Seattle Slew

Lexington, KY.   Visited October 2011

It’s 2013 and for the thirty-fifth year in a row we will not have a Triple Crown winner in horseracing. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have a worthy blog candidate for our annual race horse entry. So here’s to the only horse ever to win the Triple Crown with an undefeated record. The great Seattle Slew.

Seattle Slew is perhaps the most unlikely Triple Crown winner in history. He was born (foaled) in February 1974 in Lexington, KY. A year later he was rejected for the prestigious Keenland Sale and sold at auction (the only Triple Crown winner ever acquired in this somewhat pedestrian way) for a relatively paltry $17,500. The purchasers were two couples who were relative novices to horseracing. They actually spent $2,500 more than they had budgeted to get him. The yearling was named for the hometown of one of the owners and for a swamp in Florida (a ‘slew) purchased by the others.

Though he was well-sized for racing, Seattle Slew had a birth defect (a reason he was so cheap) that caused his right front foot to sway out when he ran. One of his owners said, "He looks like a crab, a bad crab". His trainer, Billy Turner took to calling him Baby Huey in his early training. But nobody denied that he was fast – faster than any of them had thought possible. The horse was taken to New York to train for his inaugural two year old racing season. That first season (1976) he won three races and was named Two Year Old of the Year.

Seattle Slew down the stretch of
the Kentucky Derby

In his 1977 Triple Crown season Seattle Slew ran three prep races culminating in a 3 ¼ length victory in the Wood Memorial. He therefore came into the 1977 Kentucky Derby with a 6-0 record and was installed as a 1-2 favorite. Though typically a speed horse who liked to run at the front of the pack, Seattle Slew stumbled out of the gate, cut his mouth and found himself near the back of a 14 horse field. But under the guide of jockey Jean Cruget he quickly recovered, picked his way through the crowd and beat the field by almost two lengths.  Watch Seattle Slew's Derby run here

Me and my friend Mark
Prater at Churchill Downs

Outstanding SI cover of Slew's
Belmont finish

Two weeks later in the Preakness, Slew outdueled Cormorant by 1½ lengths. On June 11, 1977 Seattle Slew returned to his home track to run in the Belmont Stakes as the overwhelming favorite. Breaking out under the lead of Cruget in the classy black and gold silks, Slew led virtually wire to wire to win by four lengths to extend his win streak to 9 for 9 in becoming the tenth Triple Crown winner in history. 

You can watch Slew's Belmont triumph here .

Three weeks later, probably due to over-racing, Seattle Slew’s winning streak was snapped as he finished a distant fourth in the Swaps Stakes. In spite of this loss he was acclaimed Horse of the Year for 1977. Not long after the Swaps Stakes the horse developed a respiratory infection that sidelined him for nearly a year. These days that would mean certain retirement to stud. But by May 1978 the horse had recovered and he was racing as a four year old.





Seattle Slew winning the 1978 Marlboro Cup

In September 1978 he helped make history by participating in the first race between Triple Crown winners when he ran in the Marlboro Cup against 1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed. Both horses had only lost once in their careers. Affirmed was the favorite in the race but Slew took the lead early and held off a late charge by Affirmed to win by three lengths. You can watch the historic Marlboro Cup race here.   In a rematch two races later both horses were beaten.

Seattle Slew retired at the end of his four year old season with a record of 14-3 and was named Older Horse of the Year – the third top award of his three year career.  He spent his retirement in stud at several Lexington farms, ending up at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms. Slew is considered to have been a successful breeding horse, siring multiple stakes winners, the most prominent of which was Swale, winner of the 1984 Kentucky Derby and the Belmont.

Sign for Hill 'N' Dale Farm in Lexington

In his later years the horse suffered from various ailments. On May 7, 2002, exactly 25 years after he won the Kentucky Derby, Seattle Slew died in his sleep. He was 28 years old. He is buried at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm in Lexington.



The last known picture of an elderly
Seattle Slew

On a trip to Louisville for a conference I took an extra day to drive out to Lexington to do some touring. I had contacted Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms to arrange a visit. It was pouring rain and I was running late so when I got to the farm the gate was locked. I called the office and, amazingly, they just opened the gate and let me drive into the farm (which is still a first class thoroughbred breeding farm) and drive back to the stable area where Slew is buried. He is commemorated with a very classy black marble memorial area and a bronze statue.

