Transcripts For CSPAN3 Bible In American Public Life 20151206

Treatmentays include of the bible in canada, the 300th anniversary celebrations of the King James Version of the bible and catholic uses of scripture in 19th century america. Today he will be speaking on his new book, which is available outside after our seminar, in the beginning was the word, the bible and American Public life, 1492 to 1783. Mark noll. Mr. Noll they saw the opportunity of being here, and thanks to the Woodrow Wilson center, american historical association, the National History seminar. The image you have on the screen is the First Complete englishlanguage bible published in america. Once the break had been made with britain, where the monopoly for publishing King James Bible had been held by the kings printers, there was the opportunity to publish in english the bible in now the new United States of america. To talk about the procedure that led to the printing of this bible. Robert petitioned congress for permission to publish the bible. Because of dental congressman did not know quite what to do in response to that petition, but they did authorize a committee of two clergymen to check the proof sheets to make sure that his bible was a completely certified and a good representation of what it come from britain. Was a moment looking to the past, looking to the future was something quite different. During the era of the american revolution, the bible became a nearly indispensable resource for almost everyone who wanted to venture any kind of opinion on the great controversies of the day. 1765, when john adams his dissertation on the canon and feudal law, in response to the , hep act of that year described a tendency of monarchs poweriests to abuse their as a persistent pattern of evil throughout history. As he did that, he juice on a biblical vocabulary long known a protestants drew on biblical vocabulary long known to protestants. He said this personified the men babylon,he whore of quotingery of iniquity, second thessalonians. A few years later on march 23, 1775, Patrick Henry riveted, the virginia delegates gathered at st. Johns church in richmond as they considered whether to join massachusetts in the fight against parliament. In his speech, memorably concluded give me liberty or give me death, or include at least 10 distinct rival echoes in the sentences that preceded his final declaration. 1776, tom paines influential sense, prove decisive in convincing colonists that the problem with british rule rule was not simply mistakes of parliament, but governance by a king. Argumentart of paines was his exposition of first samuel chapter eight, the lord god and his prophet samuel had chastised israel for asking for a king like the nations around him. The heart of his argument, scholars have shown really quite recently, convinced many that scripture could be posed against monarchical rule. Williamight expect, smith, an anglican clergyman, wrote about paines arguments from first samuel. There never was a greater perversion of scripture. , leader theish first anglican bishop of nova i would have to renounce my bible if i believe this republican. In 1776, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were asked to form images for the National Seal coming into existence. Neither franklin nor jefferson could be considered orthodox paragons. They were not highly regarded. For ther proposal official ceo of the new United States depicted, the israelites, safe crossing of the red sea guided by a pillar of clouds and tiller of fire was described in the book of exit is. After the revolution, it was the same kind of biblical reference it takenalize what place. One of the historians of the revolution in verse described britains commercial empire as a pharaoh that plagued israels race and tax them by a law demanding brick, when destitute of straw. New book by suggesting the use of the bible during the revolutionary era precisely influenced the history of the bible and later American History to this present day, but the book itself is devoted to showing how a much longer history going back to the start of the protestant reformation and involving a great deal of british history led quite directly to what happened in this revolutionary era. For almost all of colonial history and including the history of the bible in colonial america, its imperatives to view what happened from two angles. There was the british story, and there was the protestant story. Keeping these two angles in view, im able to speak today book three points from the. Concerning the strong connection between private religion and public life, second, concerning the thoroughly political role that scripture played in colonial society, and concerning the intriguing instances when scripture escaped the direct force of political pressure. Almost all colonists who had any public influence were selfconscious descendents of the protestant reformation who regarded scripture as a Supreme Authority for their spiritual lives, but also as an important authority for every aspect of life in the world. In chronological terms, the bible in American History begins with catholics. In the 14 90s, Christopher Columbus put together a large compendium of mostly religious research aimed at showing isabella and ferdinand that he was gods person for exploration of the new world. His expertise with the bible was considerable. Medievalis cues from catholic instant of what would come later. The dominican who spoke up favorably for native americans did the same thing, plumbing the scriptures at length to defend his positions in opposition to much of the Spanish Colonial activity. Mexicost archbishop of also had a plan for translating the bible into native languages, a plan that had come some got. Ome distance the protestant attachment to scripture heightened catholic restrictions on the dissemination of translation of the bible into vernacular languages. Protestant character of early American History leads me to the first point. The bible played a very large role in American Public life, but only because it is so consistently and constantly shaped the private lives of many, many individuals. Ith this connection in mind, is obvious why Martin Luther should be regarded as a hugely important figure in American History. He energized a form of christianity in which the individuals attention to words from scripture became a literal matter of life and death. Thereby he set a pattern with great influence wherever protestantism was spread. His is columbuss book there are several modern additions and here is an older and younger Martin Luther. As an old man writing in the early 15 40s, loser