Religion: Just as Important as Economics

While analysis of American history is certain to delineate the importance of economics upon politics and public society, religion has played just as if not a more important role. Specifically, faith and spirituality always have held strong roles in radical social reform movements, where public intellectuals with theological backgrounds are at the front and center of them. This is the story of American history where change is inherent to the country’s democratic upbringing. However, according to Stephen Mack in “Wicked Paradox: The Cleric as Public Intellectual”, the men and women who advocated these revolutions are individuals “whose religious training and experience shaped their vision of a just society and required them to work for it” (Mack). This argument is proved further true by the public acts of religiously influenced individuals such as John F Kennedy, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Martin Luther King, and even Malcolm X. Therefore, American history proves that throughout time strong religious principles and beliefs instill the moral values that have allowed some of America's greatest public intellectuals to bring about social reform.

Indeed, public intellectuals in the church began one of the earliest social reform movements in America, the abolition of slavery. In the eighteenth century, before anyone else the Quakers questioned the morality of slavery and demanded its demise. The Quaker faith is a Christian religious denomination with a wide range of theological themes such as “peace, equality, integrity, and simplicity” (Hetherington). Members of the religion such as George Fox and Anthony Benzet are public intellectuals who literally became renowned for their fights against slavery (Duquella). Consequently, Quakers were radical Christians whose religious and moral beliefs of egalitarianism led them to conclude that slavery was morally repulsive. However, their moral beliefs soon spread to other public intellectuals such as Benjamin Franklin who turned abolitionist due to his relationship with Benzet (Duquella). Also, though not a member of any single religion, Franklin’s generic “religious experience shaped [his] vision of a just society” and must have at least partly influenced his acts in Congress that urged the abolition of slavery (Mack).

Nonetheless, this chapter of history characterizes American social reform’s relationship to spirituality only in its infancy. The American civil rights movement is perhaps an even better known blip in time where discrimination against African Americans was strongly denounced by many leaders who were influenced by religious beliefs. The civil right’s movement challenged discrimination through legislation such as Brown vs. Board of Education, but perhaps more importantly the concerted acts of individual citizens. For example, Martin Luther King urged tolerance and the mixing of all races. However, he stressed his religion in speeches such as where he states, “we are Christian people. We believe in the Christian religion. We believe in the teachings of Jesus” (Spartacus Educational). King wanted to achieve social change through nonviolence and very frequently suggested the influence Christianity had upon his actions and those of others. For example, when discussing Rosa Park’s ordeals, King states that “nobody can doubt the depth of her Christian commitment and devotion to the teachings of Jesus.” His spirituality rain deep through his veins and coursed his every thought. Just like Mack suggests, King is part of a “history of activist theologians,” whose faith led him to orchestrate change (Mack).

Later on after the civil rights movement, many other theologians have become involved in peace movements of various kinds. The fight against apartheid though similar to the American civil rights movement occurred throughout Africa and was only recently ended in the early 1990s. This effort was spearheaded by religious and other public intellectuals including most prominently Desmond Tutu. As Mack alludes, Tutu was truly molded by his religious experience and as a result was a “key player in [one] of our most important reform movements” (Mack). Tutu devoted his life to theological study earning many degrees in theology and held a wide range of Church affiliated positions ranging from bishop to the Dean of St. Mary’s Cathedral (“Desmond Tutu”). Due to his evangelical background however, he was raised with a number of beliefs that beckoned for correction in the apartheid era. This denomination believes in the absolute correctness of the Bible and largely must have inclined Tutu to object for “equal rights for all” in his fight to end apartheid (“Desmond Tutu”). Without a doubt, his unprecedented background in theology led Tutu to be a firm believer in Christian virtues and propelled him to advocate for social reform.

While these social reform movements represent only a small number of the many that have transformed American society, they are of immense symbolic importance. These examples highlight the role that religion and spirituality have played in the lives of many key leaders who commanded social development. From the abolition of slavery to the civil rights movement to the demise of apartheid, public intellectuals’ faith plays an integral role in the process of social change. As Mack alludes in his article, “in many ways, American political history is the history of activist theologians” (Mack). Hopefully this continues into the future, as these public intellectuals have certainly served America well thus far.

Works Cited

“Desmond Tutu – Biography.” 01 Oct 2007

Duquella, Guy. “Anti-slavery Movement: Quakers.” 01 Oct 2007

Hetherington, Ralpha. “Quaker Testimonies.” 02 Oct 2007

Mack, Stephen. “Wicked Paradox: The Cleric as the Public Intellectual.” 14 Aug 2007. 02 Oct 2007

Spartacus Educational. “Martin Luther King.” 01 Oct 2007