Beautiful spot on a very rainy day



Note the blogger's calling card Phillies cap
verifying the visit

In 1999 Bloodhorse Magazine named Seattle Slew the ninth greatest racehorse of all time. Perhaps the most resonant epitaph for Slew comes from John Sikura, owner of Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms,

"It was one of the great privileges to be around something great, a feeling that will likely never be duplicated," he said. "He was one in a million, and showed us there is that possibility in a game of impossibilities."

Benjamin B. Warfield

Princeton, New Jersey Visited August 2012

Benjamin Breckenridge Warfield was one of the titans of the Reformed faith at the turn of the 20th Century. In an age where the very essence of Biblical Christianity was being undermined by theological liberalism, "The Lion of Princeton" stood for the historic orthodox doctrine of the Faith with a towering intellect and prodigious commitment to written theological argument.

The young Warfield circa 1864

Benjamin Warfield was born in 1851 in Lexington, Kentucky into the aristocratic Breckenridge clan. Warfield’s maternal grandfather was a professor of theology who was a staunch supporter of the Union cause in the Civil War. His uncle, John Breckenridge was Vice President in the Buchanan administration and became a well regarded general in the Confederate army. Warfield himself was a Unionist committed to the civil rights of African Americans throughout his life. Benjamin was raised in a thoroughly Reformed home and professed saving faith in Christ at sixteen, but did not appear to have much interest in the ministry or theological pursuits early in life.

Warfield attended Princeton College where he excelled in the sciences. Upon graduation he sought to continue study in Europe. It was in Europe that B. B. Warfield "realized the paramount claims of God and religion upon him", and accepted God’s call to preach the Gospel – to the utter surprise of all who knew him. He came back to the United States and enrolled at Princeton Seminary, graduating in 1876.  He was ordained to the ministry in the Presbyterian Church.

The year 1876 was pivotal in Warfield’s life beyond his ordination. In August of that year he married Anne Kinkead. They traveled in Europe for their honeymoon. Hiking in the mountains, they encountered a severe thunderstorm. A lighting strike nearby physically and emotionally traumatized Anne. The effect of this event was to have a lifelong impact on the Warfields. Anne returned to the U.S. in an invalid state and became a virtual recluse for the rest of her life. This tragedy at the beginning of his marriage became the defining reality for B. B. Warfield. For the rest of his life the care of his wife was his highest priority. He left pulpit ministry early for seminary professorship where he could arrange his schedule around her care. From this point on he never traveled or spent more than a couple of hours away from Anne. With the death of the legendary A. A. Hodge, B. B. Warfield returned to his alma mater in 1886 where he took up a life-long professorship in systematic theology.

Providentially, it was a combination of Warfield’s energetic intellectual gifts and his devotion to his wife which led to a ministry of singular significance in the cause of the Gospel. Not noted for his preaching skills, B. B. Warfield devoted himself to writing and publishing theological works that rival Luther and Calvin in scope and volume. It was the self imposed limits on travel and extra-curricular activity that allowed him to give his time to the study and composition of this work. Warfield’s theological output was devoted to articulating classic Reformed theology in an age of modernist thought and liberal attacks on the inerrancy and authority of Scripture. His writings remain remarkably accessible and compelling today. With contemporaries Abraham Kuyper and Herman Bavinck, B. B. Warfield carried the Reformed theology of Calvin, Edwards and Hodge through the modernist movement and sent it into the 20th Century era with compelling intellectual force.

Warfield in his study

Recent Warfield biographer Fred Zaspel was inteviewed by Justin Taylor from the Gospel Coalition on what he learned about Warfield the man.    

This is one of things that attracted me to Warfield—more than most any other I’d read he understands Christianity “whole” and finds Christ crucified at the very center. He sees both the forest and the trees and understands all as pointing to this redemptive center. And for Warfield personally this was no merely academic discovery, but he is himself marked by a keen sense of utter dependence upon Christ, and his own heart beat hot for his glorious Redeemer.

Anne Warfield died in 1915, and B. B. Warfield continued on in his ministry for six more years. They never had any children. Warfield worked hard till the very end. He suffered a minor stroke Christmas Eve, 1920.  Then on a walk across campus in February 1921 he suffered a heart attack from which he would not recover. Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield died on February 16, 1921 ending a 33 year career of scholarship at Princeton Seminary. In a sad irony, Warfield, Bavinck and Kuyper all passed into glory within nine months of each other.

