Religion and Violence in Early Taking the Kingdom by Force American Methodism
Jeffrey Williams
Religion and Violence in early american methodism
R eligion in North A mer ica Catherine L. Albanese and Stephen J. Stein, editors
Religion and Violence in Early American Methodism
Taking the Kingdom by Force
Jeffrey Williams
I n di a na U n i v e r si t y Pr e s s Bloomington and Indianapolis
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© 2010 by Jeffrey Williams All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The Association of American University Presses’ Resolution on Permissions constitutes the only exception to this prohibition. â•… The paper used in this publication meets the minimum ∞ requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992. Manufactured in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Williams, Jeffrey, [date–] Religion and violence in early American Methodism : taking the kingdom by force / Jeffrey Williams. p. cm. — (Religion in North America) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-253-35444-0 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Methodist Church—History—18th century. 2. Methodist Church—History— 19th century. 3. United States—Church history—18th century. 4. United States—Church history—19th century. 5. Violence— Religious aspects—Christianity. 6. Language and languages— Religious aspects—Christianity. I. Title. BX8231.W49 2010 287.0973’09033—dc22 2009034078 1 2 3 4 5 15 14 13 12 11 10
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Contents For e wor d b y Cat h e r i n e L . A l b a n e se a n d St e ph e n J. St e i n
ix
Ack now l e d gm e n ts
xi
Introduction
1
on e · Fighting the Good Fight
13
t wo · Contesting the Good Fight
41
Warfare and the American Revolution
t h r ee · The Power to “Kill and Make Alive”
69
The Spiritual Battle and the Body in Post-Revolutionary America
fou r · Beating Their Plowshares into Swords
93
Methodists and Violence in Antebellum America
fi v e · Methodist Respectability and the Decline of the Good Fight for Salvation si x · The Christian’s Warfare and Social Violence
131
161
No t e s
179
Bi bl io gr a ph y
203
I n de x
219
Foreword
In this study o