Bonds of Affection: Civic Charity and the Making of America -- Winthrop, Jefferson, and Lincoln (Religion and Politics)

Notions of Christian love, or charity, strongly shaped the political thought of John Winthrop, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln as each presided over a foundational moment in the development of American democracy. Matthew Holland examines how each figure interpreted and appropriated charity, revealing both the problems and possibilities of making it a political ideal. Holland first looks at early American literature and seminal speeches by Winthrop to show how the Puritan theology of this famed 17th century governor of the Massachusetts Colony (he who first envisioned America as a "City upon a Hill") galvanized an impressive sense of self-rule and a community of care in the early republic, even as its harsher aspects made something like Jefferson's Enlightenment faith in liberal democracy a welcome development . Holland then shows that between Jefferson's early rough draft of the Declaration of Independence and his First Inaugural Jefferson came to see some notion of charity as a necessary complement to modern political liberty. However, Holland argues, it was Lincoln and his ingenious blend of Puritan and democratic insights who best fulfilled the promise of this nation's "bonds of affection." With his recognition of the imperfections of both North and South, his humility in the face of God's judgment on the Civil War, and his insistence on "charity for all," including the defeated Confederacy, Lincoln personified the possibilities of religious love turned civic virtue. Weaving a rich tapestry of insights from political science and literature and American religious history and political theory, Bonds of Affection is a major contribution to the study of American political identity. Matthew Holland makes plain that civic charity, while commonly rejected as irrelevant or even harmful to political engagement, has been integral to our national character. The book includes the full texts of Winthrop's speech "A Model of Christian Charity"; Jefferson's rough draft of the Declaration and his First Inaugural; and Lincoln's Second Inaugural. Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 ‘‘Bonds of Affection’’—Three Founding Moments......Page 14 Winthrop and America’s Point of Departure......Page 31 Hawthorne’s Suggestion......Page 32 A Model of Christian Charity......Page 38 Two Cities upon a Hill......Page 67 Jefferson and the Founding......Page 102 1776—The Other Declaration......Page 103 A Model of Natural Liberty......Page 106 ‘‘To Close the Circle of Our Felicities’’......Page 137 Lincoln and the Refounding of America......Page 167 From Tom to Abe......Page 168 ‘‘Hail Fall of Fury! Reign of Reason, All Hail!’’......Page 176 ‘‘This Nation, Under God’’......Page 207 A Model of Civic Charity......Page 226 Bonds of Freedom......Page 248 Appendix A......Page 267 Appendix B......Page 283 Appendix C......Page 288 Appendix D......Page 293 Bibliography......Page 295 Index......Page 312 Prologue: Bonds Of Affection : Three Founding Moments -- Pt. 1. Winthrop And America's Point Of Departure. Hawthorne's Suggestion. A Model Of Christian Charity. Two Cities Upon A Hill -- Pt. 2. Jefferson And The Founding. 1776 - The Other Document. A Model Of Natural Liberty. To Close The Circle Of Our Felicities -- Pt. 3. Lincoln And The Refounding Of America. From Tom To Abe. Hail Fall Of Fury! Reign Of Reason, All Hail. This Nation, Under God. A Model Of Civic Charity -- Conclusion: Bonds Of Freedom. -- Appendix A. John Winthrop's A Model Of Christian Charity Speech -- Appendix B. Thomas Jefferson's Original Rough Draught Of The Declaration Of Independence -- Appendix C. Thomas Jefferson's First Inaugural -- Appendix D. Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural. Matthew S. Holland. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 291-307) And Index. Prologue: "Bonds of affection" : three founding moments pt. 1. Winthrop and America's point of departure. Introduction: Hawthorne's suggestion. A model of Christian charity. Two cities upon a hill pt. 2. Jefferson and the founding. Introduction: 1776 - the other document. A model of natural liberty. "To close the circle of our felicities" pt. 3. Lincoln's refounding. Introduction: From Tom to Abe : the agapic ends of America's bloodiest war. "Hail fall of furry! Reign of reason, all hail." "This nation under God." A model of civic charity Conclusion Appendix 1. A model of Christian charity Appendix 2. Thomas Jefferson's "original rough draught" of the Declaration of Independence Appendix 3. Thomas Jefferson's first inaugural Appendix 4. Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural.