05/16/2010 1

Enlightenment and Deism: Rationalism in 18th Century America

“From the Reformation to the Constitution” Bill Petro

your friendly neighborhood historian

billpetro.com/v7pc

05/16/2010 2

Objectives By the end of this session you should be able to

•  Trace the rise of the Enlightenment

•  Identify the key players in the Enlightenment

•  Discuss Deism and Unitarianism

•  Identify the political theory of John Locke and its

influence on the Founding Fathers

05/16/2010 3

American Church History

Colonial National Modern

1787 1865

Calvinism Arminianism Biblistic Rationalism

Liberalism Subjectivism Existentialism

Theocentrism Anthropocentrism Liberalism

05/16/2010 4

Summary of the Great Awakening

•  Increase of new members: 30-40,000

•  Increase of new churches: 1740-60: 150 congs.

•  Increase in students to prepare for the ministry

•  Increase in new denominations: Bapt. & Methodists

•  New stress on Missions

•  Aided in beginning the American Revolution

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Colleges •  1636: Harvard – Puritans, to train clergy •  1701: Yale – “to train men to preach the Gospel •  1749: College of Phila – U. of Penn (revival hall) •  1762: Queens – became Rutgers •  1726: College of New Jersey – Princeton •  Moore’s Indian Charity Training College – to train

Indians, moved to Dartmouth •  College of R.I. (Baptist) – Brown •  Kings College of N.Y. – Colombia, to train Indians •  All Ivy League Colleges (except Cornell) were to train

men for the ministry

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Emotional - Intellectual

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Enlightenment

•  Post-Reformation

•  Rebellion against it, in the guise of intellectualism,

empiricism that really denied the faith of the

Reformation

•  “Reality is what I observe with my own senses”

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Immanuel Kant •  Professor of Logic,

Koniegsburg, Prussia

•  Critique of Pure Reason

•  Critique of Practical Reason

•  Religion reduced to moral acts, revising the Reformation

•  God no longer active

•  Man must reach out to God

05/16/2010 9

Approaches to Authority and the Enlightenment Reformation

16 & 17th century Enlightenment

18th century

Aut

horit

y S

alva

tion

Roman Catholicism Protestantism Rationalism

God

Church

Man

Holy Church

Authoritarianism Pope and Councils

Holy Bible

Creeds (Secondary)

Human Reason

Philosophical Systems

God

Christ

Man

God

Man

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From Revelation to Reason

Rev

elat

ion

Trad

ition

Rea

son

Past: Infancy Present: Adulthood

Rej

ecte

d In

Ref

orm

atio

n

Rej

ecte

d In

Enl

ight

enm

ent

Sol

e A

utho

rity

External Authority Innate Authority

Irrationality (Myth Makers) Traditional Religion (superstition)

Reason Rational Religion

Progression

05/16/2010 11

19th Century culture

•  Framework: => U.S. & French Revolutions

•  Music: Baroque & Classical

•  Art: Neo-classical

•  Politics: => Socialism & Communism

05/16/2010 12

19th Century features

• Moralism

• Optimism: logical positivism

• Pelagianism

• Closed System Universe

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05/16/2010 14

Isaac Newton

•  Principia Mathematica •  Implicit: man has ability to

discover secrets of the universe, control destiny

•  Narrowing gulf between God and man

•  Effect: corrosive effect on Calvinistic orthodoxy, more rational, less emotional

05/16/2010 15

Deism

•  A system of belief that a transcendent God left his creation to be governed by Natural Laws discernable by reason.