Your blogger with Warfield

Map of Old Princeton Cemetery

Benjamin B. Warfield is buried in Old Princeton Cemetery. It’s actually a bit challenging to find his grave since it is not in the Edwards/Hodge section. I've been there several times, most recently with a group of pastors, theology students and missionaries on a one day tour of Great Awakening sites.  We ended our tour at Princeton Cemetery. 

Tour dudes with the Warfields - Anne Warfield to the left

Here’s a wonderful quote from Warfield that captures the clear Gospel centeredness of all his work.

Our faith itself, though it be the bond of our union with Christ through which we receive all His blessings, is not our saviour. We have but one Saviour; and that one Saviour is Jesus Christ our Lord. Nothing that we are and nothing that we can do enters in the slightest measure into the ground of our acceptance with God. Jesus did it all.

Henry V

London, England Visited November 1997

I’ve made two visits to Westminster Abbey but have never put one of the notables buried in the cathedral into this blog because they never let me take pictures in the cathedral. My typical policy: no picture, no post. But I’ve lifted the ban because there are some great stories to be told.  And I've got a cheesy picture of me in front of the church verifying my visit. 

I’ve decided to begin with King Henry V, mostly because of an unexpected 24-hour Henry-fest that my brother and I took in cold, rainy Londtontown back in 1997. But first some bio.





Laurence Olivier as
Henry V

The man who became Henry V was born in Wales as Henry of Monmouth in 1386. His father was King Henry IV of the House of Lancaster. In the convoluted world of the British monarchy young Henry’s cousin Richard II was king during his youth. Henry IV was exiled and Henry V was actually a ward of Richard II when his father Henry IV led an uprising against Richard II leading to an overthrow of the monarchy. This established Henry IV on the throne and made Henry V Prince of Wales. You might need to read that again to follow the plot.




Contrary to Shakespeare's take, Henry V had already distinguished himself as a soldier in his teenage years – a trait that would define the entirety of his life. At the age of 16 during the Battle of Shrewsbury he was shot in the face with an arrow. It stuck and the extraction left him with a significant scar. Henry ascended to the throne upon his father’s death in 1413. History seems to portray Henry as a strong but politically balanced sovereign, who demonstrated an ability to decisively put down potential rebellions while building a stable and prosperous regime.




Ian McKellan as Henry V

Henry V praying at Agincourt

But it is Henry’s foreign policy that he is most known for – specifically his nearly obsessive intentions to conquer France. Henry felt he had a sovereign right to rule France and set about campaigning (militarily) to that end. His military career is ultimately defined by his victory over the French at the Battle of Agincourt. Agincourt is a remarkable victory by any standards. At the time of the battle the English army was decimated by sickness and malnutrition. While troop estimates vary widely most reliable numbers indicate that going into battle the French forces outnumbered the British 4 or 5 to 1. It should have been a slaughter. But almost miraculously the English crushed the superior French forces on the field. In fact the victory was so decisive that scholars generally estimate that the French casualties outnumbered the English by a ratio of 9 to 1!




Christopher Plummer as
Henry V



Richard Burton as
Henry V

 


Kenneth Branagh as
Henry V

Eventually Henry was able to use Agincourt and other victories to establish his claim as regent of France. His legitimacy was cemented with his marriage to Katherine of Valois, the French King’s daughter. However, even with titular rule over France, Henry never stopped trying to extend his actual power on the continent. On a campaign in 1422 Henry became ill and died at the age of 35. He was brought back to London and buried in Westminster Abbey. The next in line for the throne was his infant son Henry VI. But the regency in place during Henry VI 's youthful reign largely squandered Henry V’s conquests and the monarchy stayed in decline until the reign of Henry VIII.

Michael Sheen as Henry V from the playbill
for the Fall 1997 RSC production

Your blogger at the
Globe Theatre

The 24 Hour Henry-a-Thon. My brother John and I were in London for a few days in November 1997. We decided to take an afternoon tour of the Globe Theatre on the south side of the Thames, which had been rebuilt on the original site. Taking a tour gave us a jones for Shakespeare, so we found a pay phone and called up the Royal Shakespeare Company and found out they were doing a performance of “Henry V” that night.

