Abraham Lincoln's political faith

"At Gettysburg Lincoln resolved that "this nation, under God," would not perish, and in his Second Inaugural he called for "firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right." How are we to understand these and other invocations of divine authority in the speeches and writings of America's most admired president? Exploring Lincoln's unique blending of religion and politics, Fornieri shows that Lincoln presented a comprehensive and compelling interpretation of political order founded upon American democratic and religious traditions." "Proslavery theologians based their claims to legitimacy on Scripture, but Lincoln denounced this position as incompatible with true religion, reason, and republicanism. He envisioned instead a united nation that would honor both God and American political principles. Fornieri casts Lincoln's unique combination of politics and piety as "biblical republicanism"--A merging of Judeo-Christian beliefs and the founders' tradition of self-government. In a time of unprecedented crisis and upheaval, biblical republicanism provided Lincoln with a moral justification for difficult political choices." "Fornieri demonstrates the sincerity of Lincoln's belief