detail the religious breakthrough that occurred in his life almost 30 years before. Perplexed, confused, driven almost to despair by one phrase from the first chapter of pauls epistle to the romans. Was, these righteousness of god is revealed. He took it to be an authoritative description of how far short sinful human beings fell from gods perfect standard of righteousness. Hence came luthers anguished statement that i hated that word, righteousness of god. But then you experience that she nowrienced the mercy of god he saw that the gospel meant god giving his righteousness to needy centers as a gift. As luther wrote in 1545, here i felt i was altogether born again, and it entered paradise sentencesen came the made luthers experienced paradigmatic for later protestant history, including the history of the american colonies. , total other face of the scripture showed itself to me. Thereupon i ran through the scriptures from memory. I also found in other terms, the work of god, that is what god does to us. The power of god with which he makes us strong, the wisdom of god with which he makes us wide, the strength of god, salvation of god, the glory of god are at the sacred book which had been a puzzle, obsession, academic challenge, and a distress had now become the pathway to life. For luther very soon thereafter, the bible became also a peasants book when the in 1524, 1525 revolted against the masters and published rod side, quoting a lot of the bible and quoting a lot of Martin Luther to testify their rebellion, luther responded by saying, youve quoted the bible incorrectly. Youve applied the text wrongly in this situation, and after fairly seriously chastising the princes and principle, eventually backed as the serious, violent crackdown that took many lives of the peasants. This connection between a book that was allied in personal Spiritual Life and used also to determine Public Policy would continue through the history of written in the 16th and 17th century and early American History. Passing by a lot of important and interesting things, reticular lee how the bible came to new england and had such an influence on the society there. Century, the continuing influence of the bible read for personal religion it always remains ready to hand in the american colonies for public purposes. Any number of possible examples to illustrate that relationship, here is one particularly telling example. The year was 1755. Respected woman in middle part, rhode island published a book, perhaps the first such publication by a woman in colonial america. The nature,led, certainty, and evidence of true christianity. As documented in a splendid recent study, in osbornes book presented to the public, but she had earlier written in an unpublished memoir, what she penned throughout her life in extensive diaries and a farflung correspondents. Osborne had been a fully engaged participant in the colonial great awakening, the upsurge in , it recorded ath long and difficult spiritual journey but a journey that eventually took her to a place of despair about her personal sinfulness to grateful trust in gods mercy. The way she described her personal journey was a spiritual rescue, she reported, came after she and a young widow opened the bible she as a young widow opened the bible at random and read these words from the prophet isaiah. Thou shall forget the shame of thy youth and shall not remember the reproach of thy widowhood anymore. For thy maker is that husband. The lord of hosts is his name. And thy redeemer, the holy one of israel. From isaiah, it was the same text that George Whitfield preached in scotland in the summer of 1742 after a fetish scottish festive occasion. For Sarah Osborne, she remained so thoroughly immersed in the King James Bible that hardly a sentence passed in anything she wrote or even uttered. Some scriptural phrase, allusion, a reference. Sarah osbornes experience is typical, a was exemplary. Her life history fleshed out in practice what revival preachers had proclaimed in the bible trancelike which of their sermons. She became a leader in Newport Society because her personal religion, based so securely on the bible, seemed so perfectly to fulfill the ideal of evangelical devotion. Sir osborne held meetings of a religious nature at home which eventually attracted men as well as women. There were meetings in which black and white people met together, which was extraordinary for the period, and in disputes in her local and onetional church, or two other widows were the deciding factors, so none of them had a vote because they were looked to for the sanctity of their lives. Throughout the colonial period and far beyond, the ideal of personal redemption experienced close attention to the bible remained a fixed element in protestant ideology and a regular feature of lived religion on the ground. Now, shift attention to virginia in the same year that Sarah Osborne published an account of her religious experience, 1755. To illustrate a second reality about colonial American History. Alsoword that history was a british protestant story, because religious developments and most developments not so explicitly religious took place within the context of british crist and him christendom. That imaginatively leap is essential for understanding earlier history. By christendom, what is been six as,redefined by historians close ties between the church and secular elites, with laws to be based on christian principles. Everyone is assumed to be christian. Christianity provides a common language, shared life for the devout, and religiously lukewarm. Because the colonies represented an extension of british christendom, religion remain near the surface. With an almost complete interweaving of social, political, and religious political concerns. Virginians quailed in their homes because of the outbreak of what was called the seven years war in the colony, the french and indian war. In july of that year, british regulars led by general braddock , the assistance of the militia led by colonel george washington, had been destroyed near presentday pittsburgh. Native americans allied with france, britains bitter imperial avenue enemy. The defeat including virginia backcountry expose the french troops and even more their indian allies. Timewas at the very same the revival impulses were deepening personal attachment to scripture, military conflict once again turned the viable into a servant. As one hisrian has written, from the opening of the french and indian war with skirmishes under virginia frontier to the treaty of paris in 1763, sermon after sermon, the new england clergy lifted up the standard of british liberty against the aggressive tyranny of Roman Catholic france. The much noted sermons of a leading virginian presbyterian, Samuel Davies, also indicates that this contrasting of liberty and tyranny extended far beyond new england, davies, delaware of aand a product Presbyterian Academy in pennsylvania, played the key role in winning civil rights for his fellow presbyterians to staunchly in staunchly and anglican virginia. He was a moderate but determined promoter of evangelical revival. His successful advocacy for presbyterians in virginia came in large part because of his success at rallying public support against france, and their indian allies. 