A Tale of Two Churches

David Hackett Fischer gives a relevant anecdote when speaking of Bruton Parish Anglican Church, in his 1989 tome Albion’s Seed (pg. 335): “The baptismal font is said to have been brought from the old church at Jamestown; George Washington stood as godfather to at least fourteen slaves who were baptized here.” Here is an image of the American tradition, such as it is, written large – warts and all: George Washington, Father of our country, standing in Bruton Church at Williamsburg, indeed at the old font originally from Jamestown, in the role of baptismal sponsor for 14 slaves as they were received into Christian fellowship.

A Review of Sacred Conviction: The South’s Stand for Biblical Authority (Shotwell Publishing, 2018) by Joseph Jay

Shotwell Publishing and author Joseph Jay have produced a wonderful short study of the theological divisions that existed between Northern and Southern churches in the antebellum period, and its contribution as a cause of the War Between the States. Many people are familiar with the divisions that occurred in some American Denominations caused by the issues of slavery and abolition, but they may be less familiar with the context of the debate at the time and its subsequent ramifications beyond denominational splits, making Jay’s work one of importance in my opinion. In the preface to Sacred Conviction Joseph Jay writes: