America’s God: From Jonathan Edwards to Abraham Lincoln by Mark A. Noll (PDF)

Description

Religious life in early America is often equated with the fire-and-brimstone Puritanism best embodied by the theology of Cotton Mather. Yet, by the nineteenth century, American theology had shifted dramatically away from the severe European traditions directly descended from the Protestant Reformation, of which Puritanism was in the United States the most influential. In its place arose a singularly American set of beliefs. In America’s God, Mark Noll has written a biography of this new American ethos. In the 125 years preceding the outbreak of the Civil War, theology played an extraordinarily important role in American public and private life. Its evolution had a profound impact on America’s self-definition. The changes taking place in American theology during this period were marked by heightened spiritual inwardness, a new confidence in individual reason, and an attentiveness to the economic and market realities of Western life. Vividly set in the social and political events of the age, America’s God is replete with the figures who made up the early American intellectual landscape, from theologians such as Jonathan Edwards, Nathaniel W. Taylor, William Ellery Channing, and Charles Hodge and religiously inspired writers such as Harriet Beecher Stowe and Catherine Stowe to dominant political leaders of the day like Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln. The contributions of these thinkers combined with the religious revival of the 1740s, colonial warfare with France, the consuming struggle for independence, and the rise of evangelical Protestantism to form a common intellectual coinage based on a rising republicanism and commonsense principles. As this Christian republicanism affirmed itself, it imbued in dedicated Christians a conviction that the Bible supported their beliefs over those of all others. Tragically, this sense of religious purpose set the stage for the Civil War, as the conviction of Christians both North and South that God was on their side served to deepen a schism that would soon rend the young nation asunder. Mark Noll has given us the definitive history of Christian theology in America from the time of Jonathan Edwards to the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. It is a story of a flexible and creative theological energy that over time forged a guiding national ideology the legacies of which remain with us to this day.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐As a theology major, I found the book to be interesting and informative. The terminology is somewhat advanced, but the chronology and historic references provide a discernible context for most readers. The author provides ample footnotes and a glossary that assist both the professional and casual reader. While the emphasis is on theological developments in the early years of our country, there is enough discussion of political and historical matters to justify the investment.

⭐Book in great condition. Arrived promptly. Reasonable price.

⭐One of the best books I ever read. Well-researched. Treats a vast number of historical figures with even-handed clarity. This book is a gateway into understanding the culture of American Religion as it has developed throughout the years.

⭐The book probes the theological writings of the first couple centuries of nation. The thesis is that classical biblical and dogmatic doctrines are interwoven with republican ideology. The Protestant theologians of the pre-Civil War period were, thus, rather nationalistic and slipped into belief in America’s virtual election (along side ancient Israel). The Civil War presented this brand of theology with such serious problems that it lost its vitality after the war. Abraham Lincoln is a kind of climax of this tradition, but he actually deviated from the dominant modes of theological thinking of Protestants.

⭐Noll’s work is so expansive, so detailed that is may be best consumed piecemeal. America’s God spends most of its time exploring the relationship between classical, republican values and Christianity in the social and political context of the early republic. In so doing, it includes significant historical background of all the major Protestant denominations and fairly detailed profiles of various major figures, such as Jonathan Edwards. It is very dense and very rich, though the organizational structure is a bit complicated. The extensive bibliography is a wonderful resource.

⭐A hard read but a fascinating topic.

⭐Excellent book! Enjoyed it enormously. Since I develop educational and public programs relating to Lincoln and the Civil War, books like this give me a “refresher course” in America’s amazing history.

⭐Noll needs no introduction is historical circles. Great book.

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