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Demanding Liberty: An Untold Story of American Religious Freedom
Religious liberty is one of the most contentious political issues of our time. How should people of faith engage with the public square in a pluralist era? Some citizens hope to reclaim a more Christian vision of national identity, while others resist any religious presence at all. This dispute is not new, and it goes back to the founding era of American history. As the country was being formed, some envisioned a Christian nation where laws would require worship attendance and Sabbath observance. Others advocated for a thoroughly secular society where faith would have no place in public life. But neither extreme won the day, thanks to the unsung efforts of a Connecticut pastor who forged a middle way. Historian Brandon O'Brien unveils an untold story of how religious liberty came to be. Between the Scylla and Charybdis of theocracy and secularism, Baptist pastor Isaac Backus contended for a third way. He worked to secure religious liberty and freedom of conscience for all Americans, not just for one particular denomination or religious tradition. Backus's ideas give us insight into how people of faith navigate political debates and work for the common good. Backus lived in an age of both religious revival and growing secularism, competing forces much like those at work today. The past speaks into the present as we continue to demand liberty and justice for all.
192 pages, Paperback
Published April 24, 2018
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About the author
Brandon J. O'Brien
9 books17 followersBrandon J. O'Brien (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is director of content and distribution for Redeemer City to City in Manhattan. He is coauthor, with E. Randolph Richards, of Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes and Paul Behaving Badly, as well as the author of The Strategically Small Church.
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May 2, 2018
Summary: Looks at the history of the struggle for religious freedom in America through a study of the efforts of Reverend Isaac Backus to secure a religious freedom that negotiated a third way between established religion and secularism.
One of the messages of this book is that in order to understand the present time and how to move forward, we do well to look back. Brandon J. O'Brien believes that our present discussions about religious liberty and how we sustain that freedom do well to be informed by understanding the history of religious freedom before and during the nation's founding years. To do that, O'Brien focuses in on the life and advocacy of Baptist minister Isaac Backus. Backus gives the lie to the idea that America was established in the quest for religious freedom. He writes:
"If Isaac Backus were alive today, he would feel the need to correct the misperception that there was ever a “long-standing American tradition of accommodating religious practice and expression” in the years before or even after the Constitution was ratified. He might tell us about the time his mother was arrested for refusing to pay religious taxes. He might tell us about the time a congregation of New England Baptists had their property seized and their orchards destroyed for holding unauthorized worship services. He would almost certainly tell us about the time he debated with John and Samuel Adams about how claiming to defend religious liberty was not enough. The laws had to be enforced if they were to matter at all."
The book begins by describing the religious history of New England prior to the War of Independence. Even with the Great Awakening, only 17 percent regularly attended worship. One of these was Isaac Backus, who was converted through an awareness of his own sin and a sermon of George Whitfield. He joined a Congregational Church but due to their "Half way covenant" that allowed people to commune and have their children baptized without a clear account of their conversion, soon became a "Separate." During this time, he experienced a call of the Holy Spirit to preach and began itinerating to other "Separate" churches. Eventually, he concluded that infant baptism was inconsistent with his understanding of conversion and joined the Baptists.
All these moves brought legal problems. Congregational churches enjoyed government support through taxes levied on the citizenry. Exemptions for others could be granted but were often ignored resulting in fines and seizures of property. Ministers needed not only a call from God but ministerial training in seminaries and approval of other [Congregational] ministers. To preach without this approval could also result in fines and sanctions. All of this was supported by colonial government. Pilgrims may have come seeking religious freedom but Puritans controlled the narrative, establishing "freedom" that enforced with government support their own religious beliefs to the exclusion of others.
O'Brien chronicles how all this transformed O'Brien into a lifelong advocate for religious freedom. He documented wrongs and even made an eloquent case to the Continental Congress, albeit framing it in religious rather than public square terms. He argued for a system that upheld neither a theocracy nor advocated an utterly secular state, but one where religious freedom for all was protected and valued, and where government privileged no belief. In 1779 he formulated a Bill of Rights that anticipated that eventually incorporated into the Constitution. He lived to see the First Amendment ratified.
Throughout the book, O'Brien moves back and forth between past and present, drawing parallels about divisions over religious freedom, when a majority becomes a minority, different perceptions of what it means to be marginalized, the importance for creating space for principled disagreement and the paradox of influence in the halls of power while losing influence in the wider culture. The book explores both what is at stake in our efforts to uphold religious liberties both for ourselves and others and raises intriguing questions about the parallel quest for civil liberties, which often have lagged far behind. Should not the two go together? And yet often religious believers resist those pressing for greater civil liberties and rights.
