What can the life and thought of an eighteenth-century clergyman and college president tell us about the political crises that threaten American democracy today, including institutional racism? The Character of a Nation explores the political ethics of American Founding Father and theologian John Witherspoon (1723–1794) and his ideals and failures, asking how a chastened understanding of this important historical figure might inform struggles over American political character in our day.
Reflecting the influence of two intellectual traditions, orthodox Calvinism and the Scottish Enlightenment, Witherspoon understood political virtue asa commitment to natural rights, benevolent other-regard, and the common good. Witherspoon thought good political character was essential to American independence and the health of the new republic, and he argued that religious, political, and educational institutions shared a vital responsibility to cultivate character in the nation's citizens. For all his talk about human rights and benevolent virtue, however, Witherspoon was gravely inconsistent in his allegiance to his ideals, for he was complicit in the enslavement of Black Americans. As a result of this hypocrisy, Witherspoon personifies the mixed moral legacy of the nation he helped birth.
Through examining the moral ideals and tragic hypocrisy he represents, The Character of a Nation explains what it means in the 21st century to be a nation founded on progressive ideals of liberty but also the sin of institutionalized racial violence that continues to haunt this country.
eBook - PDF
The Character of a Nation
John Witherspoon and the Moral Foundation of the United States
- 265 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF
The Character of a Nation
John Witherspoon and the Moral Foundation of the United States
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Information
Topic
Theology & ReligionSubtopic
Christian DenominationsTable of contents
- Cover
- Half Title
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- A Note on Sources
- Introduction
- Chapter 1: Calvinism and Common Sense
- Chapter 2: A “Public Spirit”
- Chapter 3: “The Obligation of Virtue”
- Chapter 4: Schools of Character
- Chapter 5: The Character of Dissent
- Chapter 6: The Failure of Character
- Chapter 7: Witherspoon and American Political Character
- Bibliography
- Index
- About the Author
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Yes, you can access The Character of a Nation by James Calvin Davis in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Theology & Religion & Christian Denominations. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.