1755, onein august, months after the british disaster on the pennsylvania frontier, davies began a remarkable series of sermons that gave full scope to his renowned oratory. Also demonstrated the power of scriptural usage, as davies deployed bible to repel threats against virginia in particular and britain as a whole. In the sermons, davies did pause to drive home the same evangelical imperatives that filled his week by week preaching, the need to confess sins before god. The eagerness of christ to welcome repentant centers, and the righteous standards that true believers should uphold in daily living. Quoted, paraphrased, mimicked, soaked in the King James Bible to agree, almost unimaginable in our time. Most salient in these addresses and by a long margin for political purposes. The identification of virginia and britain with Old Testament israel and the complete absorption of specifically protestant theology into the ideals of british liberty. Alltext for davies sermons came from the hebrew scriptures, that he then immediately applied to current events. For example, amos chapter 3, hear this were the lord has spoken to you, children of israel cleared you only have i known of all the families of the earth. Their own there for only you will i punish. Cursed be he who keeps back his sword from blood. Second samuel 10 12. Be of good kurds and let us play the man for our people, and the cities of our god. Virginia auditors were first inserted into the story of David Fighting against the numerically superior ammonites or beleaguered israel repressed by the moabites or some other Old Testament narrative. Then they heard the attorney to god offered the only hope for rescue. That rescue in turn security treasures described almost exclusively in terms of British Colonial safety. Scripture came into the picture explicitly when davies spilled out the larger meaning of the conflict. Vultures, indians, priests, fires, slaves stood poised against your religion, the purest religion of jesus, streaming uncorrupted from the sacred fountain of the scriptures. A most excellent and rational religion ever made known to the sons of men. Mostly, the sermons moved from the biblical text to fervent imperial rhetoric. On one side stood the spirit of patriotism, the best of kings, and the blessings of liberty, british liberty. On the other gathered the host of darkness is. These are all phrases from the sermons. French, those internal enemies of liberty. Barbarians, bloodthirsty savages, the limbs, infernal furies in human shape, tyranny and massacre, the oppression and tyranny of arbitrary power, the chains of french slavery. Samuel davies during the crisis of the french and indian war, biblical religion came fully alive. The religion gestured towards eternity. The larger point is that davie osbornesike sarah personal religion, maintained a long, established tradition and pointed too much that would follow. The first englishlanguage bible, with official royal approval, was published in england in 1589, although the has been called the authorized version, this was the only one ever officially authorized by parliament. 1539readers opened this bible, the first thing they saw was this elaborately etched title page, dominated by imagery of henry viii handing scriptures to the archbishop and henrys secondincommand. You probably cannot read it, but crowds of ordinary people appear at the bottom of the page shouting out, god save the king the title page includes a banners, mostf quoting biblical passages and underscoring the power of kings to command the people. Similarly, in 1611, the king for aversion appeared similar message. So it continued in the era of daviesosborne and samuel the era of Sarah Osborne and Samuel Davies. Every new era in biblical evolves scripture in a political story as well as a political story. In other words, to understand why the bible was so prominent in the era of american from the era of henry viii and then in British Colonial history, as soon as british colonies came in. Because the bibles that accompanied colonists america came out of an interwoven theological political history, they also came with a strong protestant tradition of vigorous anticatholicism. For centuries after the first colonization, positive belief that the scriptures were able to make the wide would be matched by a negative transition tradition that catholic corruption of scripture if its rated true christianity. This combination of foundational commitment, scripture, and salvation, scripture and politics, scripture and anticatholicism grounded the protestant Christian Faith in england and scotland. It then became a grounding principle of American Public life into the revolutionary era and beyond. The instinctive anticatholicism of reddish protestant attachment to scripture meant that when protestant bibles faced off against catholic france, the bible grew more important as one of the great prizes in imperial conflict and the bible grew much less important as merely one of the prizes of imperial conflict. A third Major Development in the colonial history of the bible, in many ways the most important development, represented a striking counterpoint. When the religion of the evangelical revival spread, it presented an unintended but nonetheless definite weakening. Again. T be born they paid far less attention to the external and religious practice that had earlier protestant leaders. Revivalists did not for the most part attack christened in directly. Again led by whitfield, many leading 18th century evangelicals became active champions of the british empire. But by trying to drive a biblical message of salvation deeper and without much attention to the fabric of christendom, revivalist of protestantism led to momentous, if inadvertent, development. Of the great awakening, africanamericans were slow to accept christian teachings for themselves. A trickle and then a steady stream of black converts embraced christianity. Yet, one factor fairly shouts from the Public Record