Kraoeufp and americas god. Recent essays include treatment canada, the in 300th anniversary celebration of the King James Version of the and catholic uses of scripture in 19th century america. Today he will speak on his new book which is available outside seminar in beginning as the word the bible and American Public life 1492 to 1783. Mark noll. Mr. Noll thanks for the opportunity of being here and especially to the Woodrow Wilson center, american historical association, the National History seminar. To be in ivilege washington on a warm november day. The image on the screen is the english language bible published in north america. Aiken had done printing for the Continental Congress and made with eak was britain where the monopoly for King James Bible was held by the kings printers here was an opportunity to publish in english the bible in the United States. Will be indicate i couldnt have of the history i will talk about today is the procedure that led to the printing of this bible. Robert aiken petitioned congress for permission to publish the bible. The Continental Congressmen did know what to do in response they did tition, but authorize a committee of two to check the proof a ets to make sure it was completely certified and good representation of what had come from britain. The was a moment looking to past, looking to the future was something quite different. The era of the american became a nearly indispensable resource for anyone who wanted to venture any opinion on the controversies of when y so it was in 1765 john adams published his dissertation on the canon and law in response to the stamp act of that year. E described the tendency of monarchs and priest to abuse ower as a persistent participate of evil and he drew known blical vocabulary o protestants to explain this tendency. He said it personified the man quoting the bible the mystery ofabylon and iniqui iniquity. On march 23, ter riveted the henry virginia delegates at st. Johns as they richmond considered whether to join massachusetts in the fight against parliament. Speech he said give me liberty or divisive me death included at least 10 istinct bible echos in the 20clip sentence that preceded the final declaration. 1776 common sense proved convinces colonists problem with british rule was not mistakes of parliament but governance by a king. The heart of his argument was samuel sition of first chapter 8 where the lord god and chastised israel for asking for a king like the nati nations around them. Of his argument as scholars have shown quite villagesed many scripture could be posed against monarchical rule. Ebuttal followed as you might expect. William smith an anglican paines wrote about arguments. There was never a greater script clear. The rector of the Community Church of new york city and anglican bishop of nova scotia said i would have to bible in i believed this republican. , Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were asked propose images for the new nation coming into existence. Here knows neither franklin nor jefferson could be paragonparagons. Ox they were not highly regarded by religious establishment of their day yet their proposal for new fficial seal of the United States depicted the ites safe cross of the sea. Then there was the same biblical reference to memorialize what place after the revolution. Ne of the early hitches otis warren in verse described britains commercial empire as a g pharoah. I end the new book by suggests in the of the bible revolutiona revolutionarier influenced the the bible to this present day but the book is devoted to longer how a much history going back to the start of the protestant reformation involving a great deal of british history led directly to hat happened in the revolutionary era. For almost of all of clonalial colonial history it to view what happened from two angles. It was a british story and it protestant. Story. Im able to speak about three carry away points. First concerning the strong connection between private life. On and public second concerning the thoroughly political role that scripture colonial society. Thirds concerning the intriguing script clear escaped the direct force of political pressure. Olonial American History was rotestant because almost all col olonists were descends dantonis who regarded script lears the authority for spiritual lives and every aspect of life in the world. Terms,ly in chronological the bible in American History begins with catholics. 1490s christopher olumbus put together a large ompendium of mostly religious esearch aimed at showing isabella and ferdinand that he was gods person for the world. Tion of the new his expertise with the bible was considerable. Except d like a puritan he took his queues from medieval catholics. Dominican who spoke avorably for native americans did the same plumbing the scr t to defend his positions in opposition to much activityanish colonial with native americans. The first archbishop. Also will a plan for into ating the bible native languages including a plan that had gone some distance before in the middle decades of he 16th century the spread of protestant attachment to script tightening craft restrictions on dissemination nd translation of the bible into vernacular languages so by the time european settlement catholic north america use of scripture is presents but ighly contained within the institutional hierarchy of the church and story that unfolds in is a erican colonies protestant ndant story. Of est attendant character early American History leads to the first point. The bible played a very large in American Public life but ly y because it so consistent and constantly shaped the many e lives of individuals. With there connection it is bvious where Martin Luther should be regarded as a hugely important figure in American History. A formrance energized of christianity in which the clear became a matter of life and death and a pattern ith great influence wherever protestantism was spread. Older and younger Martin Luther. 