Daniel Defoes Robinson Crusoe and the Virtues of Protestantism Essay

Robinson Crusoe and the Virtues of Protestantism Many pile have pointed out that Robinson Crusoes experiences on the island seem to be a admonition of the growth of civilization and society. Considering the prominent role that piety plays in the novel, it would be worthwhile to examine the progression of spiritual and political thought in Crusoes society. Through the experiences of one man, we can observe the progression of religion from the surreptitious realm to the human race realm, the conflicts inherent in such a progression, and the settlement to these conflicts. This evolution of religious and political thought affirms two ideas 1) in the ain realm, it affirms religious individualism--the idea that one can and should find his God singly from any human authority or intermediary (i.e. priests) and 2) in the public realm, the novel affirms that religious toleration, especially on the part of those in power, is the purloin way to resolve those conflicts that are inherent in the transition of religion from the private to the public. Crusoe discovers (primarily through trial and error and constant introspection) both of these ideas and at long last succeeds in implementing both of them. He finds God without the guidance of anyone, and he ultimately becomes a tolerant ruler of the island with respect to religion. Surprisingly, Crusoe never lives up to his in the flesh(predicate) definition of a good Christian. But perhaps this is just a touch or realism by Defoe, since Crusoe is otherwise so successful at recognizing religious individualism and instituting religious toleration on the island, both of which are very important to Defoe. The first step in the religious progression of Crusoe is his personal di... ...bsolute exampleity of Christianity, primarily with regard to cannibals and others whom God had obviously chosen to be left in the dark (this question pops up multiple times--142, 151, 168). For in these questioning scenes, Crusoe does n ot exempt Protestantism from critique he is questioning Christianity in general, and whether or not its hold on truth is real or illusory. It seems to me that Defoe was concerned with religious toleration for more than inconsiderate reasons he saw religious toleration as a moral responsibility of all Christians, including Catholics and Protestants, and as the only resolution to the conflict between the personal and public realms of religion. So Robinson Crusoe turns out to be just as concerned to the highest degree toleration in general as it is about the virtues of Protestantism. At least in Robinson Crusoe, Defoe turned out to be sanely open-minded.