This is a timely work on an important current discussion that has always been at the heart of what it means to be a country committed to "liberty and justice for all."
One of the messages of this book is that in order to understand the present time and how to move forward, we do well to look back. Brandon J. O'Brien believes that our present discussions about religious liberty and how we sustain that freedom do well to be informed by understanding the history of religious freedom before and during the nation's founding years. To do that, O'Brien focuses in on the life and advocacy of Baptist minister Isaac Backus. Backus gives the lie to the idea that America was established in the quest for religious freedom. He writes:
"If Isaac Backus were alive today, he would feel the need to correct the misperception that there was ever a “long-standing American tradition of accommodating religious practice and expression” in the years before or even after the Constitution was ratified. He might tell us about the time his mother was arrested for refusing to pay religious taxes. He might tell us about the time a congregation of New England Baptists had their property seized and their orchards destroyed for holding unauthorized worship services. He would almost certainly tell us about the time he debated with John and Samuel Adams about how claiming to defend religious liberty was not enough. The laws had to be enforced if they were to matter at all."
The book begins by describing the religious history of New England prior to the War of Independence. Even with the Great Awakening, only 17 percent regularly attended worship. One of these was Isaac Backus, who was converted through an awareness of his own sin and a sermon of George Whitfield. He joined a Congregational Church but due to their "Half way covenant" that allowed people to commune and have their children baptized without a clear account of their conversion, soon became a "Separate." During this time, he experienced a call of the Holy Spirit to preach and began itinerating to other "Separate" churches. Eventually, he concluded that infant baptism was inconsistent with his understanding of conversion and joined the Baptists.
All these moves brought legal problems. Congregational churches enjoyed government support through taxes levied on the citizenry. Exemptions for others could be granted but were often ignored resulting in fines and seizures of property. Ministers needed not only a call from God but ministerial training in seminaries and approval of other [Congregational] ministers. To preach without this approval could also result in fines and sanctions. All of this was supported by colonial government. Pilgrims may have come seeking religious freedom but Puritans controlled the narrative, establishing "freedom" that enforced with government support their own religious beliefs to the exclusion of others.
O'Brien chronicles how all this transformed O'Brien into a lifelong advocate for religious freedom. He documented wrongs and even made an eloquent case to the Continental Congress, albeit framing it in religious rather than public square terms. He argued for a system that upheld neither a theocracy nor advocated an utterly secular state, but one where religious freedom for all was protected and valued, and where government privileged no belief. In 1779 he formulated a Bill of Rights that anticipated that eventually incorporated into the Constitution. He lived to see the First Amendment ratified.
Throughout the book, O'Brien moves back and forth between past and present, drawing parallels about divisions over religious freedom, when a majority becomes a minority, different perceptions of what it means to be marginalized, the importance for creating space for principled disagreement and the paradox of influence in the halls of power while losing influence in the wider culture. The book explores both what is at stake in our efforts to uphold religious liberties both for ourselves and others and raises intriguing questions about the parallel quest for civil liberties, which often have lagged far behind. Should not the two go together? And yet often religious believers resist those pressing for greater civil liberties and rights.
This is a timely work on an important current discussion that has always been at the heart of what it means to be a country committed to "liberty and justice for all."
April 2, 2018
O'Brien provides great historical context for the contentious issue of religious liberty in the U.S. By studying the life of an influential pastor in the 18th century, he helps us better understand the world in which religious liberty developed, from before the revolution through the Bill of Rights. That world includes the competing views of the Pilgrims of Plymouth against those of the Puritans, which O'Brien very helpfully overviews in chapter 7.
O'Brien connects the 18th century world to the current conversation on religious liberty and conscience, and our national conversation would greatly improve if more people read this book.
O'Brien connects the 18th century world to the current conversation on religious liberty and conscience, and our national conversation would greatly improve if more people read this book.
April 28, 2018
This book is hard for me to categorize. The author, Brandon O’Brien, warns us in the preface that that might be the case, but I had no idea that it would be thus to such a degree. It’s not exactly a biography, though I came to know Isaac Backus much better. It’s not exactly a historical treatise, but I found places where my historical understandings were off. It’s not exactly a political statement, but I wondered if there might be one just below the surface. I found myself asking what this author was up to quite early in the book, though I never was sure I could answer that question. To be sure, I found the book deeply interesting and hard to put down.
