Temperance, alcohol, and the American evangelical: a reassessment.
Abstinence from alcohol is a way of life for many American evangelicals, with rates of abstention running at over 70% among some Pentecostal denominations. This paper examines the religious beliefs that, historically, have supported teetotalism. The most notable of these is Christian perfection, a doctrine that originated in 18th-century England, that was then radicalized in America in the early 19th century. Abstinence from alcohol is highest among denominations that make Christian perfection the cornerstone of their teachings, and lowest among those that discount human agency. The paper also argues that 19th-century American evangelicals were by no means committed uniformly to temperance as a way of life, and that this was especially true of the various Methodist churches.
Warner
Jessica
J
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell Street, T519, Toronto, ON M5S 2S1, Canada. jessica_warner@camh.net
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000266:history*; D002835:Christianity / Q000266:history*; D004739:England; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D013695:Temperance / Q000266:history*; D014481:United States