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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Religious Freedom: Virginia Doesn't Need A New Statute, Ellis M. West
Religious Freedom: Virginia Doesn't Need A New Statute, Ellis M. West
Political Science Faculty Publications
One would think that Virginians would be united and steadfast in their devotion to the Statute for Religious Freedom, written by Thomas Jefferson, adopted by the General Assembly in 1786, and since then praised by liberty-loving persons throughout the world. Currently, however, a group spearheaded by a few professors at Christopher Newport University and by the editor of the Religious Herald, the newspaper of the largest association of Baptists in Virginia, wants to "update" Jefferson's statute so that it guarantees religious people a "right to participate in the public forum, and express their points of view." On Jan. 24, …
Anabaptism And The State: An Uneasy Coexistence, Sandra F. Joireman
Anabaptism And The State: An Uneasy Coexistence, Sandra F. Joireman
Political Science Faculty Publications
In any compilation of Christian views of the state, the Anabaptist position stands out as unique or, if one wanted to be less complimentary, extreme. The Anabaptist view of the state is less focused on articulating the division between church and state responsibilities than the Reformed or Lutheran traditions. Indeed, Anabaptists have no assigned role for government beyond the creation of order, emphasizing scriptural interpretations that give primacy to the church in the life of a Christian. As a result, political theology distances Anabaptists from both the Catholic Church and the mainstream of the Reformation.