If the author desired to only overturn the applecart of our neatly packaged conclusions, this book was a smashing success. If he had some conclusion he wanted to take us to, then not so much. The titles alone of his previous books, Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes and Paul Behaving Badly, had me wondering if he was something of a provocateur. When he admitted that he was a Baptist who had become a Presbyterian and now was writing on a Baptist hero, I wondered if he was something of a rabble-rousing raconteur too. As a Baptist myself, when some of his first comments seemed to overplay the lack of education of the early Baptists, I was sure that it was so. But alas, he was quite fair to the Baptists overall and even seemed to have a real admiration of their dedication and of Backus himself.
He did prove to me that I have been something of a reductionist in how I view the Christian heritage of my country. It was much more of a battle than I carried in my convenient memories, but I retain my amazement at where it landed. On a few occasions, he took that premise a little too far. I’m not convinced that the Jefferson described in the introduction was as anti-religion as he was portrayed, nor do I see the full weight of the parallel of conservative Christians today to their forebears with “a difference between being marginalized and feeling marginalized.” Still, there might be enough truth in it to call for some introspection.
This book held my attention until the last page. I’m still not sure whose side the author is on, or if he even knows. He did, however, ask good questions. My conclusions are ultimately the same, but I would have to admit that my views are a little more nuanced after reading this book.
We are at the point of this review where I’m supposed to give a recommendation. Perhaps if you’ve read this far you already have all the recommendation that I could give you. Clearly, this book influenced me. Maybe you will want to find out if it will have that effect on you.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
If the author desired to only overturn the applecart of our neatly packaged conclusions, this book was a smashing success. If he had some conclusion he wanted to take us to, then not so much. The titles alone of his previous books, Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes and Paul Behaving Badly, had me wondering if he was something of a provocateur. When he admitted that he was a Baptist who had become a Presbyterian and now was writing on a Baptist hero, I wondered if he was something of a rabble-rousing raconteur too. As a Baptist myself, when some of his first comments seemed to overplay the lack of education of the early Baptists, I was sure that it was so. But alas, he was quite fair to the Baptists overall and even seemed to have a real admiration of their dedication and of Backus himself.
He did prove to me that I have been something of a reductionist in how I view the Christian heritage of my country. It was much more of a battle than I carried in my convenient memories, but I retain my amazement at where it landed. On a few occasions, he took that premise a little too far. I’m not convinced that the Jefferson described in the introduction was as anti-religion as he was portrayed, nor do I see the full weight of the parallel of conservative Christians today to their forebears with “a difference between being marginalized and feeling marginalized.” Still, there might be enough truth in it to call for some introspection.
This book held my attention until the last page. I’m still not sure whose side the author is on, or if he even knows. He did, however, ask good questions. My conclusions are ultimately the same, but I would have to admit that my views are a little more nuanced after reading this book.
We are at the point of this review where I’m supposed to give a recommendation. Perhaps if you’ve read this far you already have all the recommendation that I could give you. Clearly, this book influenced me. Maybe you will want to find out if it will have that effect on you.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
May 4, 2018
As what became the United States transitioned from being a collection of British colonies to an independent nation, the founders wrestled with the relationship of church and state. During the colonial period, each colony had its own rules. In much of New England, congregationalists received state support. In the middle colonies and much of the south it was the Church of England. In a few places, including Rhode Island and Pennsylvania, there was a degree of religious liberty. Throughout the colonies Baptists faced government restrictions and paying taxes to support religious establishments other than their own. Thus, Baptists were at the forefront of the push for true religious liberty. The question of the nature of religious liberty is once again up for debate. Interestingly, today many Baptists stand on the forefront of efforts to garner state support for particular religious institutions and positions. So, maybe it would be wise to revisit earlier debates as to the value of establishment.
Standing at the forefront of the effort to gain religious liberty for dissenting religious groups was Isaac Backus. Backus was a Baptist minister serving a congregation in the colony and then state of Massachussets, which did not end religious establishment (state support for the Congregationalists) until 1833. Bachkus did not start out as a Baptists, but he was from the beginning a separatist. He was from birth part of a religious community that rejected the Halfway Covenant that granted membership to persons who lacked a religious conversion experience (and thus allowing their children to be baptized). Only later in life did Backus become a Baptist.
