(New England, surprisingly, did not after the Battle of Bunker Hill, it was pretty much spared.) New Jersey, South Carolina, New York, and Philadelphia suffered most from warfare. Where fighting took place, of course, congregations were disrupted and some people killed. In some areas, like New York, Boston, and some places in the South, arguments between loyalists and patriots split congregations. Believers’ energy went toward the war effort, not toward building up the local church. Mark Noll: In general, the war hurt religious practice even though prominent patriot Christians lent moral and religious support for the war. Did this religious atmosphere boost people’s devotion? For example, did more people start going to church after July 4, 1776? He is the author of many books, including A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada (Eerdmans, 1992) and Christians in the American Revolution (Eerdmans, 1977).Ĭhristian History: In the 1760s and 1770s, Christian faith infused the cause of independence with religious meaning and helped justify war with Britain. Now we turn to the next question, How did the war influence the American church? And where do we see its impact still today? To help us think about these questions, Christian History spoke with Mark Noll, professor of history at Wheaton College (Illinois). In this issue, we’ve looked at how Christianity influenced the Revolutionary War.
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