Baptists & The American Revolution
The American Revolution was a struggle for independence-but for America's Baptists, the fight for liberty extended far beyond taxation, representation, and separation from Great Britain. It was also a struggle for the freedom to worship God according to conscience.
Baptists & The American Revolution explores the remarkable story of Baptists during the founding era of the United States. From persecuted congregations and imprisoned preachers to patriot pulpits, military chaplains, and Baptist soldiers serving in the Continental Army, this book examines the many ways Baptists experienced and participated in the Revolution.
Journey through colonial America to discover the religious world in which early Baptists lived, the restrictions they faced under established churches, and the convictions that drove them to demand genuine religious liberty. Meet influential Baptist leaders such as Isaac Backus, John Leland, Samuel Stillman, and Hezekiah Smith, whose preaching and political involvement helped shape the debate over liberty of conscience.
The story also moves beyond the pulpit to the battlefield, examining Baptist participation in the Continental Army, the ministry of Baptist chaplains, the experiences of congregations during wartime, and the distinctive struggles faced by Baptists in states such as Virginia and throughout the colonies.
Finally, the book traces how the Revolution transformed the Baptist cause-from a persecuted religious minority seeking toleration into an increasingly influential voice demanding something greater: complete religious freedom and the separation of church and state coercion.
Baptists & The American Revolution brings together the history of war, faith, patriotism, persecution, and religious liberty to tell an often-overlooked part of America's founding story.
Before religious liberty became an American principle, Baptists had already learned what it meant to fight for it.
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