The story of Isaac Backus and his fight for religious liberty is taken up by Brandon O'Brien, who is director of content and distribution for Redeemer City to City in Manhattan, and holds a PhD from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. O'Brien believes that Backus is an important American hero, whose story is largely unknown, and who offers contemporary Evangelicals (many of whom have sought to gain political influence so as to protect their own cultural positions) a word of warning to those pursue "religious liberty" for themselves at the expense of others.
I will confess that when I started reading the book, I expected O'Brien to give more attention to contemporary questions than he does. He starts out contrasting dueling visions of church-state relationships, pitting Jefferson and New England Congregationalists. On one hand, Jefferson believed that religion should receive no external support, while in New England Congregationalists that the nation required divine supervision. O'Brien writes that "New England Congregationalists wanted the freedom to believe and worship like Congregationalists. Everyone else---Baptists and Methodists and Quakers and Catholics --- were expected to conform." Not only that, but these Congregationalists wanted all Americans to "be required by law to attend (authorized church services regularly, refrain from work on Sunday, and pay special taxes to fund the local Congregational minister, whether you attended his church or not" (pp. 2-3). What emerged was something that lay between these two extremes, a system that continues to this day (thus churches do not pay taxes). Since the book began here, I thought it might dive deeper into how this somewhat hybrid system emerged, and where it stands today. O'Brien does address this question, but less directly than I expected.
Instead of addressing this question head on, he invites us to enter into the story of Isaac Backus, whose story had "radically altered [his] perception of this part of American history" (p. 3). Thus, he seeks to make the case for Backus being a defender of "every citizen's right to exercise their religion according to their conscience" (p. 5). Among the central issues that emerges in this story is taxation, more specifically the attempt to tax dissenters to pay the salaries of clergy for the established churches. Backus spent much of his life defending the rights of dissenters to be free of state coercion.
O'Brien admits that the story and its implications are complex and cannot be fully developed in a study of this nature. He also notes that the story became personal. He wants the reader to see Backus and his cause in the same way he does. While this is not a biography of Backus, it takes on a strong biographical tone. What makes it different from a typical biography is the intent of the author. He wants us to learn about Backus, but he wants us to do so not only because Backus is an interesting subject. Instead, he has written this book for people who care about religious liberty and believe that history can be of help in understanding the issue. While the author says that the book is as much about today as the age of Backus, O'Brien (in my reading of the book) focuses on Backus' life and work, and leaves the application to the reader. In other words, this requires an inductive mindset.
O'Brien begins the book with the context out of which Backus emerged, that is the years just prior to the First Great Awakening, when the colonies were less than religious, and needing revival. With that in mind the author calls to mind persons such as Whitefield and Edwards, setting the stage for what is to come. From there we move to Backus and his call to ministry. Like many Baptists he lacked the education that was expected of a Congregationalist pastor. Nonetheless his gifts were recognized and he began his ministry several decades before the Revolution. He started out as a Separatist, who rejected the Half-Way Covenant but affirmed infant baptism. Only much later did he reluctantly adopt believer baptism. Even before this he had been pushing back against religious taxes, but this became more pronounced after his conversion to the Baptist position. That is, he began to see a connection between baptismal practice and the church-state relationship.
During the colonial period religious taxation and state establishment was defended on the basis that religion required a "nursing father," that is state protection, so that the church could be the moral foundation of the community. In other words, it was for the benefit of the government to support religion through taxation. It was necessary for Backus to offer an alternative view of society, one that suggested that faith cannot be coerced. Believing there was discontinuity between Old and New Testament, he could point to the lack of state support in the New Testament. With this as background, O'Brien points us to the present, where many evangelicals are bemoaning what they consider persecution, but which is largely a waning of influence. Looking to Backus, evangelicals might find a voice calling for sacrifice of influence, and standing with the marginalized rather than the powerful. That is, "loss of privilege, however, may be unavoidable. It might even be good for us" (p. 90). This might make O'Brien a lonely voice among white evangelicals, but it is an important point.
As the story goes on Backus becomes an important advocate for religiouis liberty during the war, which he supported, and during the process of developing the Constitution. He was a strong advocate for a Bill of Rights --- writing his own version. His were rejected in Massachussets, but something akin to what he advocated for came to fruition -- in Virginia.
The story is an important one. It is a good reminder of the long and complicated fight to garner religious liberty. It wasn't a freedom from religion, but freedom to practice the faith of one's choice without government interference. While I would have enjoyed seeing him develop more fully what he would envision for today, I do agree that Backus' witness is one that needs to be heard right about now.
