The Theological Background and Worldview of Justice Harry A. Blackmun
The first son of Methodist parents, Harry A. Blackmun was born in Nashville, Illinois in 1908, but was raised in the working-class neighborhood of Saint Paul, Minnesota. Blackmun’s worldview was shaped not only by his working class upbringing, but also by the increasingly liberal strain of Methodist theology emerging in the early decades of the twentieth century, exhibited by its embrace of biblical criticism, a rejection of the doctrine of original sin, a redefinition of the nature of Christ, an adherence to Christian nurture, and its repudiation of a literal hell. These theological changes were consistent with modern progressive Protestantism, which rests upon the principles of cultural accommodation (Christianity must be relevant to the world) and immanence (God dwells within man). The resulting religious progressivism is marked by a deep desire to transform society in a more humane way, providing increasing justice and equality to all men. These religious convictions produced Blackmun’s worldview that he carried with him during his undergraduate education in mathematics and his law school education at Harvard. This influence carried over into his later years as a Supreme Court Justice where his theology and worldview provided a foundation for his interpretation of the law.
The first son of Methodist parents, Harry A. Blackmun was born in Nashville, Illinois in 1908, but was raised in the working-class neighborhood of Saint Paul, Minnesota. Blackmun’s worldview was shaped not only by his working class upbringing, but also by the increasingly liberal strain of Methodist theology emerging in the early decades of the twentieth century, exhibited by its embrace of biblical criticism, a rejection of the doctrine of original sin, a redefinition of the nature of Christ, an adherence to Christian nurture, and its repudiation of a literal hell. These theological changes were consistent with modern progressive Protestantism, which rests upon the principles of cultural accommodation (Christianity must be relevant to the world) and immanence (God dwells within man). The resulting religious progressivism is marked by a deep desire to transform society in a more humane way, providing increasing justice and equality to all men. These religious convictions produced Blackmun’s worldview that he carried with him during his undergraduate education in mathematics and his law school education at Harvard. This influence carried over into his later years as a Supreme Court Justice where his theology and worldview provided a foundation for his interpretation of the law.
Chapter Two
Product details
Hardcover
390 pages
Publisher: Lexington Books (December 31, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1498570593
ISBN-13: 978-1498570596
Dimensions: 6 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.74 pounds