We bought two back row tickets by phone, then realized that we needed to get to the other side of the Thames, which meant crossing the Tower Bridge. Leaving the theatre we were confronted by a mob of people – it was the night that the Royal Yacht Britannia was decommissioned and sailed for the last time out of the city. After fighting through the crowds we crossed the Bridge and made it to the Barbican Theatre where the performance was to take place.



We went up to get our tickets and were told that there were two second row seats we could have instead of our last row seats. Snagging them, we sat down in our seats and proceeded to be blown away by an a amazing performance featuring Michael Sheen (who later played Tony Blair in ‘The Queen’ and David Frost in “Frost/Nixon”) in the title role. 

Ticket from the play

It was the first time I'd seen the play and it has been my favorite Shakespeare ever since. Kenneth Branagh's 1989 film version is a must see.  His St Crispin's Day (Band of Brothers) speech is one of the most stirring rallying cries you'll ever see on film. 

''We few, we happy few, we band of brothers'

A little-known extra benefit is watching Branagh carry a fifteen year old Christian Bale over his shoulder at the end of the movie.   

Your blogger at Westminster

Being in London, it only made sense to make a pilgrimage to Henry's final resting place. So, the next afternoon we headed to Westminster Abbey. It so happens that Henry’s crypt was in the midst of a restoration so it was hard to see it, but I was there. And that’s what makes Henry V a great subject for this blog.

Henry V tomb in Westminster Abbey

The tomb of Henry V is prominently located
behind the royal Coronation Chair

John Adams

Quincy, MA    Visited February 2013

Adams 1798 portrait by John Singleton
Copley

During President’s Month I providentially found myself in Boston, which gave me the opportunity to visit the grave of one of my favorite presidents – Founding Father and second chief executive of the United States, John Adams. In looking over the totality of his varied life it might be said that John Adams more than any other single figure epitomized the founding and establishing of the United States. After offering a brief bio sketch I’ll make that case.

John Adams was born October 30, 1735 outside of Boston in Quincy, MA. Adams was a descendent of the Puritans who established the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The Adams clan was socially prominent but middle class and John grew up with a deep appreciation for his family. He attended Harvard College, and eventually settled on a career in law. In 1764 just short of his 29th birthday he married Abigail Smith; their close and storied marriage lasted 54 years till Abigail’s death in 1818. The Adams union produced six children, four of whom lived to adulthood.


His career highlights include a prominent role in the Continental Congress, co-writing the Declaration of Independence, serving as representative of the Congress to France and other European countries during the Revolutionary War. He was first ambassador of the United States to England. Adams was two-time vice president under George Washington and held office as the second President of the United States from 1796-1800, when he became the first official resident of the newly constructed White House. Following his defeat to Thomas Jefferson, John Adams retired to his home and family in Quincy. Through the next quarter century he wrote both formally and informally on the nature of government and the meaning of the American Revolution. As is well known, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826, fifty years to the day after the ratification of the Declaration of Independence. John Adams was nearly ninety-one when he died. He was buried alongside his wife in Hancock Cemetery in Quincy but was later moved to a specially built crypt across the street in the newly constructed United First Parish Church.

Farmers and Evans in the Adams Pew -
all ready for the preachin'

I said above the case can be made that John Adams may be the most influential Founding Father. What puts him at the head of the class? Here’s my argument?

• John Adams is the quintessential colonist – descendent of the Puritans who founded Massachusetts. Though he later adopted more of a Unitarian religious philosophy, his Puritan roots made him advocate the role of the Bible and the honor of God in moral and public affairs.
• He was an integral figure in two of the key events leading up to the American Revolution. Adams stood at the forefront of the opposition of the Stamp Act in 1765, and in doing so developed the argument that framed the ‘no taxation without representation’ stand giving political basis to the American Revolution. In 1770 he stood against public outcry and successfully defended the British soldiers accused of the Boston Massacre, thereby demonstrating that the rule of law in a democratic society was possible.