1540s d man writing in he detailed the religious breakthrough that occurred in years before. T 30 he reported that he had been erplexed, confused and driven almost to despair by one phrase of paulsirst chapter epistle to the romans. It the ryder cup god is reveal. He was transfixed because it took it to be an authoritative of how far short sevenful human beings fell from of reich ect standard includesness. Hence game his anguished that i hated that word god. Eousness of but then he said he reported he xperienced the mercy of god that overcame the one particular passage. Gospel meantat the od giving giving his righteousness to needsy sinners as a gift so as he wrote am 1545 i felt i was altogether born again and entered paradise gates. Open then came the sentences that experience a aradigm for later lift including the history including the american colonies. A totally other faith showed ntire scripture itself to me and i ran through he scriptures from memory and found other terms as an analogy as the work of god, that is what does in us. The power of god with which he makes us strong. God that makes us wise. Strength and salvation and glory god. The sacred book which had been a uzzle and obsession and academic challenge and distress to life. E the pathway for luther very soon thereafter also a e became political book when the peasant 1524 and 1525 revolted against the masters and broad sides quoting a bible and Martin Luther. He responded by saying you have incorrectly, ble you have applied the text wrong fairly seriously cla principle backed the violent crackdown that took lives of the peasants. His connection between a book that was alive in personal Spiritual Life and used to Public Policy would continue through the history of 17th n, in the 16th and desire and early American History. Im passing by a lot of thingsnt and interesting particularly for how the bible came to new england and had such influence on society there. To the 18th century, the continuing influence of the bible read for personal religion xplains why it always remained ready to hand in the american colonies for public purposes. Any number of possible examples to illustrate that elationship here is one particularly telling example. He year was 1755 fpl sarah osborn a middle aged woman n newport, rhode island published a book perhaps the irst by a woman in colonial america. It was titled the nature, evidence of true christiani christianity. S documented in a splendid study recently osborns book to the public what she had written in an unpublished in diaries anded correspondent. Engaged d been a fully participant in the colonial upsurge in ing and aith of George Whitfield attracted attention. Her book fleshed out in practice proceed val preachers sermon. Aimed in their it recorded a journey that from despair on sinfulness to grateful trust in gods mercy. The way she described it was characteristic of almost in ything she expressed public. Spirits wall rescue came came after she in despair as a young widow at random and reads these words from the isaiah. Get remember weudz dough haofrd because our maker is our husband and lords of host is his name and redeemer the oly one of israel the gods of the whole earth shall he be called. The same text from isaiah 54 was the text George Whitfield in in the summer of 1742 fter a festive scottish communion season. At ds reliably estimated 25,000 to 30,000 hanging on whitfield as he maker is thy husband. She was so born thoroughly immersed in the king hardly anything pass phrase some scriptural or reference. Her experience is not necessarily typical. Her life history fleshed out in preachers at revival in the bible drenched language of their sermons. In new port Leaders Society because her religion seems top e bible perfectly fulfilled the ideal of devotion. L she held meetings in her home. Nd attracted men and women there were meetings in which black and white people met extraordinary was for the periods. Nd in disputes in her local Congregational Church she and widows were the deciding factors though none of vote because they sa looked to for the sanctitity of their lives. Throughout the colonial period idea of personal redemption was a fixed element feature of religion. Now shifting attention to the same year sarah osborn published the account of 1755. Eligious experience, in order to else straight a second reality about colonial history. Is in a word that history was protestant a british story because religious evelopments and most developments not so explicitly eligious took place in the stendom. British chri leap is inative essentially for understanding this earlier history. What has been defined by hit as a society where there are close ties between the church andthe and everyone is assumed to be christian and hristianity provides a common language shared by the devout and religiously newborn. Because the colonies represented religion on of that was near the surface of colonial of especially in times crisis with a almost complete interweaving of social and concerns. Political in 1755 virginians kwaeuld in their homes because of the of the seven years war in the colonies the french and indians war. July of that year the british braddock ed by edward and virginia militia led by much destroyedon near present day pittsburgh by native americans allied with britains bit ter enemy. Frontier the colonial spetzed to french troops and allies. So at the same time revival perform were deepening attachment to scripture military conflict turned the bible into a servant of empire. As one historian has written french opening of the and indian war with to the paris in 1763 in sermon after sermon new england lifted the british liberty tkpwaepagainst roman ca france. Of a ch noted sermons virginia clergy indicates this ontrasting of liberty and tyranny extended far beyond new england. Davies delaware born and a Presbyterian Academy in pennsylvania plays he key role in winning civil rights for his fellow press by anglican es