Conceived in Doubt: Religion and Politics in the New American Nation

摘要: Americans have long acknowledged a deep connection between evangelical religion and democracy in the early days of republic. This is widely accepted narrative that maintained as matter fact tradition-and spite evangelicalism's more authoritarian reactionary aspects. In "Conceived Doubt", Amanda Porterfield challenges this standard interpretation relation to describes intertwined relationship partisan politics emerged formative era 1790s, religious doubt became common young republic culture shifted from mere skepticism toward darker expressions suspicion fear. But by end decade, shows, economic instability, disruption traditional forms community, rampant ambition, greed for land worked undermine heady optimism about American political independence. Evangelicals managed manipulated doubt, reaching out disenfranchised citizens well those seeking influence, blaming skeptics immorality social distress, demanding affirmation biblical authority foundation new national identity. As fledgling nation took shape, evangelicals organized aggressively, exploiting fissures offering coherent hierarchy which God was king governance righteous. By laying narrative, demolishes idea growth cheerful product enthusiasm democracy, she creates us very different influence ideals