left by slaves and former slaves with the salience of scripture, but now operating by itself, largely separate for structures of christendom. For this population, revivalist with an allicalism or nothing concentration on the new birth led to a deeper influence of scripture at mid century and beyond. Loosened, the bible produced striking, even revolutionary results for those on the social margins, christendom, empire, and much of organize protestantism had silenced, ignored, or actively enslaved. Have recent historians published outstanding works explaining why the era of the great awakening represented a religious watershed for africanamericans. Sarlier, anglican minister found labors consistently blocked by planters who feared wouldonverted slaves agitate for their freedom after decades of trying to communicate christianity to slaves. He came to wonder about the goals and methods he was pursuing. His wonderment came about best slavehis andent, who learned to read then began quoting to his master from joel chapter two. It would be a dismal time and the moon would be turned into blood and there would be death before the darkness went away. Suchquences of experiences, he scaled back his own teaching efforts with this conclusion it had been better if those that run into the search after curious matters had never seen a book. [laughter] with the coming of a revival, attitudes changed. Of the major revivalists attacked slavery. Some of you know that George Whitfield, after the first burst of his fame as a revivalist became an active or motor of allowing slavery to come into georgia, where it had been excluded by the original charter. Preaching, the thoserevivalists urged responding to read the bible for themselves. It made no difference who these converts were. After enthusiastic forms of christianity had taken a secure grip, a presbyterian colleague of Samuel Davies in West Virginia reported with pleasure that in the three Hanover County churches he oversaw, hundreds of beside white people can read and spell, who a few years since did not know one letter. This past year, john todd went on to say that the sacred hours of the sabbath that used to be spent in frolicking, dancing, and other profane courses, are uponmployed in attending public ordinances, in learning to read at home or in praying together and singing the praises of god and the lamb. Publications by colonial black began only in the year 1760 in the midst of an empire caught up in war fever, but when slaves and former slaves took advantage of it, they testified to the effect of a very different fever. One of the first two publications by africanamericans came from a massachusetts slave who published a short account of his that included service in the british navy and a whole lot of other interesting stuff. His spirited pamphlet concluded with biblical virtuosity by mingling the scriptural stories of the boy shepherd david and the gospel story of jesus, carefully selected quotations from teen of different psalms, and this is how he ended his first publication ever by an africanamerican. Now that in the providence of that god who delivered his servant david out of the part of the lien and out of the part of the bear, i am freed from a long and dreadful captivity among worst savages than they, and am returned to my own native land to show how great things the lord had done for me, i would all call upon all men and say magnify the lord and let us exalt his name together, that men would raise his goodness and his wonderful works, the children of men. In his first ever published work , the authors faith drew directly on the scriptures, but cushion within the superstructures of christendom. Biblical orientation marked the next africanAmerican Publication, and 88line poem by Jupiter Hammond, and enslaved man on long island. This broadside began with the word salvation, which is repeated 20 more times in the poem, and with the direct application of scripture specifying the origin, nature, and availability of that salvation. Here is how the poem started. Salvation comes by jesus alone, the only son of god, redemption now to everyone that love his holy word. As a whole, it overflowed with scriptural phrases employed to discuss salvation implied as a grand theme. Isaiah 55. N echo of there was an allusion to psalm 23. There was an echo of psalm 34, our hearts and souls will meet again to magnify thy name, and there was an echo of luke chapter two, glory be to god on high. Kept itsammonds poem focus securely on a scriptural message of personal salvation rather than anything overtly , cultural. Ilitary this is actually a rare copy of a later poem that hammond of philisin honor wheatley. She knew the bible very well, she also wrote about other things. She used quite a bit of classical imagery in her poems. The poem by Jupiter Hammond for wheatley, however, is in the style of some of the older puritan writings. Every stanza of the poem has a biblical reference beside it that provides some kind of clue as to why britain hammond thinks wheatley was such an important person for africanamericans and and for theerature late 18th century. Again, the poem is remarkably , and so itree continued through the biblical black atlantic with the publication of the great works that now have been discussed and published a new. 1774, a narrative in the most , and then particulars in 1785, the narrative, the lords wonderful dealing of john moran, going to preach in nova scotia. Georges account of his remarkable experience as a slave in south carolina, liberated loyalist nova scotia, pioneering settler in sierra leone. David georges memoir is particularly interesting because he, too, is biblically drenched, a biblically infuse person who applied standard metaphors, but in the reverse order. Ain was moses. The new america was egypt from which he had been liberated. And then in the bestknown work , published in 1789 but relating up we autos life to the preceding 30 years, my wife and i counted the bible references. More than one per page. There is again about half a paragraph on the american revolution. Phillish the poems of wheatley did the pattern deviate, but only a little. The great majority of these narratives brought Spiritual Life, healing, and hope. They shared a great deal with their white evangelical counterparts. The difference came in that the bible for africanamericans did not become an a bible for the british empire. It was a book indicating spiritual power, not imperial power. Now, just a brief conclusion. Of the latemplexity colonial era comes from the fact the bible in support of british christendom and the bible moving the structures of christendom