Standing at the forefront of the effort to gain religious liberty for dissenting religious groups was Isaac Backus. Backus was a Baptist minister serving a congregation in the colony and then state of Massachussets, which did not end religious establishment (state support for the Congregationalists) until 1833. Bachkus did not start out as a Baptists, but he was from the beginning a separatist. He was from birth part of a religious community that rejected the Halfway Covenant that granted membership to persons who lacked a religious conversion experience (and thus allowing their children to be baptized). Only later in life did Backus become a Baptist.
The story of Isaac Backus and his fight for religious liberty is taken up by Brandon O'Brien, who is director of content and distribution for Redeemer City to City in Manhattan, and holds a PhD from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. O'Brien believes that Backus is an important American hero, whose story is largely unknown, and who offers contemporary Evangelicals (many of whom have sought to gain political influence so as to protect their own cultural positions) a word of warning to those pursue "religious liberty" for themselves at the expense of others.
I will confess that when I started reading the book, I expected O'Brien to give more attention to contemporary questions than he does. He starts out contrasting dueling visions of church-state relationships, pitting Jefferson and New England Congregationalists. On one hand, Jefferson believed that religion should receive no external support, while in New England Congregationalists that the nation required divine supervision. O'Brien writes that "New England Congregationalists wanted the freedom to believe and worship like Congregationalists. Everyone else---Baptists and Methodists and Quakers and Catholics --- were expected to conform." Not only that, but these Congregationalists wanted all Americans to "be required by law to attend (authorized church services regularly, refrain from work on Sunday, and pay special taxes to fund the local Congregational minister, whether you attended his church or not" (pp. 2-3). What emerged was something that lay between these two extremes, a system that continues to this day (thus churches do not pay taxes). Since the book began here, I thought it might dive deeper into how this somewhat hybrid system emerged, and where it stands today. O'Brien does address this question, but less directly than I expected.
Instead of addressing this question head on, he invites us to enter into the story of Isaac Backus, whose story had "radically altered [his] perception of this part of American history" (p. 3). Thus, he seeks to make the case for Backus being a defender of "every citizen's right to exercise their religion according to their conscience" (p. 5). Among the central issues that emerges in this story is taxation, more specifically the attempt to tax dissenters to pay the salaries of clergy for the established churches. Backus spent much of his life defending the rights of dissenters to be free of state coercion.
O'Brien admits that the story and its implications are complex and cannot be fully developed in a study of this nature. He also notes that the story became personal. He wants the reader to see Backus and his cause in the same way he does. While this is not a biography of Backus, it takes on a strong biographical tone. What makes it different from a typical biography is the intent of the author. He wants us to learn about Backus, but he wants us to do so not only because Backus is an interesting subject. Instead, he has written this book for people who care about religious liberty and believe that history can be of help in understanding the issue. While the author says that the book is as much about today as the age of Backus, O'Brien (in my reading of the book) focuses on Backus' life and work, and leaves the application to the reader. In other words, this requires an inductive mindset.
O'Brien begins the book with the context out of which Backus emerged, that is the years just prior to the First Great Awakening, when the colonies were less than religious, and needing revival. With that in mind the author calls to mind persons such as Whitefield and Edwards, setting the stage for what is to come. From there we move to Backus and his call to ministry. Like many Baptists he lacked the education that was expected of a Congregationalist pastor. Nonetheless his gifts were recognized and he began his ministry several decades before the Revolution. He started out as a Separatist, who rejected the Half-Way Covenant but affirmed infant baptism. Only much later did he reluctantly adopt believer baptism. Even before this he had been pushing back against religious taxes, but this became more pronounced after his conversion to the Baptist position. That is, he began to see a connection between baptismal practice and the church-state relationship.
During the colonial period religious taxation and state establishment was defended on the basis that religion required a "nursing father," that is state protection, so that the church could be the moral foundation of the community. In other words, it was for the benefit of the government to support religion through taxation. It was necessary for Backus to offer an alternative view of society, one that suggested that faith cannot be coerced. Believing there was discontinuity between Old and New Testament, he could point to the lack of state support in the New Testament. With this as background, O'Brien points us to the present, where many evangelicals are bemoaning what they consider persecution, but which is largely a waning of influence. Looking to Backus, evangelicals might find a voice calling for sacrifice of influence, and standing with the marginalized rather than the powerful. That is, "loss of privilege, however, may be unavoidable. It might even be good for us" (p. 90). This might make O'Brien a lonely voice among white evangelicals, but it is an important point.
