Religion and Violence in Early American Methodism: Taking the Kingdom by Force

Four. Beating Their Plowshares into Swords: Methodists and Violence in Antebellum America

Four Beating Their Plowshares into Swords Methodists and Violence in Antebellum America In 1819, the Methodist Magazine began printing a series of articles on Methodism in the West. The first article in this series included the story of Samuel Tucker, a local Methodist preacher who was attacked by a group of Indians while traveling by boat down the Ohio River in 1790. Tucker’s foes fired several rounds at the preacher’s boat, at least one of which struck Tucker and mortally wounded him. Fearing that his traveling companions would suffer the same fate, Tucker returned fire. In the ensuing battle Tucker killed several of his foes and caused the others to flee. The article’s author praised the preacher for his “bravery and presence of mind” that led to the rescue of the women and children who accompanied him. That Tucker died from his wounds made the story quite symbolic. 94 Religion and Violence in Early American Methodism The courageous preacher gave his life to save those under his care, a parallel to Christ that the magazine’s readers surely appreciated.1 In the years that followed the publication of this story, Methodists retold Tucker’s battle with his Indian foes countless times, turning it into something of a legend in Methodist circles. James B. Finley cast Tucker as a “noble . . . hero-missionary” who fought “manfully” to defend women and children.2 Jacob Young’s account also valorized Tucker, calling him the “wisest and best” of his siblings. To Young, Tucker “bore a very active and successful part, in trying to civilize and Christianize the people,” a claim made all the more interesting because we have no record of Tucker ever converting anyone or successfully establishing a mission. Tucker’s intrepid protection of his companions during the assault that took his life impressed Young the most. Young described Tucker as a great general who assumed the role of “commander” in order to orchestrate the party’s defense. In these last moments of Tucker’s life, Young found a model piety as Tucker issued religious instruction to his “soldiers” and then “kneeled down, made his last prayer and expired.”3 Although it is hard to know whether any of the accounts of Samuel Tucker’s life and death are accurate, the narratives strike a powerfully discordant tone from earlier American Methodist prohibitions against the use of violence.4 The Tucker narratives not only depict a preacher using violence to defend himself and others, the narratives also celebrate this violence. The authors do not raise questions about whether a preacher could carry a weapon; they do not offer regret that Tucker would be placed in the unenviable position of having to take the life of another human being; they do not question the appropriateness of using violence to defend others; nor do they struggle with whether violence is a sin—all issues that earlier Methodists debated. What accounts for this different perspective on violence? How did Methodists come to see a story of a Methodist preacher who kills his Indian assailants as worthy of celebration in the pages of the denomination’s flagship periodical, the Methodist Magazine? And how do we understand this celebration of bodily violence within the very same context in which Methodists expressed concern about the body’s harm in salvific battles with God and Satan? If Methodists took action to protect the body from physical harm from spiritual forces, why would they extol the virtues of bodily harm in the temporal realm? The increasing involvement of Methodists in the evolving economic, social, and political structures of the new republic plays a significant role in answer- Beating Their Plowshares into Swords 95   ing these questions. As Methodists entrenched themselves in these structures, they found their fair share of enemies and much to defend. However, changing economic, social, or political standing only tells part of the story. The religious significance Methodists attached to these emerging structures is also critical to understanding Methodists’ willingness to celebrate the use of social violence against Native peoples. In the early decades of the nineteenth century, Methodists joined with other Protestant Christians in articulating the importance of Christianity to the health and preservation of the republic, and the importance of the republic for the future of Christianity. More specifically, Methodists began to embrace the evolving civic theology of the nation as birthed by God and providentially chosen for spreading national moral, economic...