This is a historical piece that everyone in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC), the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), and the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARP) should read.
As you encouraged PCA, OPC, and EPC folks to read this history (I’ve served as RE in the PCA, and currently serve in the EPC), I consider many may like a more thorough bio of each minister, if you have recommendations.
There is a common idea (I think) that the abolitionist Christians were theologically liberal and their opposition theologically conservative. Similar to how many might think of the PCUSA compared with the PCA, et. al.: strong on justice (as they envision it) but often unorthodox, even at times heretical, on essential doctrines. Or compare Henry Ward Beecher with Charles Hodge; one an abolitionist with questionable orthodoxy, the other a slave holder with tight Reformed orthodox theology, suggesting questionable orthopraxy.
And then there is John Williamson Nevin, a conservative Reformed Christian who denounced slavery as evil (much to Hodge’s chagrin).
For the Reformed camp it bolsters the case when those in our ranks are, like Nevinson, faithful to the Word, and theologically competent to denounce evil. When ministers slide toward infidelity, their case is weakened in the eyes of theologically conservative Christians.
I was just wondering where Rakin, Rice, Fee, and Breckinridge fell on the theological spectrum.
BTW, on the theological spectrum all of these men were very conservative Calvinists, as far I can tell. They were not liberals at all. Bible-thumping Southerners.
Thanks so much! I’ll read up on them. These men need to be taught in our Reformed classrooms, lest the too common perception the Christian abolitionists were all unorthodox liberals persists. I appreciate your articles!
Thanks so much Anthony. On your mention of Uncle Tom's Cabin-Currently listening to Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain 20th Maine(bio) and H.Beecher Stowe had a reading and discussion of her "little book" with students at Bowdoin College in Maine before publication chapters in the Harper Weekly...huge impact on Chamberlain.
Excellent article. I especially appreciated hearing the stories about Southern Presbyterians opposed to slavery. With several of the examples, it also illustrated the lie that there weren't antislavery ministers in the South - funny how persecution forces out the opposing view.
I would also highly recommend A Candle Against the Dark by Robert Copeland and D. Ray Wilcox. It's one of the most heavily primary-sourced works I've seen in a long time, and is the type of resource that only deep insiders could uncover with lots of letters and old church records. The original source was Wilcox's Master's thesis in 1948 and Copeland is his nephew in law who finished the book back in 2022. It shows how uniformly antislavery and more the Covenanters were. Virtually every RPCNA church at the time was an underground railroad station.
Probably the most compelling example was after the denomination prohibited slavery, at their church in Charleston with more than 300 members, only 4 did not free their slaves, and those who didn't were rascals in other areas of life (this included the man who sold his slaves rather than freeing them) and were excommunicated.
Thanks Dr. Bradley.
As you encouraged PCA, OPC, and EPC folks to read this history (I’ve served as RE in the PCA, and currently serve in the EPC), I consider many may like a more thorough bio of each minister, if you have recommendations.
There is a common idea (I think) that the abolitionist Christians were theologically liberal and their opposition theologically conservative. Similar to how many might think of the PCUSA compared with the PCA, et. al.: strong on justice (as they envision it) but often unorthodox, even at times heretical, on essential doctrines. Or compare Henry Ward Beecher with Charles Hodge; one an abolitionist with questionable orthodoxy, the other a slave holder with tight Reformed orthodox theology, suggesting questionable orthopraxy.
And then there is John Williamson Nevin, a conservative Reformed Christian who denounced slavery as evil (much to Hodge’s chagrin).
For the Reformed camp it bolsters the case when those in our ranks are, like Nevinson, faithful to the Word, and theologically competent to denounce evil. When ministers slide toward infidelity, their case is weakened in the eyes of theologically conservative Christians.
I was just wondering where Rakin, Rice, Fee, and Breckinridge fell on the theological spectrum.
BTW, on the theological spectrum all of these men were very conservative Calvinists, as far I can tell. They were not liberals at all. Bible-thumping Southerners.
Thanks so much! I’ll read up on them. These men need to be taught in our Reformed classrooms, lest the too common perception the Christian abolitionists were all unorthodox liberals persists. I appreciate your articles!
Thanks Ed! Under “Citations” at the end of the post, there’s a list of books.
I just finished Rev. David Rice’s work. Excellent! Thanks again!
Thanks so much Anthony. On your mention of Uncle Tom's Cabin-Currently listening to Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain 20th Maine(bio) and H.Beecher Stowe had a reading and discussion of her "little book" with students at Bowdoin College in Maine before publication chapters in the Harper Weekly...huge impact on Chamberlain.
Excellent article. I especially appreciated hearing the stories about Southern Presbyterians opposed to slavery. With several of the examples, it also illustrated the lie that there weren't antislavery ministers in the South - funny how persecution forces out the opposing view.
I would also highly recommend A Candle Against the Dark by Robert Copeland and D. Ray Wilcox. It's one of the most heavily primary-sourced works I've seen in a long time, and is the type of resource that only deep insiders could uncover with lots of letters and old church records. The original source was Wilcox's Master's thesis in 1948 and Copeland is his nephew in law who finished the book back in 2022. It shows how uniformly antislavery and more the Covenanters were. Virtually every RPCNA church at the time was an underground railroad station.
Probably the most compelling example was after the denomination prohibited slavery, at their church in Charleston with more than 300 members, only 4 did not free their slaves, and those who didn't were rascals in other areas of life (this included the man who sold his slaves rather than freeing them) and were excommunicated.
https://crownandcovenant.com/products/a-candle-against-the-dark