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America As the City Upon a Hill: an Historical, Philosophical View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Liberty University Digital Commons AMERICA AS THE CITY UPON A HILL: AN HISTORICAL, PHILOSOPHICAL, AND THEOLOGICAL CRITIQUE OF THE HISTORIOGRAPHICAL CONSTRUAL OF AMERICA AS A CHRISTIAN NATION ______________________________ A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Wake Forest, North Carolina ____________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy __________ by John David Wilsey December 2009 © 2009 John David Wilsey This Dissertation was prepared and presented to the Faculty as a part of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, North Carolina. All rights and privileges normally reserved by the author as copyright holder are waived for the Seminary. The Seminary Library may catalog, display, and use this Dissertation in all normal ways such materials are used, for reference and for other purposes, including electronic and other means of preservation and circulation, including on-line computer access and other means by which library materials are or in the future may be made available to researchers and library users. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS A project of this scope is never simply the work of a single individual. This dissertation is no exception. Over the course of the past three years, many helpful people have given me useful counsel in the process of thinking through the issues represented in this work. I have been challenged by insightful questions and encouraged by gentle admonitions to persevere by many thoughtful friends. Of all those who helped me through producing this dissertation, no one has been more insightful than my teacher and mentor Dr. Bruce Little. It was he who, through countless conversations in person, over the phone, and through emails, challenged my thinking, offered ideas, exhibited patience, answered hosts of questions, guided my direction, and calmed many fears. It was Dr. Little who, after the death my first Ph.D. advisor, Dr. L. Russ Bush, stepped in on my behalf and took me with my project under his leadership. Dr. Bush was important to me, both personally and academically, and I have acutely felt his loss. He passed away at a critical point in the formulation of my ideas for this dissertation, of which he provided instrumental guidance. I honor him and his memory. And I will not forget Dr. Little‘s graciousness in lifting me up during that time of loss and uncertainty regarding my future in the Ph.D. program. I owe him a profound debt of gratitude. I also want to express my gratitude toward the people of my church, First Baptist Church of Charlottesville, VA. They allowed me as their youth pastor to spend many iv v hours away from church business to complete the dissertation. My secretary, Emily Moody, gave me invaluable assistance in the organization of relevant materials from stacks of books and articles. My pastor, Dr. J. Lindsay Sadler, generously offered me several weeks off from duties at the church, because he believed in me and in the Lord‘s work in my life. No person has helped me more with the completion of this dissertation than my wife, Mandy. Her sacrifices, encouragements, and support have sustained me during the most challenging moments this project has presented. Without her love and commitment to me, none of what I have produced would have come to fruition. During the course of my working through the requirements of the Ph.D. degree, she has held various jobs to support us financially, has endured two interstate moves, and has given birth to our two daughters, Caroline and Sally. She is instrumental in bringing them up to be wonderful girls, and devoted to their father. I owe her more than words can describe. Finally, I thank God who has given me the abilities to work for His glory. It is God who has been faithful to give me every gift, not the least of which is my salvation through Jesus Christ, for the completion of this dissertation. All praise and thanks to Him, because He is kind and faithful to all those who put their trust in Him. CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iv ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER 1: THE EVOLUTION OF AMERICAN CONCEPTIONS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RELIGION AND THE STATE: 1630–1789… .................1 Introduction to the Dissertation ...............................................................................1 Introduction to Chapter 1 .........................................................................................2 The Puritan Conception of Religion‘s Role in the State in the Seventeenth Century .....................................................................................................................5 The Great Awakening (ca. 1730–ca. 1750) and its Role in the Shift ....................13 The English Enlightenment and its Role in the Shift .............................................23 Radical Whig Ideology and its Role in the Shift ...................................................34 The Conception of Religion‘s Role in the State by 1789 ......................................43 CHAPTER 2: A THEMATIC SURVEY OF THE CHRISTIAN AMERICA THESIS, 1977–2007 ..........................................................................................................55 Historical Themes for the CA Thesis .....................................................................57 Faith of the Founders .................................................................................57 Sources Appealed to by the Founders ........................................................62 Christian Character of Colonial Documents and Early State Constitutions ..............................................................................................67 Christian Character of Early Colleges .......................................................71 vi vii Influence of the Great Awakening and Radical Whiggism .......................75 Philosophical Themes for the CA Thesis...............................................................77 Evangelical Hermeneutical Method: the Logos Paradigm .......................77 Original Intent of the Founders ..................................................................82 The Role of the Enlightenment Compared to the Role of Christianity in the Founding ....................................................................................................87 Theological Themes for the CA Thesis .................................................................90 Providential History ...................................................................................91 American Exceptionalism as Evidence of God‘s Unique Blessing ...........95 America as the New Israel .........................................................................99 American Liberty as a Biblical Notion ....................................................101 The Bible as the Primary Source for the Founding Documents ..............106 A Final Unifying Theme of CA: Appeal to Return to Christian Roots ...115 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................120 CHAPTER 3: AN EXAMINATION OF GENERAL CHRISTIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO AMERICAN NOTIONS OF FREEDOM .................................................................122 Colonial Documents and Sermons .......................................................................129 Renaissance Exploration Led to Protestant Colonization and a New Consciousness ......................................................................................................135 Roger Williams and Freedom of Conscience ......................................................139 Hebrew Metaphysic .............................................................................................144 CHAPTER 4: A PHILOSOPHICAL, HISTORICAL, AND THEOLOGICAL CRITIQUE OF THE ―CHRISTIAN AMERICA‖ THESIS ................................................................148 viii Philosophical Considerations: Imprecision in Defining Terms ...........................148 Lack of Agreement in Defining the Meaning of a Christian Nation .......149 Enlightenment Philosophy As Inherently Anti-Christian ........................158 Historical Considerations .....................................................................................170 Demise of the Protestant Consensus and Rise of Religious Pluralism ....175 Religious Pluralism and Religious Freedom............................................185 Theological Considerations .................................................................................191 Christian Theology Not the Primary Authority for America‘s Founding ..................................................................................................192 American Exceptionalism ........................................................................206 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................218 CHAPTER 5: CLOSING ARGUMENTS AND AREAS FOR FURTHER STUDY .....220 Contextual Synopsis.............................................................................................223 Overall Assessment of CA ...................................................................................230
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