John Adams and Unitarian Theology

<p>This thesis looks at the religious beliefs of John Adams and argues that the proper definition of Adams's belief system should only be "Unitarianism." It goes through the basic history of Unitarianism and the religious context of the Founding Fathers, and it analyzes relevant historiography on Adams's theological system, arguing against terms such as "Christian Deist" and "Theistic Rationalist." Then, the thesis suggests possible applications for Adams's religion, particularly when considering his emphasis on the ethical Jesus in relation to his desire for a moral society brought about by religion. Adams's theology can be applied to political actions he took during his life, including the drafting of the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780, the signing of the Treaty of Tripoli of 1797, and the issuing of national days of fasting and prayer during his presidency. </p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (MA)

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

History

Grantor dc:publisher

Eastern Kentucky University

Year

2015

Author dc:creator

• Farmer, Wesley Edward

• John Adams
• History
• presidents
• Religion
• Theology
• Unitarian
• United States History

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2015 Wesley Edward Farmer

Repository record dc:identifier

https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/256

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:encompass.eku.edu:etd-1254