How Protestants Read

Published on by D. G. Hart

John Fea a while back posted this as his quote of the day:

“Good God! The People of Pennsylvania in seven years will be glad to petition the Crown of Britain for reconciliation in order to be delivered from the tyranny of their new Constitution.” John Adams on the democratic, unicameral 1776 Pennsylvania Constitution that gave all male taxpayers the right to vote. (Adams to Benjamin Rush, 12 October 1776).

I can imagine three major Protestant approaches to interpreting this remark.

1) The nationalist Protestant: “See? This proves the founders really were orthodox Christians.”

2) The experimental Protestant: “See? This proves the founders were not regenerate since they took the Lord’s name in vain.”

3) The two-kingdom Protestant: “See? This shows how fragile the American founding was (and what’s wrong with democracy).”

In other words, what is political should stay political. We don’t have to insert religion everywhere.

Of course, I left out the neo-Calvinist response: “See what happens when you legalize gay marriage? What’s that you say, gay marriage didn’t come along for another two centuries? Two centuries, two kingdoms, what’s the difference?”

26 thoughts on “How Protestants Read”

  2. The Spirit has yet to inspire me. I guess He just did. I am realizing that sadly most of the conversation here is driven by those on the fringes. Doug (theonomy), Richard (Revivalism, Edwards). Catholics come around occasionally but then flee quickly thereafter. Not too many Neocalvinists. I think I might just read the posts, repost the good ones to my own blog, and maybe repost some good comments by my sharp 2K brothers to my own blog. The unending arguments with those on the fringes are pretty much a waste of time anymore. Too much else to do.

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  3. @Erik: I think Terry is Neo-calibrated, right? Maybe a change in your avatar would get the party started. Maybe to this: http://tinyurl.com/aewu2cp

    On DGH’s point 3 above, are we to take Churchill’s (Winston not Robert, for you hardcore OPCers) approach, “Democracy is the worst sort of govt., except all the others” or Alexander Pope’s “For forms of govt. let fools contest; that which governs best is best”?

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  5. Erik Charter: The Spirit has yet to inspire me. I guess He just did. I am realizing that sadly most of the conversation here is driven by those on the fringes. Doug (theonomy), Richard (Revivalism, Edwards). Catholics come around occasionally but then flee quickly thereafter. Not too many Neocalvinists. I think I might just read the posts, repost the good ones to my own blog, and maybe repost some good comments by my sharp 2K brothers to my own blog. The unending arguments with those on the fringes are pretty much a waste of time anymore. Too much else to do.

    RS: One of these days you might wake up to realize that maybe you are part of the fringe, though not on this forum.

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  6. Richard: One of these days you might wake up to realize that maybe you are part of the fringe, though not on this forum.

    Erik: If the fringe is D.G., Zrim, Sean, Mikkelmann, Jeff Cagle and the assorted other fine P&R men who post here, then count me in! I’ve been other places within the Christian Church and I’m not leaving where I’m at. As Brad Pitt says in “A River Runs Through It”, “I’ll never leave Montana”. Great movie.

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  7. Let me clarify – You (Richard) are on the fringes of a website devoted to Old School Presbyterianism. Your revivalism and heart-focused (not Hart focused) Christianity puts you right in the mainstream of the American religious landscape. Doug is on the fringes of both. If it weren’t for your Reformed baggage to could be leading one of those Kansas City charismatic megachurches. They would absolutely eat your schtick up. We (Old Lifers) are absolutely on the fringes of American Christianity.

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  9. Richard, add to it that we’re goyim in Dutch midwestern URCs. But instead of it highlighting our “fringi-o-sity,” I’d rather it highlight the magnanimity of the ons volk.

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  14. Didn’t John Adams grow up Calvinist, and then became a Universalist?

    It came up in an American History discussion at Loyola-Marymount University. I remember a very conservative Jesuit Priest commented that the heresy (he insinuated it, although not outright) of Calvinism led to either Fundamentalism or Unitarianism.

    Anyway, I was taken aback, because the priests were usually cool and kept their views about certain things close to their chest. I think he assumed I would be RC since I have a Hispanic last name, either way I had never heard Calvinism in that way, especially a RC!

    Anyway, I wonder if Coptic Christians whisper to each other, “See Roman Catholicism leads to Eastern Orthodoxy or Protestantism.”

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  17. Actually, Luther Perez is my son’s name. I have a gender ambiguous Anglo first name, and my middle name is an OT patriarch. (As an aside, in Puerto Rico, Protestants tend to use OT names, while RC’s use New Testament names, does that qualify as ironic?)

    I have refrained from using my real name until I’m more secure in my academic profession. Since I hold very controversial views about how academia approaches American Christianity (ie, failure to notice the nuances among Protestants, a return to studying Anglo-Protestantism and its contours and nuances, instead of focusing on white Christianity, etc)

    Once, when presenting a paper on the use and misuse of the term “Evangelical” in the political sciences and cultural studies, a friend pointed out that I would be in a special position to make the criticism because I was “a practicing Calvinist.” There was an audible gasp by the professors in the room. The profs ran the gamut between traditional conservatives, leftist evangelicals, Christian libertarians and straight up sectarian Marxist. It was only the Queer Theorists who were not surprised, so I don’t know what that means.

    I think it was assumed I was a leftist evangelical, liberation theology type of Christian. I explained that my Christian identity was “traditional Protestant or Calvinist” in my church affiliation (most still do not know the definition of reformed), but they still couldn’t get over the Calvinism, especially since I use Marxist and Foucauldian analysis in much of my research. And, you know, Calvinism means a blind lust for Capitalism, for many. Since then, I have held my Calvinism card close to my chest.
    However, I should point out, that when I attend Pentecostal and non-denominational charismatic churches for my research, I have to keep my Calvinism card close to my chest, as well. The hostility I experienced from Pentecostals, non-denominational charismatic and other born-again Protestants boarders on hate. I’ve heard “Calvinism is not Biblical Christianity!” or “they make God a demon!” or “You guys drink and smoke too much and listen to satanic music!”

    So you know…

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  18. Luther,

    And then you have Fundamentalist Jerry Falwell calling Calvinism a heresy as well.

    Oh yeah, I’ve used that clip to demonstrate how many politically conservative Protestants have embraced a type of generic liberal Protestantism to maintain a right-wing solidarity. Thus, Roman Catholics are now “evangelical leaders” and in the future, Mormons will be embraced as evangelicals, as long as they are Republicans.

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  19. “You guys drink and smoke too much and listen to satanic music!”- Hmmm, let’s see the blues(crossroads), Nicotine Theological Journal, Scotch single malt…………….Oh sh$!

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  20. It doesn’t help that I’m a chain smoker, and love my vodka and listen to all kinds of satanic music.

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  21. Luther – “Since I hold very controversial views about how academia approaches American Christianity ”

    Yeah, like you actually think Christianity might be true. The nerve!

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  22. Luther – “It was only the Queer Theorists who were not surprised, so I don’t know what that means.”

    Since you like Satanic music, just say nice things about Freddie Mercury and you’ll keep them pacified.

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