state cannot have a religious opinion and school board was correct to stop readings Signals “The Death of the Christian Nation” (A. Frank Way) Experienced in 1) Sabbath closings; 2) public school prayer; 3) blasphemy; 4) public aid to sectarian schools; and 5) ownership of church property.

E. 1920-1960 Mainstream Pluralism period focused upon ecclesiastical pressure on political processes which now included Jewish and Catholic presence, the “religious vote,” and selection of candidates according to the religious vote that they might be expected to pull

F. 1960- Inclusive Pluralism The use of Supreme Court as final arbiter in a flurry of anti-establishment cases results in the question: Does religious pluralism and secular government lead to a godless nation? Notion of civic religion (R. Bellah)

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