All protestantism, even the most cold and passive, is a sort of dissent. But the religion most prevalent in our northern colonies is a refinement on the principles of resistance: it is the dissidence of dissent, and the protestantism of the Protestant religion.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Burke says Protestantism in northern colonies is a strong form of dissent against authority.
- In plain terms
- Colonial religion is deeply resistant to control.
- What can you take from it?
- Religious dissent in colonies fueled political resistance.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Does faith drive dissent?
- How does religion shape politics?
Another view
Not all Protestants supported resistance.
More from Edmund Burke
Abstract liberty, like other mere abstractions, is not to be found.
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