As the story goes on Backus becomes an important advocate for religiouis liberty during the war, which he supported, and during the process of developing the Constitution. He was a strong advocate for a Bill of Rights --- writing his own version. His were rejected in Massachussets, but something akin to what he advocated for came to fruition -- in Virginia.
The story is an important one. It is a good reminder of the long and complicated fight to garner religious liberty. It wasn't a freedom from religion, but freedom to practice the faith of one's choice without government interference. While I would have enjoyed seeing him develop more fully what he would envision for today, I do agree that Backus' witness is one that needs to be heard right about now.
September 26, 2018
Freedom of religion seems like it has always been foundational to America. As Brandon O'Brien tells in Demanding Liberty, however, this was long in doubt and has regularly needed defense even since it was enshrined in the Bill of Rights.
In decades before and after the revolution, opinions ranged from those favoring a state-sponsored church to some like Jefferson who thought the government should not even give tax relief to any church. Yet during this period a little-known, uneducated Baptist pastor, Isaac Backus, articulated "the principles of separation of Church and State which were to predominate in American life until very recently" (p. 4).
As a young man, Backus took to heart the faith preached in the revivals of Whitefield. One unintended result was to be marginalized, as Baptists and Quakers typically were by the Congregationalists who controlled religious life in New England. Members of these "irregular churches" could be required to pay taxes to fund Congregationalist churches. Many unlicensed preachers of the day were also fined and imprisoned.
For half a century Backus's efforts on behalf of freedom slowly became more intense and wide ranging. He was a founding board member of what became Brown University whose purpose was to educate and credential Baptist pastors. He meticulously gathered testimony and evidence regarding religious dissenters in New England who were oppressed by local government officials. He wrote tracts and pamphlets as well as a multivolume history of Baptists in America detailing their experiences.
As a result of his leadership, he was selected by the Baptists to present their case to the first Continental Congress. Backus made an innovative argument to Samuel Adams, John Adams, and others that the roles of civil and ecclesiastical government should be separated. The problem was that Backus was so used to contending with churchmen that his theological arguments to these lawyers and politicians made little headway.
While O'Brien provides a book which reads like any fine narrative history, he also interjects interesting connections with present-day America. How did Backus's options differ from today when he decided to leave his church? In an age of extreme polarization, does our view of religious liberty encompass those we disagree with? When public appeals to religious ideas have little influence, how can we present our concerns in ways that make sense to a secular audience?
O'Brien also notes the ongoing legacy of early American evangelical faith. Not only has the notion of being born again retained currency, but so has "a sense of embattlement in the American Christian psyche." And he wonders if "what some evangelicals interpret as discrimination, or even persecution, is actually loss of influence" (pp. 53, 90).
Ultimately, the author is right in his basic contention. Backus's life can correct our views of America and the ongoing challenges to worship as we choose.
------------------------------------------------
Disclosure: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
In decades before and after the revolution, opinions ranged from those favoring a state-sponsored church to some like Jefferson who thought the government should not even give tax relief to any church. Yet during this period a little-known, uneducated Baptist pastor, Isaac Backus, articulated "the principles of separation of Church and State which were to predominate in American life until very recently" (p. 4).
As a young man, Backus took to heart the faith preached in the revivals of Whitefield. One unintended result was to be marginalized, as Baptists and Quakers typically were by the Congregationalists who controlled religious life in New England. Members of these "irregular churches" could be required to pay taxes to fund Congregationalist churches. Many unlicensed preachers of the day were also fined and imprisoned.
For half a century Backus's efforts on behalf of freedom slowly became more intense and wide ranging. He was a founding board member of what became Brown University whose purpose was to educate and credential Baptist pastors. He meticulously gathered testimony and evidence regarding religious dissenters in New England who were oppressed by local government officials. He wrote tracts and pamphlets as well as a multivolume history of Baptists in America detailing their experiences.
As a result of his leadership, he was selected by the Baptists to present their case to the first Continental Congress. Backus made an innovative argument to Samuel Adams, John Adams, and others that the roles of civil and ecclesiastical government should be separated. The problem was that Backus was so used to contending with churchmen that his theological arguments to these lawyers and politicians made little headway.
While O'Brien provides a book which reads like any fine narrative history, he also interjects interesting connections with present-day America. How did Backus's options differ from today when he decided to leave his church? In an age of extreme polarization, does our view of religious liberty encompass those we disagree with? When public appeals to religious ideas have little influence, how can we present our concerns in ways that make sense to a secular audience?