became increasingly important at the same time. Some, christendom and scripture grew closer together. For others, they moved apart. For still others, the bond between christendom and scripture between grew stronger and weaker at the same time. Took forn as colonists granted the biblical character of many features in british society, some were also being spiritually transfixed by an explicit and potential he disruptive biblical message ignoring christendom. The bible for personal religion and the bible for empire continued to shape a history of scripture for a very long time, especially as the , the for the colonies bible pulsing at the heart of the british empire, became the bible for a new nation, the bible pulsing at the heart of the United States of america. [applause] we now get to our discussion section. We have a few ground rules, the first of which is please wait until the microphone reaches you before speaking, and secondly, please identify yourself as you talk. We will start right over here. Stephen shore theres a question i cannot help that ask having denounced the french and catholicism during the french and indian war, how did many of the same writers respond to the French Alliance . Was this as problematic for them as the nazi soviet pact was for communists in 1939 . No, because necessity dictated it had to take place. Although tom paine had a field day after the alliance, he maintained the traditional trope of anticatholicism to say what kind of fraudulent defense of liberty do we have now where supposedly, the sons of liberty have allied themselves with the . Atars of popish tyranny isnt it obvious the whole move for independence is a fraud . John two questions, one about the beginning and one about the end of your lecture. Beginning part, when you talk thet the 1781 approval of Continental Congress for the addition of the americanization of the bible, im interested in some of the politics because the revolutionary war had spent a great deal of time talking about freedom of press, freedom of speech, some of the early state constitutions were very sternly against licensing of any books including spiritual books, and what motivated the printers of the american addition of the bible to go to the Continental Congress . Was it just reflex, or was there something more a foot . And im interested about the last heart of your lecture and the use of the bible as a narrative of liberty. Liberty from the monarchy and liberty from slavery. You have a lot of wonderful quotes and a lot of echoes and scripture, but the scripture does speak fairly firmly about monarchy, and it does speak fairly firmly about slavery. Beyond the echoes and aphorisms and phraseology that the bible provides, what gave the late colonists and early american revolutionaries the hermeneutic to use the bible as antimonarchy doctrine . Thank you. Matter, ion the first believe you supplied the right. Ord it was a reflex the Continental Congress itself did not ever authorize the bible printing by some kind of official act because, i think, of the rising tide against the notion of licensing, so it did appoint these masters to make textbook was all right. My own sense is that even as the founders the new american nation were shaking off, much as they thought represented an abuse of british power, the instinct of more than a millennium that saw public life and religious life intertwined were very difficult to shape. Couldt, i think what you say is in much of American History that followed, and in formal christendom replaced a formal christendom with the in for malady that comes with separation of church and state, laws against the meetings of life and religious works, but there would be other voluntary ways of establishing that kind of maintaining that type of connection. Then on the narrative of theration, i should mention location of a british scholar, john coffee, with Something Like exodus, which has traced the exodus scenes in scripture from the early years of the protestant reformation is a powerful set of text and scripture, not just the liberation of the children of israel from egypt, but the passage about setting the prisoners free and giving sight to the blind and the residents being picked up by jesus in the new testament. Languagef liberation drawn from the scriptures in the 1760s and 1770s has to be a problem for anyone who is serious about moral reflection in general and a special problem are people like myself who believe the bible is a direct revelation from god. Theres very little attention to bible message regarding slavery regarding freedom for the enslaved from the first decade of the 18th century until 1770. Before quakers, who in the middle decades of the 18th century, wrote against slavery, drying heavily against the. Criptures against theeavily scriptures. But just no one paid attention. Thenning, however, with sense of liberty politically, it9, 1770, 1771, 1772, begins to be what will continue in the United States a debate on if the bible legitimated slavery. From the very first tracks it wased like this, divided. Defenders of slavery, particularly in the british caribbean, trotted out passages abraham,ticus about instructions to slaves obeying their masters and asked what could be more obvious if the bible recognizes slavery . Led by randall sharp whose works were published in america before they were published in britain. Benjamin rush, it was the opposite. The 1780s, a0s, lot bibleoriented libertarian itnt against slavery has a different story that needs to be spun out, but it was contested. The language of political liberty is even more complicated because most of the bible use is , as i gave it in the early illustrations of the top, his rhetorical rather than argumentative. Argumentative, but not real good execution. The passages from first peter love god, honor the emperor you can imagine what thrown in paines face by loyalist opponents as long as they can have access to the printing press. There were, however, serious exegetical works by patriots, particularly on romans, chapter 13. You had one of the most extensive ones. There were several that came through the middle colonies of the south saying yes, romans 13 looks like a blanket christian necessity to obey the emperor, that the but we know apostle paul challenged authority when the authority abused itself. That was an argument. There were other arguments from the other side. Again, there were printing problems and loyalists. The most extensive loyalist exegesis on galatians chapter five, man sat in the liberty wherewith christ hath made you free, was published by a 1775and anglican priest in that not published until 1792 or 