[The_Reader_David]

Your feeling is right, but the institutional forms of American life--freedom, democracy under law, free enterprise, minimal government--were all fixed before the bulk of the American religious revivals, at a time when the American religious landscape was more-or-less identical to that of contemporary Britain (though not England, the Scots Presbyterians filling in for the American Puritans).

The religious history of America diverged from that of Britain with Methodism--Wesleyans who set up their own bishops rather than remaining Anglican as the Wesley brothers did--and more so with the various Baptist revivals.

Sola scriptura protestantism need not become anti-scientific, but it must either become anti-scientific or secularized, not in the sense of embracing the world, but in the sense of allowing religion to be walled off from the world into a purely private domain.

Of course, there are American particularisms about the things you value in the American experiance. One is evident on FR: American conservatism, unlike continental conservatism or even Burkian conservatism, seeks to conserve the heritage of Western civilization up to and including the Anglo-Scottish phase of the 'Enlightenment' while resisting the continental 'Enlightenment' and all its radicalisms. Properly speaking, the word 'liberal' has been stolen from us by the American socialists. (Personally, I want it back.)

[ToryHeartland]

Properly speaking, the word 'liberal' has been stolen from us by the American socialists. (Personally, I want it back.)

I have often said the same thing! They can have the term 'Whig' back in its place!

Thanks btw for another illuminating posting; much appreciated. Can you recommend historians on these subjects? I feel the need for some homework... :-)