Edwin Scott Gaustad, one of the premier historians of American religion, died March 25 in Santa Fe, N.M., at age 87. An exemplar of Baptist principles, he was a staunch advocate of religious liberty and separation of church and state.
What a great loss this is.
Ed Gaustad taught in seven colleges and universities and authored more than 50 books, focusing mostly on the colonial period in our nation’s history. He wrote several volumes on Roger Williams and one on Obadiah Holmes, a Baptist preacher from Massachusetts who was jailed and whipped by the Puritan establishment for his Baptist beliefs. He also penned a book titled “Faith of Our Fathers” (1987) which continues to be a valuable resource for debunking revisionist history about our Founders’ religious beliefs and practices. In particular, he wrote a religious biography of Thomas Jefferson, titled “Sworn on the Altar of God,” and a biography of Benjamin Franklin (2006) as a part of the Oxford University Press’ Lives and Legacy Series.
A life-long Baptist, Professor Gaustad embodied our heritage of dissent and our commitment to voluntary religion. Baptist historian Bill Leonard concludes his tribute to Professor Gaustad by saying that he “was teacher, scholar, and historian extraordinaire. He was also decidedly Baptist, prophetic and dissenting when necessary.”
Well said. All of this is true enough. Indulge me some personal remembrances.
Yes, Ed’s scholarship was impeccably thorough and objective. But he was always the advocate for causes he believed in, such as religious liberty and church-state separation. As an advocate, he was able to communicate that message on the street as well as in academe. In 1998, then-U.S. Rep. Ernest Istook, R-Okla., put forth a harebrained constitutional amendment in the House of Representatives that would have amended the First Amendment’s religion clauses to permit forms of government-sponsored prayer and tax-financed religious activities. Ed came up with the slogan that was eventually emblazoned on campaign-style buttons that were worn by all of us who opposed the amendment that said: “Istook is Mistook.” The amendment failed by 61 votes. Ed was always able to state the point pithily.
In 2002, Ed was called as an expert witness to testify in the Ten Commandments case involving then-Chief Justice Roy Moore of the Alabama Supreme Court (Glassroth vs. Moore). His lucid testimony was critical in convincing the Federal court that Moore had crossed the line into state-sponsored religion when he placed a huge Ten Commandments monument in the rotunda of the Alabama Supreme Court building.
Ed also was a wonderful mentor, helping to educate and encourage the next generation of historians and activists.
I fondly remember spending several days with Ed at Mercer University in September 2002, at a seminar convened by Baptist historian Walter B. Shurden in which we read and discussed original documents in early 16th century Baptist life. Ed, along with Shurden, shared freely with us “young Turks” from his vast reservoir of knowledge about early Baptist roots.
Moreover, Ed was a good friend and encouraged me in our work at the Baptist Joint Committee at every turn. I can point to countless notes of encouragement that he wrote — always by hand, not by email — and typically spiced with humor and expressions of pastoral concern. He inscribed a number of his books in my library— each fresh, never repeated or rote. And, Ed was one who put his money where his mouth was. He gave generously to the Baptist Joint Committee year after year, including to our recent capital campaign.
Scholar, advocate and encourager — indeed!
Ed’s wife of 63 years, Virginia, died in 2009. Virginia and Ed leave three children, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Beyond these lineal descendants, Ed’s intellectual legacy lives on. Those of us who knew Ed, imbibed his wisdom, and were nurtured by his encouragement will continue his appreciation for understanding Baptist principles, the dissenting tradition, and the fragility of religious liberty.