7093 because he could not get access to a press in america and had to wait to be published in great britain. The use of biblical rhetoric aeyve a tremendous dave tremendous, sacred aura to arguments for revolution, but that argument was a lot stronger. As someone who is not at all familiar with religious history or much American History, either, my name is dane kennedy. Im director of the National History center. I wondered if you could say more about how you are trying to frame this work and frame this talk. Where you see your argument sort someverging, perhaps, from others that have been made in recent years and more generally how that speaks to our contemporary understanding of religion in the bible and american politics and american life. Do you think thats enough . Mr. Noll many of us become historians because we like dealing with dead people who cannot speak back. [laughter] the intervention i would like to make in this book i do try to explain in the preface for people who are not particularly interested in , i hope it can bring a sense how thoroughly religion was a part of the moral framing of the american nation, not just the evolutionary years but coming out of a long tradition. Not just british protestant, but british protestant defense of liberty. Parliament in the 16 20s, blackstone in the 18th century, political ideology that most american patriots excepted, the american presentation of locke all of these things came with a biblical dress. Not every argument for liberty, not every construction of political life was framed in biblical language, but most of them were. For anyone wanting understand about the moral dimensions of American Public life, some understanding of the bible is required. Are who honor other scriptures, not the christian scriptures, of which there are, of course, more and more in the United States and have been since the late 19th century, i hope the book will be apply a in how to sacred text to a public space and how not to apply a sacred text to a public space. And then for christian people who have attachments, and, of course, there are various ways of being attached to the bible as a divine book, christian people being attached to this bible as a divine book, i hope there is a very sober assessment of where scripture has enabled , tole to act altruistically act charitably, to act in some biblicaln accord with , like god has made all peoples of one race, of one blood, and i hope that people who share my belief that the bible is a sacred will take to heart the mistakes that have been made. Samuel davies was out of control when he went after the french. There may have been an argument for mobilizing virginia against frontier marauding french and indian allies set in the context of the imperial war from the 18th century. This was not a situation, all good and all liberty against all evil and all tyranny. Using the absolute of a sacred means to advance temporal was and remains a problem. But if i could follow up on the, it seems to me that revolutionaries in the republic are using scripture to advance their political cause. You will have loyalists attempting to do exactly the same thing. This notion that mistakes are made. Looking back, you can say, given our views today, this does not work, but that feels just a touch ahistorical, or am i missing something . Mr. Noll certainly not a historical to say that mistakes are made because they are, continually. From the biblical exegesis, particularly the revolutionary period is the nearly overwhelming tendency, the nearly overwhelming pressure once a crisis occurs to gather everything that you are able to ander to support your side, are supposed to have an organization, a priority, and agenda of loyalty in which in which the loyalty of the nation is very important. Being loyal kept the prioritization of loyalty somewhere in balance. When i would take away from the rhetoric of the seven years war, the rhetoric of the american revolution, is not that some religious pacifism is appropriate, but the putting the arrants to the purpose is a processoals fraught with danger. Religious actors who make those claims. Mistakes were made. Is it possible to learn from those mistakes . People can learn is not that they should forget about religion or public life, should be as cautious as possible about how religion is applied. Thank you. Excellent. Anita jones, american historical association, retired. I am curious, and maybe this is outside the scope of what you were talking about, but if you compare the englishspeaking world with the rest of europe, how different was it . There is a biblical overlay, a biblical rhetoric in the spanish empires in america. It covers topdown. I think it is a difference in the englishspeaking world because of protestantism. Even sometimes at the middle and lower level of society, it is above. In the 16 40s and 16 50s in whennd, this is a time ernest bible believers had an opportunity to implement biblical norms into public life. Also, in the colonies, where because of the ending of restrictions on what can be published, you get works like Roger Williams plea for religious freedom. Nobody else paid any attention to that until the 1770s. Then, nobody paid any attention to that until the 1970s. It was an indicative work. Is that it was a mistake, because it violated teaching from the bible. ,his aspect was different because every place on the political spectrum and social pectrum, its not like the 19th century where anyone can publish anything. An 18th century in the colonies, you hear from more and more nonauthorized voices trying to explain to the public how the bible should be interpreted. These are the quakers. Very interesting people. They had experience in the caribbean, which made them fierce, antislave people. They began to reenact the quaker early days. They came in to the service with a book, a bible. He had a bladder full of each juice beat juice. He hacked that the bible and the everywhere. Ed Benjamin Franklin had published a book on the early american inferences to see what was happening. This was empowered by the notion of the priestinvolved believers , the protestant ideal. Have notorked out worked out well in practice. [indiscernible] the christendom of catholic places, protestant places, meant there was a lot of restriction on public expressions of the bible. Thank you. Hi, i am joe slaughter, a doctoral candidate of it reallyof early American History. The question of what the intervention is is important for those were not first in his driver fee. Historography. Clarify, and maybe left,ally for people who what youre saying is the intervention is that there is a narrative out