A letter to PBS regarding John Brown

A recent PBS broadcast a documentary on John Brown, the abolitionist. The narration of the documentary spoke of Brown's "Calvinistic" upbringing as a significant formative influence in his life. This does not represent a historically accurate treatment of Brown or Calvinism. I felt that the historical scholarship of the program in this area was a disservice to PBS viewers, and wrote the following letter to PBS in that regard.

Thank you for an interesting presentation of John Brown and his impact on the history of the USA. I find that few subjects will divide people like this man and the morality of his acts. As you noted in the show, many question John Brown's sanity or supposed mental flaws. I tend to gage such judgements by noting how sane Brown’s judges consider those who thought it completely natural to traffic in human flesh (and all of the horrors that this practice involved). Surely, Brown could be no more flawed mentally than much of the country at that time.

Part of the issue is that we, as citizens of the USA, have still not come to grips with the fact that many of our most influential founding fathers spoke eloquently of the rights of man while enriching themselves by the fruits of slavery - and all of the immorality that this unpleasant fact involves. We, as a materialistic people, tend to think that our great wealth and scientific achievements are the ends that justify the means, but too close an examination of the means is not welcome for what it tells us about ourselves.

Back to the program, one serious flaw that is not understandable, given the historical scholarship of the show, was a lack of examination given to the religious aspect of Brown's motives. How a group of so many historians could overlook this obvious factor to Brown's behavior is unclear, unless it is found in the supposition that theological thought is beneath the lofty heights of historical scholarship.

It was mentioned by two historians that Brown was a "Calvinist". It is common for the general public to view all refrigerators as "Frigidaires" and four wheel drive vehicles as "jeeps". Many educated people use the word "fundamentalist" to label some vague grouping of right wing fanatics, when such a term correctly has a specific application. It is less excusable for professional historians to teach using the idea that someone who holds firm Christian convictions, or is from New England, or has a strong belief that God has sanctioned their behavior, should be called a Calvinist.

One of the show's contributors, Mr. Edward J. Renehan, Jr., has recently written "The Secret Six". I believe a significant aspect of Brown's motivation is touched upon on page 17 of that book, where it talks about Brown's father Owen being a trustee of Oberlin College.

Oberlin College was founded by Charles G. Finney, a very influential preacher and self-styled theologian of the early 19th century. Mr. Finney taught that the purpose of man's life was to seek to do the highest good for the highest happiness of man which, according to Finney, was the chief attribute of God. This is exactly opposite from the Calvinistic teaching that God is sovereign in all of His works, and that man’s purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Finney's theological view has been a position taken by many from the early days of Christianity, notably by the British monk Pelagius. The views of Pelagius were refuted by St. Augustine but are held by many to this day.

Finney, like Pelagius, rejected the doctrine of Original Sin and held that man has the ability by his own will and acts to please God. In short, this view carries with it the idea that one can earn God's merit by the performance of good works and that one can also control history outside of God's will by one's actions. If you will listen to some of your quotes of Brown toward the end of the program, especially the one about God's universe being in order but man's being in disarray, you will see a good example of Brown’s Finnean/Pelagian theology. This view was prominent in many Abolitionist circles before the Civil War, and is evident in the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” (written by Julia Ward Howe, wife of Samuel Howe, one of the Secret Six).

If the historians had taken the time to understand even the most elementary aspects of theological schools of thought, it would have been very evident to them that Brown's notions of theology and his motivations derived from that theology were entirely opposed to the doctrines of Calvinism/Augustinianism. It is quite clear to me how Brown could have combined Pelagian views with other personal factors and experiences to carry out his schemes, including his final ones, with much less madness than is evident in many folks today. On the other hand, few today would care to be as transparent as Brown, or be judged by the measure they use to gage him. The existence of racism, which Brown did so much to try to eliminate by his acts, shows me that much of the true madness is still alive today (just as it was then).

Isn't it ironic that this terrible flaw in human nature, racism, provides a very strong argument for the Calvinistic view of Original Sin? Similarly, Brown's ability to act in an extremely moral cause while committing acts that were unquestionably immoral are also explained by the same doctrine.

I very much enjoyed the program, but I would encourage your contributors to exercise a more objective and scholastic approach to issues of faith.



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