November 2007 47
Since specific colonies harbored fairly specific reli- Mormons (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
gious sects, is it not feasible for a reader of old letters Saints claim a seeming fantasy history extending back
to reasonably determine the faith of a writer? The prob- to 600 BC, that is found nowhere else but in their own
lem of course is that America, though it has chosen 2/ writings. Begun as an angelic revelation to a young,
3 of its Presidents for their conservative principles, it illiterate New York farmer, Joseph Smith, Utah is the
has chosen to be mostly liberal in religion. People did solid home base for the worldwide Mormon faith. Their
indeed read their Protestant Bibles and they picked and strong family-centered morality and doctrine-based
chose their denominations carefully too. New denomi- insistence on genealogical record keeping have inspired
nations found American soil fertile, the ground con- and assisted multitudes outside the faith. Their fold
tinued to spring forth additional sects like wild flow- has given us political leaders not only in Utah, but in
ers in a pristine pasture. eastern and Midwestern states, and a current Presiden-
The answer therefore is yes and no, one should be able
tial candidate.
to tell a writer’s faith simply because so few traveled The rigid Spanish version of Roman Catholicism was
more than 20 miles from home in an entire lifetime, propelled across the Atlantic by ‘Their Most Catholic
pre Civil War period. But no also, for who knows what Majesties’ Ferdinand and Isabella. Columbus and his
brand of message a given wandering saddlebag successors would not find spices they craved, but there
preacher would inoculate eager listeners with? And so, would be silver and gold aplenty. The second purpose
a little about American-born religious denominations. for Spanish colonialism was to convert natives to the
New World Religions
‘true faith’ using whatever method worked best. Mis-
sionaries were active in Florida and Texas, New Mexico
Americans were inventors not only in the literary and
and California for several hundred years until Florida’s
mechanical spheres, but also in the metaphysical. Add
annexation in 1819 and the Mexican War of 1846-7.
to the previous list of standard, ‘mainstream’ denomi-
The Southwest’s beautiful mission churches build on
nations the newly minted American faiths of Baptist
the backs of forced Indian labor stand as monuments
(1650’s), the impeccable Shakers (1770’s), the Mor-
to either Indian conversion or Native American stead-
mons in the 1820’s, the mid-19th century Seventh Day
fastness to their own ancient spiritual beliefs.
Adventist (former Millerites who were disappointed
that the predicted end of the world did not occur in
Early Religion in Letters
1844), 1880’s Christian Scientists, the occult Theoso- Religion serves two basic functions for us plus a third
phists also in the 1880’s, and still others, not to forget for true believers (communion with God). Those two
the Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Evangelical move- earthly purposes are 1) to overcome the fear of death
ments so in evidence today. (and the idea that death is not to be feared because the
Though Baptists find their true origins in 1600’s Ger
life hereafter, as opposed to this one, will be fair); and
-
many
2) to teach and encourage morality, which builds strong
, American blacks as slaves and freedmen, and
Southern whites in particular took it for their own. It is
ethical character, communities, and countries.
a straightforward set of beliefs which helped make it Despite churches, cathedrals, and synagogues, religion
the second largest religious denomination in the US is primarily homebound and an especially in-the-heart
today. thing. Religious impulses are re-born each time there
Other Americans found meaning in John Wesley’
is a death (“there are no atheists in a foxhole”), and
s
teachings on religious methodology; his Methodism,
heavens knows in the 1800-1850 period there was a
another child of Anglicanism, was welcomed in the
constant blizzard of death notice mail, given the primi-
Colonies more so than at home. He and his brother
tive medical knowledge available.
’s
many hymns were eagerly adopted by many churches. Some condolence notes are jarringly matter-of-fact (to
He toured the colonies during the Great Awakening match the jarring photo memorials to honor deceased
period of the 1740’s and his clerical descendants did children, seen above) due to death’s frequency. But
the rest, making Methodism the third largest US de- aside from wealthy citizen-writers like Jefferson who
nomination today. had the time to opine at length on religion’s redeeming
and dreadful aspects, there are precious few detailed
commentaries on particular religious tenets to be found
in existing letters of the common man.
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