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Temperance, alcohol, and the American evangelical: a reassessment
Article first published online: 4 JUN 2009
DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02616.x
© 2009 The Author. Journal compilation © 2009 Society for the Study of Addiction
Additional Information
How to Cite
Warner, J. (2009), Temperance, alcohol, and the American evangelical: a reassessment. Addiction, 104: 1075–1084. doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02616.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 4 JUN 2009
- Article first published online: 4 JUN 2009
- Submitted 13 November 2008; initial review completed 26 January 2009; final version accepted 16 March 2009
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Keywords:
- Abstinence;
- alcohol;
- history;
- religion;
- temperance;
- vegetarianism
ABSTRACT
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.