in virginia. Determinedderate but promoter of evangelical revival. Is advocacy for press by alternatives in presbyterians in virginia was successful rallying support against france. Beginning in august 1755, one month after the british disaster on the pennsylvania frontier, he began a remarkable series of that gave full scope to his renowned oratory. Demonstrated the power usage as he used. He bible to propel threats he did pause to drive home the evangelical imperative as it filled his week by week needs to confess sins and eagerness of christ to repentant sin earnings and true believers. D he revealed a mind bible in the check james to a degree almost unimaginable times. Own most salient in the addresses and by a long margin for purposes the identification of virginia and britains with Old Testament and complete be a sorpbgs protest protest attendant theology. All came from the hebrew clears. Aim most chapter 3 amos 3 here this word you only have i known of all the earth therefore i will punish you for all your iniquities. That do the work of the lord stkaoeft fully and keep sword from blood in seconds samuel 10, 12. Be of good currently and play the plan nor our people and the god and lord do that which deem him goods. Virginia stories were fighting the bee beleaguered d Old Testament narrative. They heard turning to god hope of rescue almost treasures exclusively in terms of british cronial safety. Came into the picture when he filled out the larger meaning of the conflict. And y you will have kearvultur, hungry slaves were poised your religion, religion of jesus in the sacred fountain scriptures the most excellent rational and divine known to themade sons of men. From bibly text to rhetoric. Was the spirit patriotism, the best of kings blessing of british hreubtd. On the other sides were the host darknesses and these are all the phrases from these sermons. The eternal enemy of liberties. The power of france. Of iless savage, the act indians torture. Savages. , he maintaining many ied angled bodies smoking on the grounds. Infernal fury arbitrary power, slavery, tyranny and massacre. Oppression and tyranny of power. Ary the changes of french slavery. Or Samuel Davies biblical religion came alive. Enlisted for an ertzly kingdom. Sermons like osborns personal religion maintained a tradition and d pointed to much that would follow. The first english language bible ith official support was published in 1539 although the called rsion had been the official version this was officially authorized by parliament. This 1539 erers opened bible the first thing they saw this showing viii handing script clears regent. Ice you cant probably read it but crowds of orders narrow piedmont appear saying god save the king. The title page includes a crowded fields of banners all save the king in latin nd most quote being biblical passages. In 1611 when the king james the title page had a similar passage. Moses and aaron were the large largest figures to greets. It continued in this era. Every advance in bible new stage in very biblical interpretation, every biblical preaching involved scripture in a as well as ory religious story. In other words, to understand so prominent was in the era of the american to lution it is necessary grasp the role it occupied in british politics from the era of because m viii and the bibles that akpdz colonist accompanied colonists in america came out of a political came with a strong rotestant position of anticatholicism. For centuries positive belief that the scriptures were able to make the wise through salvation n christ jesus with be meshed by a negative conviction that catholic corruption of scripture eviscerated true christianity. This combination of foundational commitment, scripture and alvation, scripture and politics, script clear and anticatholic inch grounded the Christian Faith in and came d scotland into the revolutionary era and beyond. Anticatholicism of british protestant t scripture the bible grew more important as one f the great prizes in imperial conflict and bible grew much less important as merely one of imperial conflict. Major development in the colonial history of the bible and many ways the most important a striking counterpoint. In the religion of the revival spread the christianity felt a definite weakening. They stressed an internal change heart. You must be born again led by eorge whitfield and paid more attention to the externals of religious practice than had prote protestant leaders. Many leading 18th century active cals were champions of the British Empire. Message to drive the of biblical salvation deeper revivalists led to inadvertent developments. Until the era of great awaken africanamericans were slow to accept it. First a trickle then a steadies christianity. D one factor shouts from the formerleft by slaves and slaves was the salience of largely separate. Population iism led ic evangelical it a deeper influence for mid century. Christendom from it brought a much different silenced, t had been ignored or actively enslaved. A number of recent historians have published outstanding works explaining why the era of the reat awaken iing represented a religious watershed for africanamericans. Whoier angley can ministers worked amongst south america slaves in the first years of the 18th century found his labors planterstly blocked by who feared converted slaves with freedom and their battling against planters who were nervous about his activity slaves himself came and nders about the goals methods he was pursuing and his wonderment came about because of best slave student who began to read and then quoting to his master from joel, 2. Apter there would be a dismal time and the moon would be turned into would be death and darkness and before the away. Ss went the consequences of such experiences he scaled back his teaching efforts with this conclusion. It had been better if those that the search after curious matters had never seen a book. With the coming of revival changed. The most s