Abraham Lincoln's Political Religion and the Civil War (original) (raw)

"The Almighty Has His Own Purposes": Abraham Lincoln, Religion, and the Emancipation of Slaves

This research observes the religious background of Abraham Lincoln, the religious transitions he experienced during his presidency, and then synthesizes his religious views in regards to how they influenced his decision to press towards emancipating slaves. While historians of Lincoln have adequately explored the president's understanding religion, it is suggested that this research advances previous views of Lincoln, as seen in the writings of Wayne C. Temple and Nicholas Parrillo, that a much more focused analysis on the variations of Calvinism provides a fuller picture to the story.

Abraham Lincoln\u27s Religion: The Case for His Ultimate Belief in a Personal, Sovereign God

2012

It is commonplace to say that the religion of Abraham Lincoln will forever be a mystery. Adam Gopnik thinks that Lincoln's faith is "the most vexed question in all the Lincoln literature." 1 Richard Carwardine writes that Lincoln's "personal faith. .. necessarily remain[s] a puzzle." 2 We believe that such assertions are overstated. While important ambiguities remain, such as whether Lincoln was a Christian in the sense of trusting Jesus as his Savior, 3 some elements of Lincoln's religious faith are beyond doubt. 4 Mark Noll agrees. Although referring to "the vexing knot of Lincoln's faith," he also lists elements of Lincoln's religious experiences and beliefs that have been "verified. .. at least as far as historical facts can be verified." 5 We contend that one more fact should be added to Noll's list-the mature Lincoln believed in a personal, sovereign God. 6 We presume that most readers of this Journal agree with Noll that it is important to seek the truth about Lincoln's religious beliefs. 7 Truth is valuable for its own sake, but in Lincoln's case, it has special importance. 8 Given Lincoln's overriding cultural significance, 9 it really matters what he believed. Consequently, those embarking upon historical inquiry concerning Lincoln bear a great responsibility. They should strive not only for thoroughness and accuracy, but also for impartiality. 10 And anyone who proposes that any aspect of Lincoln's life be accepted as fact is rightly subjected to a heavy burden of proof. This is especially true for us, who make this claim about a subject-Lincoln's religious beliefs-that not only has obvious significance, given his pervasive public use of religious language, 11 but also "has been a source of incessant debate almost from the moment of the assassination itself." 12 Editor's Note: Because of the lengthy documentation for this article, the notes are located at the end of the text.

Democracy for All and All for Democracy: Lincoln as a Man of Hope

Many scholars have rightly been interested in Abraham Lincoln's thoughts on 'political religion.' His writings are glazed with his own individual religiosity---not that of any established church---making it a worthy and ambitious endeavor to pin down and articulate the components of Lincoln's conscience during the various phases of his life.

“My Ancient Faith”: Abraham Lincoln’s Response to the Jeffersonian Problem

Polity, 2022

In this paper I consider the "Jeffersonian problem": whether one generation has the right to bind future generations to an inherited constitutional order. Thomas Jefferson's challenge rests on fundamental democratic principles of equality and consent, and therefore-while there may be substantial pragmatic reasons to be wary of his argument-any response must also remain true to those moral ideals. I argue that through the crisis of slavery and the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln was compelled to revisit the basis of the American political regime, and in doing so articulated a conception of democratic politics that answers Jefferson's challenge. He does so in two ways: first, Lincoln's political religion revives reverence for the ancestral in a democratic context; second, Lincoln's concept of rededication allows each generation to affirm that revered past while simultaneously manifesting its own sovereign power through novel applications of past principle. I conclude by arguing that the inclusion of generational obligations is essential to democratic politics and that Lincoln's approach provides the best means of doing so.