Alexander Hamilton died on this day in 1804. Over the years, I've done a great deal of investigation on the "Christian Nation" controversy. The answer to the question is "much of this depends on how you look at it."
There's a tradition of orthodox Christian scholars (as opposed to the "secular" ones) who conclude America was NOT founded as a "Christian Nation." Drs. Mark Noll, Nathan Hatch and George Marsden come to mind with their book "The Search For Christian America." And currently Dr. Warren Throckmorton has a book out entitled "The Christian Past That Wasn't: Debunking the Christian Nationalist Myths That Hijack History."
But this issue -- how to view "dueling" and "Christianity" -- is a good microcosm on the controversy. America's founders believed and did things that may (or not) have been consistent with the historical practice of Christianity. For instance, dueling.
While he always believed in God, most historians conclude Hamilton didn't become an orthodox Christian until the very end of his life, after his son died in a duel. On his deathbed, Hamilton sought communion from two orthodox churches. BOTH of the ministers in those churches initially refused to give him communion in large part because they believed dueling was a profoundly UN-Christian act.
Now, I'm sure other theologians can make the case as to why what Hamilton did wasn't UN-Christian. But that's part of how the narrative behind the controversy operates.
I wrote this piece at Ordinary Times on the matter in 2015.
1 comment:
Maybe if we could look at a foundational covenant. Maybe one that could be definitive and binding. Maybe that would help us look at it.
Can a single document be identified that is foremost in establishing the United States of America as an official sovereign nation? And, does that have an official start date? You know, some kind of "supreme law of the land" type of foundational document. The kind of document that would provide the legal foundation for a new and expanding nation.
It seems that if such a document could be located that it would have a great deal of bearing as to the question of whether and when the US of A was founded to be a Christian nation. I imagine there would be some clear and specific and unambiguous language involved.
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