Trends in America as Religious Refuge
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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
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.”
19th Century – growth of “necessary spring”
1. Benevolent Societies – termination of tax support resulted in beginning of
privatization of responsibility for virtuous citizenry
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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.
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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
1960Inclusive 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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