Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 December 2022
Was the American revolutionary argument justifiable on classical, Christian natural-law and just war principles?This question is not merely of quaint historical interest but also has been the subject of scholarly discussion in recent years on the basis of Thomistic natural-law and just war principles. Moreover, there has been renewed scholarly interest in the debate between the patriots and the loyalists over whether resistance could be justified on biblical grounds.In this chapter, we argue that the American revolution was justifiable on the grounds of Thomistic jurisprudence.We then turn to reconsider the case for revolution in light of Christian Scripture with particular attention to how Romans 13 was interpreted in the Christian tradition and in the American colonies.
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