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In God We Trust

In God We Trust. Religion and the Founding Fathers. CSU-East Bay. Kevin P. Dincher www.kevindincher.com. Jon Meacham. Rakestraw Books November 30, noon Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power $10 (benefit for Danville Public Library). In God We Trust. Colonial Experience “Old World” view.

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In God We Trust

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  1. In God We Trust Religion and the Founding Fathers CSU-East Bay Kevin P. Dincher www.kevindincher.com

  2. Jon Meacham Rakestraw Books November 30, noon Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power $10 (benefit for Danville Public Library)

  3. In God We Trust • Colonial Experience • “Old World” view Established Churches • Anglican • Georgia • New York • Maryland • North Carolina • South Carolina • Virginia • Congregational • Connecticut • Massachusetts • New Hampshire • None • Delaware • New Jersey • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island

  4. In God We Trust • Colonial Experience • Calvinism/Deism

  5. In God We Trust • Colonial Experience • Calvinism/Deism • Thomas Jefferson • Personal Religion: • Primary Value: Equality • “Christian redefined” • Paradox: • Organized religion – • opposed to equality/freedom • Religion – important role in democratic society • Separation of Church/State

  6. In God We Trust • Colonial Experience • Calvinism/Deism • Thomas Jefferson • Benjamin Franklin • Personal Religion: • Deist/Polytheist • Paradox • Religion • Important role in democratic society • Dogma • Anti-democratic • “Public Religion” • Unity • Civic Virtue

  7. In God We Trust • Colonial Experience • Calvinism/Deism • Thomas Jefferson • Benjamin Franklin • George Washington • Personal Religion: • Anglican/Deism? • Paradox • Religion • Important role in democratic society • Religious freed/tolerance • Civic Duty • Civil Conversation • Civil Behavior • Work

  8. “Experience” History “Questions” Identity Relationship Meaning Value “Answers” “Religion” Core Value/Principles Structure, Laws Roles and Responsibilities Heroes/Myths Celebrations/Rituals Symbols

  9. Pre-Enlightenment: Old World View “Experience” History “Questions” Identity Relationship Meaning Value “Answers” “Public” Religion and “Private” Religion

  10. Post-Enlightenment: New World View “Experience” History “Questions” Identity Relationship Meaning Value “Answers” “Private” Religion “Public” Religion

  11. Reality/Struggle “Experience” History “Questions” Identity Relationship Meaning Value “Answers” “Private” Religion “Public” Religion

  12. Reality/Struggle “Experience” History “Questions” Identity Relationship Meaning Value “Answers” “Private” Religion “Public” Religion

  13. John Adams (1735 – 1826)

  14. John Adams (1735 – 1826) “Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.”

  15. John Adams (1735 – 1826) “The people, when they have been unchecked, have been as unjust, tyrannical, brutal, barbarous, and cruel, as any king or senate possessed of uncontrolled power. The majority has eternally, and without one exception, usurped over the rights of the minority.”

  16. Founders • Jefferson • Liberty • Franklin • Unity and Civic Virtue • Washington • Civic Duty • Adams • Human Weakness

  17. John Adams (1735 – 1826) • Calvinism • Focus • God’s absolute sovereignty • Humanity’s absolute powerlessness • Pessimism about human nature

  18. John Adams (1735 - 1826) Personality versus Abilities • Personality: Unpopular • Contentious • Ability: Respected • Knowledge of constitutional law • Intense analysis of historical • Thorough knowledge of the law • Dedication to the principles of republicanism

  19. John Adams (1735 – 1826) The Boston Massacre (1770) "Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."

  20. John Adams (1735 – 1826) John Adams, on the 3rd Anniversary of the Boston Massacre “The Part I took in Defence of Cptn. Preston and the Soldiers, procured me Anxiety, and Obloquy enough. It was, however, one of the most gallant, generous, manly and disinterested Actions of my whole Life, and one of the best Pieces of Service I ever rendered my Country. Judgment of Death against those Soldiers would have been as foul a Stain upon this Country as the Executions of the Quakers or Witches, anciently. As the Evidence was, the Verdict of the Jury was exactly right. This however is no Reason why the Town should not call the Action of that Night a Massacre, nor is it any Argument in favour of the Governor or Minister, who caused them to be sent here. But it is the strongest Proofs of the Danger of Standing Armies.”

