Faith, Citizenship, and Dissent: Lessons from 18th–19th Century Britain | Michael Rutz

In this episode, host Jean Geran speaks with guest historian Michael Rutz about the historical experience of British Protestant dissenters in the 18th and 19th centuries. Drawing from his book The British Zion: Congregationalism, Politics and Empire, 1790–1850, Dr. Rutz explores how dissenting Christian communities navigated issues of religious liberty, education, social activism, and citizenship under an Anglican state church.

🗝️ Key Topics Covered

Who Were the Dissenters?

· Protestant groups (Congregationalists, Baptists, Quakers, Presbyterians) who refused to conform to the Church of England.

· Faced legal discrimination and second-class civic status.

Education and the Dissenting Academies

· Creation of alternative institutions to educate ministers and laypeople.

· Emphasis on practical, Enlightenment-influenced curriculum including science, history, and civic engagement.

Rational vs. Evangelical Dissenters

· Rational dissenters embraced Enlightenment ideals and supported revolutionary causes.

· Evangelical dissenters focused on personal conversion, biblical authority, and social activism.

Religious Liberty and Political Reform

· Campaigns to repeal discriminatory laws like the Test and Corporation Acts.

· Advocacy for religious freedom as a core Christian and civic principle.

Missions and Abolition

· Evangelical dissenters played key roles in foreign missions and anti-slavery movements.

· Missionary work in places like the Cape Colony led to campaigns for civil equality for indigenous populations.

Coalition Building Across Faith Lines

· Groups like the Clapham Sect united Anglicans and dissenters around shared goals like abolition.

· Lessons for today: working across theological and political divides for common good.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Michael A. Rutz, Ph.D. is a Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Since joining UWO’s history faculty in 2002, he has built a distinguished career as a scholar of 19th- and 20th-century Great Britain, the British Empire, religion and politics. Dr. Rutz earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in History from Washington University in St. Louis, and a B.A., with high honors in History, from the University of Michigan. His major publications include The British Zion: Congregationalism, Politics, and Empire (2011) and King Leopold’s Congo and the “Scramble for Africa” (2018); he has also published several articles on the intersection of religion and politics in 19c Britain and the British empire and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

📚 Recommended Reading

The British Zion: Congregationalism, Politics and Empire, 1790–1850 by Michael Rutz (Baylor University Press, 2011)

https://www.baylorpress.com/9781602582057/the-british-zion/

🔗 Resources

Learn more about the S.L. Brown Foundation and Upper House: https://slbf.org/