there that we know people are pretty religious and concerned about the bible in the 1600s, particularly in new england. Then, it all starts to go downhill, there is the great awakening, which some people may not believe. That happens and it stems the tide temporarily. By the revolution, people are not concerned about re ligion anymore. I think particularly by work, yourenes saying there is a vocabulary out there, and the bible resonates for good reason. I think you are sort of joining other people who are now challenging the narrative. Comes to s book mind. Are you saying it still is important by the time of the revolution . The reference is to james byrd. Travelingot of through published and unpublished things. There is no comparison references, authoritative references to older literature, scripture. There is no comparison. The book byspond zion,halev, american carries the story into the 19th century. The issue of the United States of the new israel is everywhere. Purposes, thisy very good scholarship poses a question, more than it answers it. It poses the question, what should be thought about a National History in which sacred christian sacred text, played such an Important Role . Takenk i would like to pause and think about an answer before responding. Is a good thing from a christian angle that there is a lot of bible or a bad thing . Is a good thing from a secular point of view that moral values life . Prominent in public it was not just the market, it was not just personal satisfaction. It was some kind of moral language inflected in public debate in the United States. So, there are glib references to christian america, or glib references to the godless constitutional era do not cut it. Thank you. We will go with amanda. Amanda from the National History center. You said he wanted to think about the question of whether or not it is a good thing that christianity is a part of the National History. Before you ask that question, do you need to ask whether the , whether it isf a National History, or is the history of the bible a transNational History, a transatlantic history . Andican religious activity knowledge and communities were heavily transatlantic. Thats a good question. The bible in American Public 150 before you get to it. For understanding American History that the christian bible, and later other scriptures, were very important. It is important for the history of the bible to realize that this is never a strictly national story. Bible is thes first english label bible completely published in north america. Star several german link which additions, from christopher pennsylvaniaern from the 1760s. That brought to the colonial text,h empire not just but also debate on how text should be used and printed from the central part of europe, which is not part of germany. And then, the translation of the bible into the indian l anguages, the First Complete bible published in north america. That is also a story that certainly has, what we would say today, mexican, canadian, and american resionance. Then, you get to the beginning of the globalization of the Christian Faith. The story of the bible today is far, far more than just an american story. Over here . Hi, can you talk actually more about how African Americans read the bible . They were interested in it as salvation from empire. Of you saying this is part Spiritual Life, but not public life . Entities inlavery even empires, or debates, when each side was trying to win African Americans. Sometimesent that public sources could potentially be misleading compared to what people as a whole thought, is there any way to get at that . Im glad you mentioned that. This is very deliberately part of the way the public uses the history of the bible. This book was supposed to be a 75 page introduction to the 19th century. It just grew and grew and grew. It is 300 pages. Story, allamerican of the different strands are more than public stories. Century, youth have print from africanamericans that is exceptional for being mostly nonpolitical. Actually, most of it is not arguing about slavery. Ano has a few paragraphs. The first africanamerican fullscale attack on slavery came relatively late in the 1780s, 1790s. Theres a publication by daniel coker in the early 19th century. R went public African American use of the bible takes on the explicit argument for or against slavery. I think what is obvious from what is published early on is t life for in slave people some forpeople set up being open to a message of spiritual liberation. For some, that message does not stop with spiritual liberation. In the 1760s, they remain slaves. But, it was clear that there was not just these of the bible, but a personal voice to push against slavery. He was purchased by a boston order in 1771. Owner in 1771. She learns to read the bible, but she is an effective voice for what you might call a bill of sized consciousness consciousness in the movement against slavery. On, this is mostly english quakers and Evangelical Church anglicans who publicly attack slavery. Benjamin rush is a figure who is hard to place religiously. He is all over the map. He is one of the First American to makes a biblical antislavery case in 1772. Don . All the way in the back. Ell get to you. On don wilkinsburg or with the woken center wilkins center. In the runup to the revolution, does the record show sermons delivered by the church of england in the u. S. Was very uniform take on how the bible was being interpreted as america prepared for more antirevolutionary rhetoric . Sitries from england tended to be conventional whoalists encouraged loyalty to the monarchy. There were anglican ministers. Was chaplain of he Continental Congress, and preached sermons that looked like he was a patriot. Once the british occupied in 1777, he went back to britain. He it up as a loyalist exile ended up as a loyalist exile. There are ministers who supported the patriot cause or were neutral. Obvious, the stream and Thomas Jefferson, there were a lot of anglican leaders who did not think anything of the loyalist argument. Interestingly, the division in did probably fall closer along denominational lines. Most anglicans in britain supported the king. Many congregationalists, presbyterians, activists, lead direction. Other there were english anglicans who urged parliament to be more conciliatory toward the colonies. There were some who thought the monarchy was acting correctly in trying to put down the rebellion. Jim . James banner. You made a distinction in passing that i would like you to pursue. Skeptic, i have to be deeply troubled by the application of any sacred text to public affairs, whether