  21. John Adams (1735 – 1826) “Letters of Novanglus” (1775) • Response to "Massachusettensis“ (Daniel Leonard) • Origins, nature, and jurisdiction of the unwritten British constitution • Provincial legislatures were fully sovereign over their own internal affairs • Colonies were connected to Great Britain only through the King

  22. John Adams (1735 – 1826) • 1638 • Family immigrated • 1735 • Born in Quincy, MA • Congregationalist • Value System • “bearers of freedom, a cause that still had a holy urgency” • “a heroic model” • “Christian” • Regular church-goer all his life: moral foundation • Thought about religion in connection with everything

  23. John Adams (1735 – 1826) Became a “Soft” Calvinist: Theistic rationalism • Believed in revelation • Not totally orthodox • Human reason and common sense • Miracles and prophecy unnecessary • Religion must change and evolve • Bible: not literal – rather symbolic truth • Not the only divinely inspired writing • Rejected • Demonic possession

  24. John Adams (1735 – 1826) • Eventually: “Christian Unitarian” • Accepted • Jesus as redeemer • Miracles (suspension of the laws of nature ) • Rejected prominent doctrines of Calvinism • Trinity • Election • Atonement • Eternal Damnation • Christianity • Sermon on the Mount: “Perfect code” • "The Christian religion is, above all the religions that ever prevailed or existed in ancient or modern times, the religion of wisdom, virtue, equity and humanity, let the Blackguard Paine say what he will."

  25. John Adams (1735 – 1826) • 1751 – 1755: Harvard • Deism/Enlightenment Philosophy • 1758: Admitted to the bar • 1770: Massachusetts General Court (legislature) • 1774: First Continental Congress • 1775: Second Continental Congress

  26. John Adams (1735 – 1826) • Calvinism and Human Weakness • Commitment to Republicanism “There is no good government but what is republican. That the only valuable part of the British constitution is so; because the very definition of a republic is an empire of laws, and not of men.” John Adams Thoughts on Government (1776)

  27. John Adams (1735 – 1826) • Calvinism and Human Weakness • Commitment to Republicanism • Bicameral Legislature and Separation of Powers “…a single assembly is liable to all the vices, follies, and frailties of an individual.”

  28. John Adams (1735 – 1826) • Calvinism and Human Weakness • Commitment to Republicanism • Bicameral Legislature and Separation of Powers • Enumerated power "should sacredly be confined"

  29. John Adams (1735 – 1826) • Calvinism and Human Weakness • Commitment to Republicanism • Bicameral Legislature and Separation of Powers • Enumerated power Federalist Party • Alien and Sedition Acts (1798)

  30. John Adams (1735 – 1826) 1764: married Abigail Smith (1744–1818, his 3rd cousin) • Abigail (1765–1813) • John Quincy (1767–1848) • Susanna (1768–1770); • Charles (1770–1800) • Thomas Boylston (1772–1832) • Elizabeth (1777) John Quincy Adams, 1843

  31. Abigail Adams (1744 – 1818) Born Weymouth, MA Parents: William Smith Elizabeth Quincy

  32. Abigail (Smith) Adams • Politically • More liberal than John • Religiously • Initially more conservative

  33. Abigail Adams: Religion I acknowledge myself a unitarian – believing that the Father alone, is the supreme God, and that Jesus Christ derived his Being, and all his powers and honors from the Father ... There is not any reasoning which can convince me, contrary to my senses, that three is one, and one three 1816 "When will Mankind be convinced that true Religion is from the Heart, between Man and his creator, and not the imposition of Man or creeds and tests?“ 1818

  34. Abigail Adams: Slavery • Doubted most of the Virginians had such the "passion for Liberty" they claimed they did, since they "deprive their fellow Creatures" of freedom 1776

  35. Abigail Adams: Women • "...remember the ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the Ladies we are determined to foment a Rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation.

  36. Republican Motherhood • Civic Duty: Women’s role in new republic • Pass on republic values to next generation • Raise good citizens • Value patriotism • Self-sacrifice for greater good • Protect liberty • Sons: public sphere • Daughters: domestic sphere

  37. Republican Motherhood • Pre-Republic Women • Calvinist world view • Morally inferior • No real role • Need to be under control of man • Women in the New Republic • Enlightenment: John Locke • Men and women: equal partners • Women still expected to focus on domestic issues • Much higher value placed on the domestic sphere • Christian ministers • Women Activists (Mary Wollstonecraft) • Abigail Adams • Need to be educated

  38. Abigail Adams • Woody Holton • Abigail Adams • Cokie Roberts • Founding Mothers: The Women who Raised our Nation • Ladies of Liberty: The Women who Shaped our Nation

  39. In God We Trust • Colonial Experience • Old World – New World • Calvinism • God’s Sovereignty • Human Depravity • Pessimism • Deism • Reason’s Sovereignty • Human potential • Optimism • Thomas Jefferson • Religion: moral foundation • Equality/liberty • Benjamin Franklin • Religion: moral foundation • Unity/virtue • George Washington • Religion: moral foundation Civic Duty • John Adams • Religion: moral foundation • Human Weakness

  40. In God We Trust “Colonial roots!” “Founding Fathers!” “Colonial roots!” “Founding Fathers!” “Separation of Church and State” “A Christian Nation”

  41. Civic Duty

  42. In God We Trust Religion and the Founding Fathers CSU-East Bay Kevin P. Dincher www.kevindincher.com

  43. Timothy Egan The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl Timothy Egan: The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America John Steinbeck The Grapes of Wrath The Dirty 30sThe Worst Hard Time5 Fridays, Feb 1, 8, 15, 22 and Mar 110:30 AM to 12:30 PM

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