A Champion of the Original American Republic: The Political Thought of James Thornwell
James Thornwell, the great Presbyterian theologian of South Carolina, is often linked with the cause of secession and the Confederate States of America. A careful reading of the primary sources indicates, however, that he was primarily a Unionist. He was, in fact, one of the most eloquent nineteenth...
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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: 258-270 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | James Thornwell, the great Presbyterian theologian of South Carolina, is often linked with the cause of secession and the Confederate States of America. A careful reading of the primary sources indicates, however, that he was primarily a Unionist. He was, in fact, one of the most eloquent nineteenth-century champions of the virtues of the Federal Constitution of 1787 and the American Republic that it created. Thornwell wrote in favor of the American political philosophy as it was enshrined in the First Amendment's provisions regarding disestablishment and freedom of religion. He thus distanced himself from the Reformation model and the European arrangements of his time, favoring James Madison's ideal of church/state separation over John Calvin's principle of established religion upheld by rule of law. His love for the political and social thought imbedded in the Constitution of the United States is reflected in his love for republicanism, his embrace of social stratification, and in his preaching of repentance lest the American Republic collapse under the chastening hand of God. |
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| Contains: | Enthalten in: The journal of Presbyterian history
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