•  “God is absentee” •  No miracles, no revelation, no God-man •  Jesus as Moral Teacher •  Bible as guidebook for ethical life, virtue, piety

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Deism: Origin •  Science: universe operated on fixed principles,

hence, is a machine operating by fixed natural laws – Copernicus, Galileo (helio-centricism), Newton (gravity)

•  Philosophy: if universe runs on fixed laws, then the universe can be known by Reason, without Revelation – Francis Bacon – Inductive method (observe vs. authority)

•  Theology: man can start with himself and find truth apart from any help – Descartes: “I think, therefore I am” (mathematical laws)

05/16/2010 17

Deism: Spread

•  Herbert of Cherbury & David Hume

•  Carried into France, picked up by Rousseau,

Voltaire, Diderot. Strong impetus from French

Revolution

•  Carried to America by English immigrants and

mercenaries (Lafayette)

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Deism: Results

•  Contributed to the concept that: if a ruler failed in

responsibility, the people could revolt

– Root of American Revolution

•  Developed the concept of man’s goodness

•  Developed theory on destructive criticism of Bible

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Unitarianism

•  Strict monotheism (not Trinitarianism)

•  Deny Christ’s two natures (deity)

•  Christ’s death was only to be an example of true devotion to God

•  Deny election and future punishment

•  Key to Life: love toward God’s fellow man

05/16/2010 20

Unitarianism: Origin 1755-1805

•  Rose out of practical experience of the people

Wealthy wanted autonomy

•  Moneyed classes tended to Nationalism

•  Anti-revivalistic attitude

– King’s Church – 1st church to go Unitarian 1782

05/16/2010 21

Orthodoxy, Unitarianism, and Deism

Source of Truth

God

Medium of Revelation

Person of Christ

Nature of Sin

Atonement

Reformation Empiricism Rationalism

Theistic; Plural, personal

Supernatural, Natural

God/Man

Derived & Personal depravity; Moral inability

Penal

Empiricism Rationalism

Theistic; Single, transcendent

Natural

Exemplary Man

Personal depravity Moral ability

(none)

Orthodoxy Unitarianism Deism Empiricism Rationalism Reformation

Theistic; Single, personal

Natural, Supernatural

Archetypal Man

Personal depravity Moral ability

Exemplary

05/16/2010 22

John Locke

•  1632-1704

•  Political philosopher

•  Argued for the

“reasonableness” of

Christianity

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Letter Concerning Toleration

•  Became a “Bible” in the

18th Century

•  “Reasonableness” of

Christianity

05/16/2010 24

Religion and the American Revolution

•  Religion as a Cause of the Revolution

•  Religion as a Participant in the Revolution

•  Religion in Consequence of the Revolution

05/16/2010 25

Religion as a Cause of the Revolution

•  Influence of the 1st Great Awakening

•  Fear of English political control thru Anglicanism

•  Clergy molded public opinion by political sermons

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Religion as a Participant in the Revolution •  Congregationalists – most active

•  Anglicans – loyalists, but 2/3 of signers of DoI

•  Quakers – generally pacifists, but Betsy Ross

•  Presbyterians – 1st to accept DoI & identify w/Rev.

•  Baptists – intensely loyal, suffered in R.I.

•  Methodists – despised as loyalists

•  Catholics – non-committal

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Religion in Consequence of the Revolution Positively:

•  Anglicanism disestablished as state religion

•  Congregationalism disestablished in New England

•  Churches organized nationally: – Anglican → Protestant Episcopal Church

– Methodist Episcopal Church – Asbury & Coke

– Catholics: Nationally

– Presbyterians: General Assembly w/ John Witherspoon

05/16/2010 28

Religion in Consequence of the Revolution Negatively:

•  Religion declined because of attention to War

•  Reorganizational process for denominations led to a decline of interest in evangelism

•  Stress on rights & worth of the individual led to a decline of Calvinism

•  Not all American leaders were orthodox religiously

05/16/2010 29

Fundamental 18th-19th Century Shift

Calvinism

Deism (Rationalism)

(modified) Evangelicalism

Sovereign God Sovereign Man

05/16/2010 30

1-Word Summary •  Pilgrims Separatists •  Puritans Saints •  Denominations Inclusive •  Whitefield Dramatic •  Wesley Methodism •  Edwards Glory •  Great Awakening Fire •  Enlightenment Rationalism •  Deism Mechanistic