Drafting the Declaration of Independence with
Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson

• During the Continental Congress John Adams was perhaps the key political whip for the writing and ratification of the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson later said that Adams was "the pillar of [the Declaration's] support on the floor of Congress, its ablest advocate and defender against the multifarious assaults it encountered." Additionally, John Adams' writing and thinking on the role of government were very influential in the framing of the United States Constitution. No other person played such prominent roles in the development of both founding documents.
• John Adams is the only Founding Father to hold the top two executive offices – he was at the center of the formation of the presidency as it came into being. He also had a hand in the shaping of the Supreme Court by nominating John Marshall as chief justice. Marshall is generally considered to be the architect of the role of the judiciary in the balance of powers.
• Unlike many of the Founding Fathers (including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson) Adams never owned a slave and maintained a principled conviction against slavery throughout his life.  His opposition to slavery was passed down to his son John Quincy who, until his death in 1848 was the leading abolition voice in Congress.
• Adams' roles as minister and ambassador in Europe both during and after the war helped establish the sovereignty of the United States as an independent country.
• John Adams' quarter century of influence into the 1800’s allowed him and his family to continue to play a role in the formation of the new republic. His son, John Quincy Adams was sixth president of the United States and had a 52 year career as a major political force before, during and after his presidency.  His grandson Charles Francis Adams was ambassador to England during the Civil War under Abraham Lincoln, and helped keep Great Britain neutral during the war.

Copley portrait in 1824, two
years before Adam's death

Not as diverse as Benjamin Franklin, but more politically effective. Not as brilliant as Thomas Jefferson, but more consistent with his political and moral actions. Not the leader like George Washington, but involved earlier in the cause and more intellectually influential. His impact on key events leading up to, during and following the American Revolution, his espoused political philosophy which profoundly shaped the first century of our nation’s history, and the three generations of prominent leaders in the Adams clan make a compelling case for John Adams at the head of the class of Founding Fathers.

I do have a favorite John Adams moment. In his magisterial biography, David McCullough tells a great story about John Adams and Ben Franklin traveling to meet with British General Howe and stopping overnight at an inn. To save money they shared a room and a bed, but debated over whether it was healthier to keep the windows open or closed due to their differing germ theories. As McCullough writes,

‘So the two eminent bedfellows lay side by side in the dark, the window open, Franklin expounding, as Adams remembered, ‘upon air and cold and respiration and perspiration, with which I was so amused that I soon fell asleep.’ (John Adams, 153)

McCullough's work is outstanding history and was made into outstanding historic drama with Paul Giamatti in the title role.  Here's one of my favorite scenes - John Adams' speech in favor of the Declaration of Independence.

Adams statue across the street from United
First Parish Church

I had the chance to visit John Adam’s grave just a few days before writing this post. I was up in Boston speaking at Crossway Church. My wife Jill went with me because the pastor of the church, Bauer Evans and his wife Linda are dear friends. On Saturday after finishing a seminar we were eating lunch and planning to head into Boston for the afternoon. I knew that Adams was buried in the Quincy area so I did a little Google search and realized that he was buried with Abigail and John Quincy and his wife Louisa in the basement crypt of the United First Parish Church in the center of town. We arrived there and wandered around the church trying to find a way in. I finally found a doorbell and it was answered by a member of the church who had just stopped in to get something. After some begging on my part she agreed to let us down to look at the crypt. It's in the basement, a low ceiling stone room with four stone vaults side by side. Though it is in the church basement the crypt is not owned by the church, but by a separate trust set up by the Adams family.

Your blogger with JA

Looking across the crypt from the John
Quincy side

Memorial plaque outside the crypt

One odd thing is that across a hall from the crypt is a door that leads to church classrooms. I’m trying to picture little kids going down to their class for Sunday School passing by the crypt with their teachers reminding them to ‘wave to the presidents’ as they walk by. It is definitely worth a trip to see.

Joe Louis

Arlington, VA       Visited November 2012

Joe Louis was the first African-American athelete whose popularity crossed racial barriers. In a career spanning the period through World War II, Louis came to symbolize the determination of the American will to win.

Joe Louis Barrow was born May 1914 in Lafayette, Alabama. Little is known about his childhood other than that he was born to poor parents who were both former slaves. His father was committed to a mental institution and never knew of his son’s success. In 1926 Louis’ family experienced threats by the Klu Klux Clan and migrated north to Detroit. As a youth Joe began to visit a local recreation center where his interest in boxing was stimulated. He fought his first amateur fight at the age of 17 in 1932 (which he lost to a future Olympic champion), and changed his name to simply Joe Louis in order to hide his fighting from his mother. Louis turned pro in July 1934 after posting an amateur record of 50-4 with 43 knockouts.

