Justin Dyer – Might and Right: Theology and Politics in the Making of America

Two central concepts in American political thought are the rule of law and the moral limits of sovereign power. In the founding era, prominent political actors, writers, and pamphleteers frequently discussed these political concepts by analogy to the related theological concepts of divine rule and sovereignty. The dominant tradition of thinking about these concepts in America developed through the long Christian engagement with classical philosophy and distinguished American founding thought from other strands of early modern philosophy that increasingly embraced arbitrary rule and unlimited sovereignty.

In this lecture, Justin Dyer will explore the real origins of our political system–addressing crucial questions about our past, so that we can accurately understand our present and future.

-P.Prentice