On the sesquicentennial anniversary of the waning months of the US Civil War, Dr. Daniel Dreisbach â?? professor of Justice, Law, and Society at American University â?? stops by to discuss the use of religion in Abraham Lincolnâ??s rhetoric. We pay special attention to Lincolnâ??s most famous, and shortest, speeches â?? the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural.
The conversation starts with an examination into the use of biblical language dating back to the earliest days of colonial America. Prof. Dreisbach notes three consistent aspects of political language used from the early 17th century through Lincolnâ??s era: 1) the citizenry was biblically literate; 2) the nation was by and large Protestant; and 3) there was a vision of America as being Godâ??s â??new Israel.â? We revisit some themes of earlier podcasts with Mark David Hall regarding how many of the Founding Fathers of the revolutionary era were influenced heavily by religious thinking, despite the best known Founders (e.g., Madison, Jefferson) being more influenced by the Enlightenment.
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