CIVIL WAR TREASURES: Politics and Piety

Politics and Piety Though unable to vote or take public office, women of the Civil War era in some cases formed very strong opinions regarding contemporary politics and impending war. Influenced by ideas espoused in newspapers, preached from the pulpit, and discussed at home and among n...

The Pastoral Connection - Examining Parallels Between Pastoral and Political Rhetoric During the Revolutionary War

This paper examines the parallels between rhetoric in sermons preserved from the Revolutionary War period and rhetoric in political speeches and writings from the same period. The aim is to establish the extent of the parallels in rhetoric and to demonstrate that the rhetorical stances from the pulpit preceded the same rhetorical stances in political, secular work through establishing the date each document was published or presented. Studying these sources alongside reliable secondary sources on both the political and religious rhetorical themes will demonstrate, when put together to form a more complete picture of the period, that the political rhetoric was an echo of what was already being preached in the pulpits and published in sermons well before the war itself commenced. While sermon rhetoric was hardly the only influence on the rhetoric of politics at the time, this study will show that the rhetorical shift of the time—from supporting Britain to a war against Britain on the grounds of broken contracts, abuse of authority, and religious persecution—began in the pulpit and was then caught, in its final stages, by the political orators and writers of the day to set a nation on fire for freedom

Protests from the Pulpit: The Confessing Church and the Sermons of World War II

This article examines sermons delivered by Confessing Church pastors in the Nazi dictatorship during World War II, and specifically explores the messages of opposition against the regime. The approach of most historians has focused on the history of the Christian institutions, its leaders, and its persecution by the Nazi regime, leaving the most elemental task of the pastor - that is, preaching - largely unexamined. To understand Confessing Church opposition during World War II, I have analyzed 255 sermons delivered in pulpits, published in pamphlets, and broadcast over the airwaves. Furthermore, I have examined sermons delivered out in the open in German society, in an underground seminary, over British Broadcasting Corporation radio programming, in concentration camps, and in lands of exile. I argue that the Confessing Church opposed the Nazi regime on three fronts during wartime: the Nazi persecution of the German churches and Christians; the contradictions between National Socialism as a false ideology and Christianity; and the Nazi persecutions of Jews and Judaism, with the underlying assertion that Jews are God\u27s people and the Hebrew Bible is a foundation of Christianity. My research demonstrates that the German churches were in fact places to offer criticism of the Nazi regime, even in wartime, which was often veiled through biblical references and imagery

The Environmental Theology of Aimee Semple McPherson (Chapter 4 of Blood Cries Out : Pentecostals, Ecology, and the Groans of Creation)

Excerpt: My initial investigation into Aimee Semple McPherson—founder of The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel—and ecology was bleak: every word search returned a spiritual metaphor. “Garbage” came back as “garbage can of Satan,” “pollution” came back as “pollution of the soul,” “plants” came back as “plants of faith,” and “dumping” came back as “dumping ground for gossip.” But eventually, persistence paid off. Popular pastor and author Rick McKinley writes, “Margins are those clear spaces along the edge of a page that keep the words from spilling off. Every book has them. You might jot notes in the margins, but for the most part they go unnoticed. They don’t represent the book, and they don’t define its message. They’re simply there.”McKinley’s analogy describes McPherson’s engagement with nature. McPherson made comments, not commentaries, about nature. She had strong opinions—some radical by today’s standards—yet most remained underdeveloped. Moreover, her theology was largely anthropocentric. People, not the environment, occupied the center of her doctrine.While nature, theologically, occupied the margins for McPherson, politically, it took center stage, especially during her anti-war expositions. Thus, environmental concern ultimately found expression in her patriotism

Diary From 1861

The 1861 diary of Lucinda Merriss features a daily account of her life at home with family and friends. This year includes sections at the beginning featuring recipes and other notes. This is also the first year of the Civil War and mentions of Camp Chase in Columbus begin to appear. Notable dates include: April 18: First mention of soldiers training in Columbus and enlistments from across the northern states. June 21: Grandmother Merriss dies. July 1: A great comet is seen in the northwest. August 14: Notice of General Lyons\u27 death during the war. October 27-29: A work project for the church, sewing a pulpit cushion

Clergy Voices: Findings From the 2008 Mainline Protestant Clergy Voices Survey

Presents findings from a survey of mainline Protestant clergy on their political affiliations and views on social issues, government action on health care and the environment, and the separation of church and state. Includes comparisons by denomination