the koran or the bible. What is puzzling to me is how i the application of the bible to public affairs, whether sincere or advantageous. Make a distinct which disagreements between rhetorical and argumentative application. Can you tell us what you mean by that . It may help me not as a historian, but as someone living in our day and age. I hope it helps you first as a historian. This is one of the clearest distinctions to be found, not just in the revolutionary. Not just in the revolutionary period. Rhetoric, the use of biblical allusions and analogies and to the currented situation. I would call the sermon that i have quoted rhetorical. , fromxt, wherever it was first samuel is pretty hard to from first samuel, it is free hard to get and argumentative message out of it. Davey said that our position was like the children of israel who are threatened by their enemies. They trusted in the lord, and so should we. Argumited in text, entative text, beginning in the ministersen colonial try to explain why, that categorical imperative, the powers that be ordained by god, if you disobey the monarch, your disobeying god. Watching that passage not the considered categorical and universal . Why should that passage not be considered categorical and universal . There were some arguments toward learned people of the past. Those types of performances were not as common as analogy, example, typology, but did take place during the mid1760s on into the 1770s. Some of the best arguments, in terms of skillful deployment of reason, learning, had to do with whether a bishop was necessary for a wellrunning church. This is probably 50 years old. He explains that there was really a good theological reasoning about how to interpret the new testament in particular, with respect to the bishops. Were they necessary . If so, it was prejudiced that kept the colonists for receiving an anglican bishop. If not, it made more sense to think of the anglican angle to be a political ploy to get more topdown power. Tracks on that subject tended to be a lot less dependent on mere invocation of bible language. Does that do anything for a skeptic . I dont know. You have to look, for example, at the sermons of jonathan bu who argues for the sinfulness of rebelling against your rightful emperor. I am not sure a skeptic would be necessarily swayed by the argument. They are made under the assumption that the bible as a determinative of authority and is the duty of christian people to discover what that authority is. Judne could make a gement about who is making a sound art event without applying it to themselves. I sternly havent found this in american situations, even for people referencing cato and john locke. You dont get a lot of straightforward political argument where the bible is introduced that does not make more of a rhetorical man and anository case than expository case. This did generate an enormous amount of counterargument. Most of this, i would not recommend to a skeptic. We are coming to the end of our time here. Any final comments or questions . It is right behind you. Im curious with Roman Catholic opinion was as the revolution approached, both in the colonies and in the u. K. . In what25,000 catholics and thehe United States wealthier families in maryland that were catholic tended to move in the patriotic direction. The question about what happens when there is an alliance in implicate some colonial catholics. The Colonial Alliance in france proved that this Breakaway Movement is morally bankrupt. In the colonies, it is a little different. England, people who took part in the American Invasion of canada under benedict arnold, who actually came back from new france, felt a little better about what being counted. That experience of the invaders actually cushioned some of the , leading to the first recognized catholic congregation in boston in 1789 and 7090. The anticatholic and the elegy 1790. 1789 and the anticatholic ideology was still there. It becomes antipapal, the pope as an exemplary of topdown tyranny. Sion ofttle discus transubstantiation or the virgin mary. Theres more focus on the abuse of power, as in john adams. Think you to the audience. You, to our audience. [applause] im here to voice my strong support for the courageous people of afghanistan. Women and men, who have suffered for years under the taliban regime. Each and everyone one of us has the responsibility to stop the sufferings caused by malaria. Every life in every land matters. All of us can do something to help. After studying first ladies and knowing some of them very well, like my mother in law, or fellow texan lady bird johnson, we benefit our country by whatever our first ladies give us. The first ladys to be the wife of one president and the daughterinlaw of another. A controversy all election brought her husband george w. Bush the white house. With less than nine months in office, the 9 11 attacks occurred. Laura bush helps come for the e pursuingl education, literacy, and womens health. Laura bush, tonight at 8 00 p. M. Eastern on first ladies, influence and image. Examining the private and public lives of the first ladies and their influence on the presidency, from Martha Washington to michelle obama. Cspan3. On all persons having business before the Honorable Supreme Court of the United States are admonished to give their attention. Monday, on cspans landmark cases, we look at baker vs. Carr, which ruled that federal courts could intercede in the redrawing of election districts. Rural war and called it the most important case of his tenure on the court. Hears a portion of the oral argument. Voterse 11 tennessee lived in five of the largest cities in tennessee. They are the intended and actual ,ictims of the statutory scheme ch the values, reduces which d values, reduces their right to vote to one 20th of the value given to it. Populations in tennessee had a majority of voters from rural areas move into the cities. Yet, those rural districts held a voting power equal to the larger voting districts. Groups of voters from nashville and memphis took their case to the supreme court. Person, one vote is still being debated. We join Theodore Olson and douglas smith, author of on democracies doorstep. Cspan3 andght on cspan radio. For background on each case or your copy of cases companion 8. 95 but shipping i. Next, we toured the Governors Palace in Colonial Williamsburg. Colonial williamsburg. A historical interpreter brings us through the house and gives us the story of the governor and his family who fled on the eve of the american revolution. Hello. I am one of the curators here at Colonial Williamsburg foundation. Not only are these