tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post6851746794256699582..comments2024-03-28T10:44:30.518-06:00Comments on American Creation: TermsBrad Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17669677047039491864noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post-42472762349472091772012-04-02T10:12:30.107-06:002012-04-02T10:12:30.107-06:00In that chapter Gregg seems less concerned with tr...In that chapter Gregg seems less concerned with trying to disprove that they were orthodox Trinitarian Christians and more showing what those "key Framers" believed was COMPATIBLE with theistic rationalism. <br /><br />Though he does suggest if they were orthodox Christians they would have left more evidence, like what Hamilton left at his death.Jonathan Rowehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04079637406589278386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post-70131730858124917642012-03-28T14:11:03.513-06:002012-03-28T14:11:03.513-06:00They were all "devout" theists. They did...<i>They were all "devout" theists. They did not (with the exception of Hamilton at the end), identifiably, place their faith in the Triune God.</i><br /><br />"Identifiably" being the main weasel word here. As they say, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.Tom Van Dykehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07121072404143877596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post-16322678746528843562012-03-27T20:05:03.752-06:002012-03-27T20:05:03.752-06:00"non-observant in the middle years except tha..."non-observant in the middle years except that ritual organized religion isn't important ....<br /><br />Non-observance doth not a theistic rationalist make."<br /><br />I'm reading an advance copy of Gregg's book where instead of discussing Madison, Hamilton, G. Morris, and Wilson separately, he lumps them in one chapter. He notes one thing that unites them is their seeming utter indifference towards "doctrine" (save belief in Providence). <br /><br />They were all "devout" <i>theists.</i> They did not (with the exception of Hamilton at the end), identifiably, place their faith in the Triune God.Jonathan Rowehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04079637406589278386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post-30144432418886999932012-03-26T19:38:08.395-06:002012-03-26T19:38:08.395-06:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.free templatehttp://d3t3ct1v3c0d3.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post-30410852543422980592012-03-26T11:10:17.681-06:002012-03-26T11:10:17.681-06:00I don't take a lot of meaning out of being non...I don't take a lot of meaning out of being non-observant in the middle years except that <i>ritual</i> organized religion isn't important to the person at a certain time in their lives. More a postponement than an apostasy.<br /><br />Non-observance doth not a theistic rationalist make. Hamilton in particular was very devout as a young man, and there's no hard evidence he changed his theology at any point in his life.Tom Van Dykehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07121072404143877596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post-26601271278605846672012-03-26T10:29:21.247-06:002012-03-26T10:29:21.247-06:00Tom,
I admit there are no "smoking guns"...Tom,<br /><br />I admit there are no "smoking guns" with AH. I see it as more of a totality of the evidence.<br /><br />What do you think about his clumsy Christian death.<br /><br />I'm paraphrasing, so we can go to the sources if this is in dispute. But he hadn't yet joined an orthodox church from which to seek communion, but admitted he had been "intending" to. He finally did get his first adult communion after he was shot and just before he died.Jonathan Rowehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04079637406589278386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post-26126260865531500112012-03-25T13:57:54.194-06:002012-03-25T13:57:54.194-06:00It's kind of a joke. "I want to marry a ...It's kind of a joke. "I want to marry a woman who's a prig and a pious drag?"Tom Van Dykehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07121072404143877596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post-66565635106745970242012-03-25T06:49:58.669-06:002012-03-25T06:49:58.669-06:00Mark,
Thanks.
Tom: The closest Hamilton comes t...Mark,<br /><br />Thanks.<br /><br />Tom: The closest Hamilton comes to describing theistic rationalism during that time period was when he described what he is looking for in his wife: <br /><br />"As to religion a moderate stock will satisfy me. She must believe in God and hate a saint."Jonathan Rowehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04079637406589278386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post-585342922326773672012-03-24T21:03:17.085-06:002012-03-24T21:03:17.085-06:00I'm not following where Hamilton's lack of...I'm not following where Hamilton's lack of religiosity in the middle period of his life equates to a change in his personal theology.<br /><br />A lot of people are religious when young, and again moreso when old, and more occupied with the concerns of this mortal coil in between. but I don't see where Hamilton's beliefs went from "orthodox" to "theistic rationalist" and then back to "orthodox" again.<br /><br />There's a middle missing here. In fact, the woman he married was both very orthodox and devout. Just because he wasn't religiously observant in his middle period doesn't mean he was theological unorthodox.Tom Van Dykehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07121072404143877596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post-72197956102145366162012-03-24T19:40:35.300-06:002012-03-24T19:40:35.300-06:00I think that's right, Jon. Hamilton would hav...I think that's right, Jon. Hamilton would have identified himself as a Christian throughout his life, but his religious views did vary. There is no question that Hamilton was a more orthodox religious believer towards the end of his life, inspired to more conventional piety and faith after the death of his son Philip. During his more influential period, from what I have read, his religious views were pretty much as you describe them. Good work providing some needed clarity on this topic.Mark D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05000893614655251587noreply@blogger.com