The American Revolution's Role in the Reshaping of Calvinistic Protestantism
This article investigates—through the method of case study of two individuals (John Witherspoon and John Zubly)—the impact of the American Revolution on Calvinistic thinking related to questions of government and society. Witherspoon represents one minister who justified rebellion against establishe...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Soc.
2004
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| In: |
The journal of Presbyterian history
Year: 2004, Volume: 82, Issue: 4, Pages: 244-257 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | This article investigates—through the method of case study of two individuals (John Witherspoon and John Zubly)—the impact of the American Revolution on Calvinistic thinking related to questions of government and society. Witherspoon represents one minister who justified rebellion against established government. Zubly embodies the view of the Christian who would not. Consequential to a comparison of the two ministers' ideas on the validity of rebellion is an observation of the synthesis of Calvinistic Protestantism and Enlightenment political theory that was essential to the support of the American Revolution. This article supports the thesis that Enlightenment political concepts and Calvinistic Protestantism combined to produce a mind-set (epitomized by Witherspoon) that could assert God's providential control of man's affairs and simultaneously embrace the new political dogma redefining the structure and hope for Christian civilization. Consequently, this synthesis began the eventual decline of Calvinistic Protestantism in America. |
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| Contains: | Enthalten in: The journal of Presbyterian history
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