Great boxing shot

Fighting from the get-go as a heavyweight Joe Louis quickly established himself as a force in boxing, though racial prejudice worked against his pursuit of the title. His first significant victory was in June 1935 over the hulking former champion Primo Carnera. Three months later he defeated former champ Max Baer (who had lost his title to James ‘Cinderella Man’ Braddock in June 1935), establishing himself as the number one heavyweight contender. With a record of 27-0 Louis sought to prime himself for the title shot with a tune up fight in June 1936 against aging former champion Max Schmeling. But Louis trained poorly for the fight and he was knocked out by Schmeling in twelve rounds.



It seemed as if Joe Louis had lost his shot at the title. But a combination of boxing politics and growing antipathy toward Germans (as represented by Schmeling) played in Louis’ favor and he was eventually given a shot at the title now held by Braddock. On June 22, 1937, the two fought; while Braddock knocked Louis down in the first round Louis eventually overpowered the older Braddock and won in an eight round knockout becoming World Heavyweight Champion.



Joe Louis enjoying the coverage of his victory
over Max Schmeling

The stage was now set for the inevitable rematch with Max Schmeling. By the time the fight took place the Nazi Party was firmly in power in Germany and beginning to move toward war. The Nazi’s sought to use Schmeling as a propaganda tool, promising that they would use his winnings from the upcoming fight to build tanks. Thus the Louis-Schmeling rematch became far more than a sports event. Its political and racial implications played out on an international scale. On June 22, 1938, one year to the day after gaining the heavyweight championship “The Brown Bomber” demolished Max Schmeling in a two minute and four second onslaught. 

See the entire Louis-Schmeling fight here.

Love this war poster!

Joe Louis defended his title thirteen times before enlisting in the army in 1942. He never encountered combat and primarily spent his enlistment doing publicity and boxing exhibitions to inspire troops. But he also used his popularity to quietly influence army policy toward black enlisted men, including pressing to allow black candidates into Officers Training School. He rose to the rank of sergeant before being discharged in 1945.

By the time he left the service Joe Louis’ skills had begun to erode due to the sheer volume of fights in his amateur, pro and exhibition career. He was also severely in debt due to mismanagement of his earnings. Though he was still World Heavyweight Champion, the waning years of his career were largely spent fighting to stave off bankruptcy. After defeating Jersey Joe Walcott in two controversial fights Louis retired from boxing at the age of 35 in 1949. Due to his financial difficulties he was forced to come out of retirement in 1950 and fight for the title he vacated a little over a year earlier. He lost to Ezzard Charles and then was knocked out a year later by Rocky Marciano, ending his competitive boxing career. His professional record was 69-3 with 57 knockouts.

Remarkable photo of Rocky Marciano's knockout
of Joe Louis - effectively ending the
Brown Bomber's career



Louis on the links



Joe Louis’ post boxing career had highs and lows. He had taken up golf and gained sufficient proficiency that he was given a PGA exemption to become the first African American to play in a PGA tour event. But he was more than just a celebrity golfer; he worked to bring the first generation of black professional golfers onto the tour. However his later life was marked by continued financial problems, multiple divorces, eventual drug addiction and chronic health problems. Through it all he remained a sports icon.

Joe Louis and his old foe Max Schmeling

Joe Louis died at the age of 66 hours after making an appearance at the Larry Holmes-Trevor Berbick title fight in Las Vegas on April 12, 1981. President Ronald Reagan waived eligibility rules and Joe Louis was buried with full honors at Arlington National Cemetery. His old nemesis Max Schmelling had become his friend and benefactor and helped cover the costs of his funeral.  

I had the chance to visit Louis’ grave with my son Grant and nephew Craig as we were driving down to my mom’s house for Thanksgiving. Interestingly Joe Louis is buried to another celebrity soldier, the actor Lee Marvin.

Very cool sculpture of Joe Louis'
fist in Detroit

Me and my son Grant at Joe Louis' grave
at Arlington Cemetery

Jean Jacques Rousseau

Paris, France - Visited June 2009

Jean Jacques Rousseau was born June 1712 in Geneva, Switzerland.  His mother died shortly after his birth, and his father left home to avoid legal problems when he was 10. He was raised by his maternal uncle. After doing some biographical research I've decided to do this post along the theme of 'Calvinist/Not a Calvinist'.  Feel free to play along at home.

