Frederick Douglass's theology of violence, 1841--1849

Frederick Douglass possessed a flexible theology that allowed him to embrace violence as a legitimate means of abolitionism in the 1840s. His personal quest for a just God led him to highlight the centrality of human action to effect God's will. Douglass's disenchantment with the church weakened his commitment to moral suasion. His reading of the Bible influenced how he came to interpret the Constitution. And his views on sin escalated his condemnation of slaveholders, ultimately directing Douglass toward militant resistance. Theology, then, played a factor in Douglass's abolitionism, as doctrine and experience blended to guide his actions.