Wendy AP Language

Throughout her essay “Onward, Christian Liberals” from the American Scholar, Marilynne Robinson describes her beliefs and troubles as a liberal Protestant.  She explains that she is exploring her “personal holiness,” of which there are two types.  There is was you believe yourself, and what everyone else thinks you should believe.  The path Robinson has chosen is not something she has created herself, but is a deep, spiritual belief that many churches do not agree with.  She believes that everyone is holy: it is something we have, not create.  She also knows how much of an impact our mistakes have on our lives.

Originally, people recieved their “personal holiness” through some sort of spritual awakening during the times of Calvinists, and also in times of plague and famine.  There was also a divide in America among Protestants.  There were the believers who had sudden “conversions,” and those who believed in their faith firmly and did not need to be born again in order to have faith, the liberal side. 

The Great Awakenings were both based of of difficult times, and some motivational preacher came and told the people that they were all going to Hell if they did not follow the law of God.  They basically told the people that they were the cause of the hard times going on in the world.  And now there is a fundamentalist movement taking place, which many people are very much excited by, but Robinson’s opinion is different.  She believes that the “Third Awakening” happening right now does not promote equality and has more to do with politics than religion. 

The neo-fundamentalists believe strongly in the literal meaning of the Bible and a “right to life.”  However, they do not seem to have read far enough along in the Bible to truly understand that God is always with us and is still in every aspect of our lives.  Yes, he expects us to take care of each other, but he is still taking care of us.  Robinson explains that she hopes that in writing this essay, people can remeber what they truly believe in, not just what everyone else is telling them to. 

The liberal way of thinking is somewhat “predestinarianism,” but not extreme.  They believe that you cannot just do some good deeds and beg God for mercy and have power over a lot of people and expect that you are also great in God’s eyes, as it says more than once in the Bible.  Love is key here.  You can do everything spiritually righteous, but if you don’t love your neighbors and care for them, it means nothing.  If you are loving and merciful, it is then left up to God to decide your holiness in the end. 

In this essay, Robinson urges her fellow liberals to remember what they believe in, and the reason that they are divided among other Protestants.  She states that if we were all more accepting of each other we would be able to live in a better world.  If every religion truly based their words and actions on “grace, generosity, liberality” there would be more peace.  Robinson is basically stating that being a liberal Protestant is the way to be and if everyone was more accepting of its beliefs we would all have stronger faith.

Vocab

inhere- verb- to belong by nature or habit

laissez-faire- noun-  a doctrine opposing governmental interference in economic affairs beyond the minimum necessary for the maintenance of peace and property rights 

elan vital- noun- the vital force or impulse of life

eschatological - adj- a branch of theology concerned with the final events in the history of the world or of humankind

passim- adv- here and there

ecumenism- noun- principles that are worldwide or general in extent, influence, or application 

disparagement- verb- to lower in rank or reputation

poseur- noun- a person who pretends to be something they are not.

Tone

assured, persuasive

Rhetorical Strategies

Paradox- “This supposed new awakening  is to the first two awakenings, and this neo-fundamentalism is to the first fundamentalism, as the New Right is to the New Deal, or as matter is to anti-matter.” (215)

Epicrisis- “After all, Jesus did say, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of Heaven… but do not have love, I am nothing.” (216)

Mesodiplosis- ” This view of things implies that no doctrinal tests exist to distinguish the true faith from the false, real Christians or poseurs, the orthodox from the erring.” (217)