This picture has little to do with Rousseau, but its a great
shot of my beautiful wife at the Jet D'eau in Geneva

Calvinist.  Rousseau was born in Geneva, and to be in Geneva in the 18th Century meant you were a defacto Calvinist.  He spent two years boarding with a Calvinist and for a time considered whether he was called to the ministry. But he apparently had problems with doctrine of total depravity and found himself proselytized toward Catholicism. A relationship with an older woman who became his mistress complicated his late teens and early twenties, but it also introduced him to a world of ideas beyond his religious upbringing.   Hence, Not a Calvinist.





Rousseau worked a series of administrative posts through his twenties and early thirties which culminated with his arrival in Paris in 1744. During these years Rousseau fathered five children by a mistress, but had them all given up to a foundling hospital. There is no record of any of the children surviving to adulthood.  Therefore apparently Not a Calvinist (or a Catholic for that matter).

Early printing of Rousseau's
'Social Contract"

Rousseau began to engage in philosophical thinking and writing, initially focusing on music theory. He also worked on his own musical compositions, which were received well by the Paris musical establishment. But his ideas and his personality created controversy in Paris and in 1754 Rousseau returned to Geneva, requiring a reconversion (of sorts) to Calvinism to be allowed entrance to the city.  Once again A Calvinist.  However, his subsequent writing and lifestyle make it clear that his Calvinism was of his own peculiar orientation. Not being a reader of Rousseau, as near as I can tell his religious philosophy seemed to create opposition from Catholics, Protestants and Humanists. It was oppositional to Catholicism because it was anti-institutional. It was rejected by the Humanists because it avowed a view of God who was much more active and knowable than the prevailing deism of the time. Yet his rejection of original sin and other Gospel doctrines separated him from orthodox protestant Christianity.  Therefore, Not a Calvinist. 

Finding himself out of favor (and religiously condemned) Rousseau eventually found a patron in British philosopher David Hume, and from 1765-67 he lived in England. His mental health began to deteriorate; according to Hume, “He is plainly mad, after having long been maddish”. By 1770 Rousseau had returned to Paris, though for the remaining years of his life he was largely a recluse. His health deteriorating, Rousseau died while on a walk in July 1778. He was 66 years old. His autobiographical Confessions were published eight years after his death.  Based on them, clearly Not a Calvinist.

Jean Jacques in his furry cap stage

Final score:  Calvinist - 2; Not a Calvinist - 4. 

Historically speaking, Rousseau’s philosophy heavily influenced the leaders of the French Revolution and later, the moral/political philosophy of Immanuel Kant. I wish I could give a nice, tidy description of Rousseau’s philosophy, but I couldn’t wrap my brain around it without doing far more study than is worth it to write this blog.  An odd but short and low budget animated explanation of Rousseau's philosophy can be viewed here.  For a bit more on Rousseau's impact on philosophy, government and ethics check out this five minute overview.




Historian Kingsley Martin summarized Rousseau's influence in this way,

"In truth," Rousseau was a genius whose real influence cannot be traced with precision because it pervaded all the thought that followed him....Men will always be sharply divided about Rousseau: for he released imagination as well as sentimentalism;; he increased men’s desire for justice as well as confusing their minds , and he gave the poor hope even though the rich could make use of his arguments. In one direction at least Rousseau’s influence was a steady one: he discredited force as a basis for the State, convinced men that authority was legitimate only when founded in rational consent and that no arguments from passing expediency could justify a government in disregarding individual freedom or in failing to promote social equality




Statue of Rousseau in his birthplace of Geneva

The following brief quote seems to be a decent summary of the understanding of human nature that Rousseau built his life and philosophy upon.

“Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.”

Rousseau's tomb in the crypt below the Pantheon in Paris

Your blogger at the Pantheon

Jean Jacques Rousseau was eventually buried with hero honors in the Pantheon in Paris. His tomb is in the underground crypt along with Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Voltaire and other French notables. I visited the Pantheon during my 25th wedding anniversary.  Jill was very kind to let me check it out and enjoyed the beautiful sunny day while watching a protest march from the steps of the Pantheon. It’s an incredible building – the French equivalent to Westminster Abbey. Well worth a stop if you’re in the City of Lights.