Clayton E. Cramer
2009-07-10 16:02:16
Well to clarify I conclude, after Bernard Bailyn, that biblical Christianity was one of FIVE key ideological influences. It was Christianity plus other non-Christian sources, mixed together in a synthesis that produced a different animal.
Well of course there were other influences. Very little of human history operates under the influence of a single movement or idea. But Christianity wasn’t exactly a minor player on this. There’s a reason that most state constitutions in the period impose or allow religious tests for holding public office, usually limiting it to Christians or specifically Protestants.
