In American literature prior to 1860 Transendentalism authors and abolitionist tended to invoke ''higher law''. There were distinctions between higher law and human made laws in the literature of the period. Please explain how?
How ''higher law'' and human made laws are depicted through American literature?
- Posted:
- 3+ months ago by RozhMezhoo
- Topics:
- american, human, literature, author, law, laws, humans, american literature
Details:
Responses (1)
Proofread to see if you any words out.
In the 19th century Americans started moving west and three institutions went with them. There was vaudeville, traveling entertainment. There was lyceum, traveling education and culture. And there was the itinerant preacher, offering a new style of preaching called "hell fire and brim stone". It was very entertaining, only loosely based on scripture, and pastors didn't even try to compete. Instead they switched to preaching public morality and philosophy. Eventually an entire generation grew up not knowing the first thing about the religion they claimed to believe. That is why most Christian churches don't teach doctrines, and most members don't know what they are supposed to believe.
Having abandoned their normal standard of right and wrong, people needed to invent some new standard, so they appealed to the unknown "higher law".