What Jonathan Edwards Can Teach Us About Politics Analysis

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, national pride, also known as patriotism, is love for or devotion to one's country. Jonathan Edwards, a Puritan, told others to beware of patriotism. He shows how it is appropriate, yet sometimes deceiving. Gerald R. McDermott, author of “What Jonathan Edwards Can Teach Us about Politics,” uses Edwards to support his own beliefs about national pride. McDermott builds an argument to persuade his audience that Christians should be wary of national pride by quoting Edwards’s words, by using history to create an image for the audience, and using Edwards’s argument that entirely Christian countries have never existed.
To begin with, McDermott uses Edwards’s words to get his point across. McDermott states,

“Edwards commended patriotism as a natural and loving response to the needs of one’s nation” (McDermott 3). McDermott is saying that patriotism is normal and encouraged. However, he contradicts this by saying, “...Edwards warned that patriotism often serves as a mask for self-interest” (McDermott 3-4). He is also saying that sometimes patriotism hides the selfishness of people. McDermott’s contradiction shows how conflicted he was with the concept of national pride.
In addition, McDermott uses Edwards’s example of history to defend his point that Christians should be wary of national pride. Edwards suggested we look at the Romans and their love for their country. Their patriotism became their downfall because it caused the “destruction of the rest of mankind” (McDermott 4). Another example of history he uses is acknowledging that New England had received unusual blessings. These blessings were both spiritual and political. Patriotism is believed to have caused this to happen.
Furthermore, McDermott uses Edwards’s argument that no country has ever been Christian. He says, “There has never been a country where the majority of citizens were born-again or even regular churchgoers” (McDermott 4). McDermott and Edwards both say that no one has ever been righteous, especially not the colonial New England. Edwards states, “If a society is morally or spiritually corrupt, it will collapse despite having wonderful civil freedoms” (McDermott 4). He repeated this warning, signaling its importance to colonial New England numerous times.
Therefore, Christians should beware of patriotism. It can be a good concept to an extent, but ultimately is the downfall of many people and nations. McDermott built an argument to convince his audience that Christians should be cautious of national pride by quoting Edwards, by using history to create an image for the audience, and by stating that no country has even been Christian. He was able to show how people should beware of national pride.