O'Brien also notes the ongoing legacy of early American evangelical faith. Not only has the notion of being born again retained currency, but so has "a sense of embattlement in the American Christian psyche." And he wonders if "what some evangelicals interpret as discrimination, or even persecution, is actually loss of influence" (pp. 53, 90).
Ultimately, the author is right in his basic contention. Backus's life can correct our views of America and the ongoing challenges to worship as we choose.
------------------------------------------------
Disclosure: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
March 26, 2024
Brandon O’Brien offers the reader a popular-level summary of the development of religious liberty during the early days of the American experiment through the lens of a man who had a significant role in shaping that development. Isaac Backus was “almost [the] perfect embodiment of the evangelical spirit of his times.”
Indeed, Backus experienced in his own life the movement from Congregationalist to New Light Separatist, and then from Separate to Baptist. During each of these movements, Backus also suffered within his own mind and social engagement the pains of such changes. It is precisely because of Backus’s personal development and how Backus himself engaged with the issues, theology, politics, and institutions of his day that O’Brien endeavors to lead the reader on a guided tour of some of the notable moments of Backus’s life and ministry. As a well-informed guide, O’Brien helps the reader not only to understand what he sees but also to make connections between the past and the present.
The benefit and enjoyment of this book will largely depend upon the reader and what he or she wants from it. If you want a popular-level biography of a major figure in Baptist history, then this book will probably be enjoyable to you. There is no argument sustained throughout the book, and O’Brien hits many of the highlights of Backus’s life, which is fascinating. If you haven’t read or known much about Isaac Backus, and you’d like to have someone tell you why you ought to and where you can find good resources, then you will probably benefit from this book. As I’ve said, it’s a great introduction to Backus’s life, and the resource lists are fantastic.
But if you want a short and accessible book that makes a distinctive contribution to the historical or present discussion on religious liberty, then you may leave this one on the shelf.
You can read my full review here:
https://marcminter.com/2024/03/26/boo...
Indeed, Backus experienced in his own life the movement from Congregationalist to New Light Separatist, and then from Separate to Baptist. During each of these movements, Backus also suffered within his own mind and social engagement the pains of such changes. It is precisely because of Backus’s personal development and how Backus himself engaged with the issues, theology, politics, and institutions of his day that O’Brien endeavors to lead the reader on a guided tour of some of the notable moments of Backus’s life and ministry. As a well-informed guide, O’Brien helps the reader not only to understand what he sees but also to make connections between the past and the present.
The benefit and enjoyment of this book will largely depend upon the reader and what he or she wants from it. If you want a popular-level biography of a major figure in Baptist history, then this book will probably be enjoyable to you. There is no argument sustained throughout the book, and O’Brien hits many of the highlights of Backus’s life, which is fascinating. If you haven’t read or known much about Isaac Backus, and you’d like to have someone tell you why you ought to and where you can find good resources, then you will probably benefit from this book. As I’ve said, it’s a great introduction to Backus’s life, and the resource lists are fantastic.
But if you want a short and accessible book that makes a distinctive contribution to the historical or present discussion on religious liberty, then you may leave this one on the shelf.
You can read my full review here:
https://marcminter.com/2024/03/26/boo...
January 20, 2024
- One of the products of the Great Awakening was division. Old Lights, New Lights, and separatists.
- There is a sense of embattlement and marginalization that tends to linger in the American psyche.
- Old baptists didn’t always support new baptists due to Arminian/Calvinist disagreements.
- How to deal with the separatist problem? Backus separates over conscience issues and pleads for tolerance. But he himself is willing to excommunicate members of his own church if given sufficient cause. How to avoid the splintering?
- How should original sin factor into our political philosophy?
- “Disestablishment was a populist movement where religious, and not Enlightenment, influences predominated.”
- John Leland might be the reason Virginia ratified the BoR.
- There is a sense of embattlement and marginalization that tends to linger in the American psyche.
- Old baptists didn’t always support new baptists due to Arminian/Calvinist disagreements.
- How to deal with the separatist problem? Backus separates over conscience issues and pleads for tolerance. But he himself is willing to excommunicate members of his own church if given sufficient cause. How to avoid the splintering?
- How should original sin factor into our political philosophy?
- “Disestablishment was a populist movement where religious, and not Enlightenment, influences predominated.”
- John Leland might be the reason Virginia ratified the BoR.
