Politics and Piety: Baptist Social Reform in America, 1770-1860

by Aaron Menikoff, Keith Harper (SM139) (Foreword by)

Overview

Historians have painted a picture of nineteenth-century Baptists huddled in clapboard meetinghouses preaching sermons and singing hymns, seemingly unaware of the wider world. According to this view, Baptists were "so heavenly-minded, they were of no earthly good." Overlooked are the illustrative stories of Baptists fighting poverty, promoting abolition, petitioning Congress, and debating tax policy. Politics and Piety is a careful look at antebellum Baptist life. It is seen in figures such as John Broadus, whose first sermon promoted temperance, David Barrow, who formed an anti-slavery association in Kentucky, and in a Savannah church that started a ministry to the homeless. Not only did Baptists promote piety for the good of their churches, but they did so for the betterment of society at large. Though they aimed to change America one soul at a time, that is only part of the story. They also engaged the political arena, forcefully and directly. Simply put, Baptists were social reformers. Relying on the ideas of rank-and-file Baptists found in the minutes of local churches and associations, as well as the popular, parochial newspapers of the day, Politics and Piety uncovers a theologically minded and controversial movement to improve the nation. Understanding where these Baptists united and divided is a key to unlocking the differences in evangelical political engagement today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781630872823
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	05/29/2014
Series:	Monographs in Baptist History , #2
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	244
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Aaron Menikoff (PhD, Southern Seminary) is a pastor in Atlanta, Georgia. He previously served as legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Mark O. Hatfield.

Table of Contents

Foreword ix

Preface xi

1 Introduction 1

Impulses for Reform 4

A Search for Virtue 9

Real Social Reform 11

Summary 15

2 Piety and Social Reform 17

Virtue and Nationalism 20

Faith and Pietism 30

Withdrawal and Engagement 39

Spirituality and Party Politics 42

3 Politics and Social Reform 47

A Christian Nation 48

A Political Christian 53 Politics and War 60

4 Slavery, Spirituality, and Social Reform 70

Colonization and Reform 72

Religious Instruction and Reform 80

Abolition and Reform 88

5 Church, State, and the Sabbath Mail Debate 105

Defending the Sabbath 106

Defending Liberty 113

Debating Reform 120

Defeating the Sabbath 130

6 Poverty and a Baptist Social Conscience 134

Poverty and Benevolence 136

Poverty and Virtue 143

Poverty and Vice 148

Poverty and Evangelism 152

7 Temperance and a Divided Baptist Social Conscience 158

Temperance and Religion 160

Temperance and Evangelism 166

Temperance and the Clergy 171

Temperance and Division 174

Temperance and Church Division 180

Temperance and Politics 187

8 Conclusion 193

Bibliography 199

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"For decades we have been told by historians that early American evangelicals—especially Baptists—were so heavenly minded they were of no earthly good. The myth was that they were only interested in evangelism and personal piety. Aaron Menikoff has dispelled the myth and shown persuasively that Baptist leaders of 1770-1860 were anything but disengaged from their culture and its besetting sins. Social action was high on their agenda of priorities, not least because they saw reform as an entailment of the gospel of the risen Christ."
—Ben Mitchell, Union University, Tennessee

"Carefully researched and well argued, this book offers a fresh analysis of the dynamic between social reform and personal piety among Baptists in antebellum America. In telling this story, Aaron Menikoff destroys several sacred cows, including the one that equates the Baptist commitment to the separation of church and state with apathy and disregard for the environing culture. A historical study with contemporary relevance."
—Timothy George, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University, Alabama

"In this richly researched and highly readable book, Menikoff belies the claim that Baptists, including Southern Baptists, are 'so heavenly minded they're no earthly good.' While underscoring their commitment to evangelism and piety, he demonstrates their far-reaching and energetic engagement with social concerns and matters of public policy—from dueling to insurrections, to abolition to temperance, to benevolence."
—Mark Coppenger, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Kentucky

Editorial Reviews

"For decades we have been told by historians that early American evangelicals—especially Baptists—were so heavenly minded they were of no earthly good. The myth was that they were only interested in evangelism and personal piety. Aaron Menikoff has dispelled the myth and shown persuasively that Baptist leaders of 1770-1860 were anything but disengaged from their culture and its besetting sins. Social action was high on their agenda of priorities, not least because they saw reform as an entailment of the gospel of the risen Christ."
—Ben Mitchell, Union University, Tennessee

"Carefully researched and well argued, this book offers a fresh analysis of the dynamic between social reform and personal piety among Baptists in antebellum America. In telling this story, Aaron Menikoff destroys several sacred cows, including the one that equates the Baptist commitment to the separation of church and state with apathy and disregard for the environing culture. A historical study with contemporary relevance."
—Timothy George, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University, Alabama

"In this richly researched and highly readable book, Menikoff belies the claim that Baptists, including Southern Baptists, are 'so heavenly minded they're no earthly good.' While underscoring their commitment to evangelism and piety, he demonstrates their far-reaching and energetic engagement with social concerns and matters of public policy—from dueling to insurrections, to abolition to temperance, to benevolence."
—Mark Coppenger, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Kentucky

From the Publisher