Audrey Brown

Abstract:In their Anthology, Jonathan Edwards and the American Experience, Hatch and Stout argue that Edwards' strand of Christianity is more critical to the American experience than many modern thinkers may realize. They claim that this is because his "stern Calvinism is central" (5) to this country's historic identity and that his philosophy was not only "compatible with the theological needs of the new nation but the social and political needs as well." (7) In this paper I would like to extend this argument. Not only was Edwards' philosophy necessary for the shaping of this country, it provided some of the moral justification necessary for a distinct kind of colonization that gave rise to settler colonialism in British America. To make this claim, this paper will be broken down into three parts. The first section will explore the historical elements of Jonathan Edwards' life in a settler colonial context. The second will be to explain and explore the framework of settler colonialism. Finally, this paper will argue that Edwards' life and philosophy meet all four proposed criteria of settler-colonialism and should therefore be understood as extending a legacy of violence here in the Americas.

In 1829, Samuel Worcester was sentenced to four years of hard labor for his stance against the U.S government and the state of Georgia for their treatment of the Cherokee people. As a missionary who was sent to “civilize and Christianize”, Worcester’s political actions in siding with the Cherokee labeled him a traitor, not just to the United States, but more importantly to the advancement of settler colonialism in the Southeast. By looking at the example of Samuel Worcester, this paper explores Josiah Royce’s idea of loyalty and what it means to become a traitor out of loyalty to the beloved community. The paper is divided into three main sections. The first is a historical analysis of Worcester in the context of mission work in the 1800’s and the ethnic cleansing of the Cherokee. The body of the paper looks at the philosophy of Josiah Royce and his notions of loyalty and betrayal. I argue that Worcester exemplified Royce’s notions of Christian commitment to the beloved community, even when it came at great personal cost. I conclude with the ongoing relevance of Royce’s philosophy as a tool of resistance.