June 1, 2024
I'm honestly conflicted with this book, and a small part of me tells me that even the author was too. On one hand, it feels like the book is meant to talk about a history of religious liberties in early America. But then on the other hand, it feels like it wants to be a biography of Isaac Backus. The author actually mentions that readers may be disappointed because the book never finds the line that it wants to tread.
It did, however, make me think about different perspectives on if America was founded on Judeo-Christian values and how that ties to modern discussions on religion in America. There were a few thought provoking things but it would be far more satisfying if the book knew what direction it wanted to go - and if it wasn't advertised as one thing and not really be that thing.
It did, however, make me think about different perspectives on if America was founded on Judeo-Christian values and how that ties to modern discussions on religion in America. There were a few thought provoking things but it would be far more satisfying if the book knew what direction it wanted to go - and if it wasn't advertised as one thing and not really be that thing.
August 28, 2018
"Overall it is well-written, informative, and, from what I can tell, a good way to get a taste of the Baptist struggle for religious liberty in the mid- to late-1700s. O’Brien focuses (rightly) on the life and writings of Isaac Backus and his struggles with the Congregationalist established church in Massachusetts, as well as with the entrenched idea of having an establishment in the first place that was so dominant even among non-religious founders like John Adams.
I can cheerfully recommend the vast majority of this book.
The bits I’m a bit more hesitant about are the few times O’Brien makes moves towards modern day application."
Read the rest here: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/schaeffe...
I can cheerfully recommend the vast majority of this book.
The bits I’m a bit more hesitant about are the few times O’Brien makes moves towards modern day application."
Read the rest here: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/schaeffe...
August 4, 2024
I didn't finish the second half of this book - it bored me to death and it was nothing like what I expected from the title. There were a few good quotes, but outside of that it wasn't more than a historical biography of "Isaac Backus" and his efforts with ratifying and drafting the Bill of Rights. Can't recommend unless you're interested in Backus' efforts specifically.
July 17, 2019
An excellent introduction to a history of religious freedom in America. O'Brien questions some popular narratives about how American history is viewed & asks intriguing questions for our own days, informing them with this example from history.
November 20, 2023
A very interesting book. I appreciated learning the important story of Isaac Backus. But unfortunately O'Brien writes with many assumptions about religious liberty. His advice for evangelicals today will not be very helpful.
November 19, 2018
Good for a brief historical biography on Isaac Backus and religious liberty
February 8, 2019
Interesting but poorly written.
July 15, 2019
2.5 stars
Not what I was expecting.
Not what I was expecting.
January 24, 2020
Great book! I got to learn a lot about Isaac Backus and religious history in America that had no idea of. Great read.
February 8, 2023
Really enjoyed this easy to read book about an American hero.
January 17, 2018
Mr. Brandon J. O'Brien investigates the spiritual life of Isaac Backus in an engaging and capturing manner. The influence of the first Great Awakening in Mr. Backus's life and his drawn-out separation from the Congregationalist church of his youth was shown to have a large influence in Mr. Backus's drive for religious freedom in the newly formed country. Backus's study, letters, speeches, and passion for the freedom of religion is laid out clearly. Mr. O'Brien has written a book about a man that I believe should be a vital portion of every Americans education. I highly recommend this book to every American. Isaac Backus was a central figure in the freedom's that Americans currently enjoy.
April 21, 2018
Isaac Backus is one of the unsung heroes of American history. We take for granted concepts like freedom of religion in our culture. Yet, in the American colonies that Backus grew up in each colony had a predominant religious group that was funded by the taxes of all members of those societies. Those who would not assent to the religion of their region faced fines, taxes, and worse. This biography does a good job of showing how Backus's upbringing shaped his faith and ideas. Then, it relays how he was put into positions that allowed him to have a voice in the shaping of our young nation. The author has given us the gift of a biography that is informative without sacrificing readability. As a Baptist preacher, this biography of Backus gave me an appreciation for my faith group's ardent defense of religious freedom for all.
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September 4, 2018It is an easy book to read. I did it in three hours.
The author focuses on the life of Isaac Backus of Connecticut. A Baptist minister who argued against the establishment of churches by civil government in the years before the American Revolution. His fight to get rid of the tax used by New England states to support established churches is important to remember so read this book.
The author focuses on the life of Isaac Backus of Connecticut. A Baptist minister who argued against the establishment of churches by civil government in the years before the American Revolution. His fight to get rid of the tax used by New England states to support established churches is important to remember so read this book.
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