Mike Pence, Orientation to Authority, and Public Uses of Romans 13 – Patheos (blog)
Follow the chain of command without exception. Submit yourselves, as the saying goes, to the authorities that have been placed above you. Trust your superiors, trust your orders, and youll serve and lead well.
That was one of Vice President Mike Pences exhortations to the 2017 graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy last Friday. Now, we might debate the wisdom of this advice. After all,those officers willserve under a Commander-in-Chief who, as a presidential candidate, talked openly of giving military orders that many experts said would be illegal.
But this is a blog on Christianity and history, not law. As a Christian and a historian, I was most interested in the middle sentence from the paragraph quoted above.Why should these officers adopt Pences idea oforientation to authority? Because, as the saying goes, they should submit to the authorities placed over them.
As most of you already know, thesaying is actually scripture. Not a direct quotation, but Pences paraphrase of one or two passages from the New Testament:
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. (Rom 13:1-2, NRSV)
Submit yourselves for the Lords sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. (1 Pet 2:13-14, NIV)
As I wrote at my own blog, Im not sure we should act as if the New Testament has any kind of authority over the religiously plural officer corps that protects a democratic republic that separates church and state. But Pence is hardly the first prominent American to make such public use of these Christian scriptures though what they mean has been hotly contested since even before the Republic won its independence.
For example, those verses appear multiple times in Mark Nolls In the Beginning Was the Word: The Bible in American Public Life, 1492-1783. Let me note just three such instances:
In his 1744 pamphlet on The Essential Rights and Properties of Protestants, clergyman-legislator Elisha Williams called Romans 13:1 a text often wrecked and tortured by such wits as were disposed to serve the designs of arbitrary power. He insisted that the [civil and religious authorities] power is a limited one; and therefore the obedience is a limited obedience. For Williams, Pauls admonition to the Romans had to be read in conversation with New Testament texts on individual freedom (e.g., Matt 23:8, 2 Cor 3:17).
Likewise, the Unitarian preacher Jonathan Mayhew marked the 100th anniversary of the execution of Charles I by preaching a lengthy expository sermon to argue that the thirteenth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans did not require colonists to passively obey the dictates of Parliament.
But in 1780, the New York clergyman Charles Inglis appealed to Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2 (among other texts) in a sermon reversing Mayhews judgments. Later the first Anglican bishop of Nova Scotia (where many Loyalists fled in 1783), Inglis could scarcely believe that Bible-believing Christians could supportthe American Revolution:
But that professing Christians, who really believe in a divine Revelation, and acknowledge its Authoritythat they should be the Dupes of such Menthat they should make no Conscience of dishonouring the King, and rebelling against himthat they should knowingly trample on the Law of God, and act as if no such Law existedthat instead of obeying this Law, they should be Trumpeters of Sedition and Rebellion: This is astonishing indeed.
But instead of avoiding Romans 13 and I Peter 2, noted Tommy Kidd in a 2014 Anxious Benchpost,Patriot pastors (to their credit) took them on frequently and directly. They usually replied to Loyalist critics that the command to submit was never unconditional just as it is not unconditional in marriage, in church, or in any other social setting.
Moving into the 19th and early 20th centuries I was also curious to see how such texts figured in Lincoln Mullens Americas Public Bible project (introduced here by John), which indexes over 866,000 biblical quotations from newspapers published between 1837 and 1922 and digitized by the Library of Congress as Chronicling America. (That collection now ranges from 1789 to 1924.) 1 Peter 2:13-14 did not occur often enough to be includedin Americas Public Bible, but heres a chart of the frequency for Romans 13:1 and 2:
Used by permission of Lincoln Mullen
Though not unusual, neither verse cracks Lincolns top 10 decade lists. Even at its peak of popularity in the early 1840s, Romans 13:2 still appears only half as often as the single most popular verse for that time period (Luke 18:16, which generally is 5-20 times as common in the corpus as the two verses from Romans 13).
Not surprisingly, when Romans 13 did enter American public discourseat this time, it was usually as part of the national debate over slavery. In 1839, for example, a Congregationalist minister named William Mitchell quoted that passagein support of his argument that Civil government, however corrupt, is an institution of God. Orson S. Murray, the abolitionist editorof The Vermont Telegraph, was appalled:
No matter then how corrupt the governmentfrom the corrupt, hypocritical republic that establishes by law and holds in existence a most abhorrent and diabolical system of robbery, and lust, and murder, down through all the grades of aristocracy and monarchy, originating in, or originatingas a large proportion of them dopopery, Mahomedanism, and idolatry, in all their degrading, dehumanizing, man-destroying, God-dishonoring formsall, all these corrupt and corrupting institutions are the workmanship of an all-wise, and holy, and just God!!! The consummate absurditynot to say the involved shocking impiety and blasphemyof deliberately and intelligently holding to such sentiments, lies out on the face of the declaration. To expose them, it needs no argument or comment. I would not be understood as denouncing, outright, friend Mitchell, as a blasphemer. I am altogether willing to attribute the monstrous heresy to blindness of mindthe habit of taking upon trust long received opinionsrather than to perverseness of heart.
1851 poster Wikimedia/public domain
But in 1855 the editor of Richmonds Daily Dispatch asked why Northern preachers would advocate strict obedience to a temperance law while disdaining the Fugitive Slave Act:
The human law must accord with the Divine Law in order to render obedience a duty! They do not condescend to inform us who is to be the judge of that accordance. They dare not. Well knowing that the right of private judgment is one of the most valued rights of Protestantism, they are aware that their doctrine translated into plain English amounts to this: that if any and every man in the community chooses to consider any law unscriptural, it is their duty to disobey ita principle which, if carried into practice, would of course lead at once to rebellion and anarchy.
The true doctrine on this subject is set forth in the words of Inspiration itself: Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
Romans 13 continued to appear in American newspapers after the Civil War (e.g., it was one of the texts read at the official service for Pres. James Garfield after his 1881 death), but it virtually disappears from the Chronicling America as the database enters the 20th century. Ive done a bit of digging at the American Rhetoric database and found only one speech that even indirectly alludes to these scriptures: Woodrow Wilson request for a declaration of war on Germany in 1917, in which that Presbyterian elder argued that Americans could fight for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own governments.
My sense is that Pence is unusual amongAmerican politicians of recent generations in revisitingsuch hotly contested rhetorical territory. Butif youre aware of other late 20th/early 21st century public uses of Romans 13:1-2 or 1 Peter 2:13-14, please share them in the comments section!
More here:
Mike Pence, Orientation to Authority, and Public Uses of Romans 13 - Patheos (blog)
- JD Vance Wonders If Other VPs Had This Much Excitement Social Media Says, Ask Mike Pence - Yahoo News Singapore - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- "My Respect For VP Pence Continues To Grow": People Are Applauding Mike Pence For Writing A Letter To A January 6 Rioter Who Refused Trump's... - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- 'Shows your commitment to rule of law': Trump's ex-VP Mike Pence applauds woman who refused pardon for Ja - Times of India - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- People Can't Believe They Actually Agree With Mike Pence After He Wrote A Letter To A Jan 6 Rioter - BuzzFeed - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Mike Pence writes letter to Jan 6 rioter praising her for refusing to take Trumps pardon - MSN - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Mike Pence reveals whether he plans to run in 2028 - Yahoo - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Former Vice President Mike Pence parts ways with Trump on tariff policy - WRAL.com - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Mike Pence criticizes Trump on tariffs and key foreign policy issues as he watches from afar - NBC News - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Mike Pence reveals whether he plans to run in 2028 - The Independent - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Mike Pence warns of risk of Trump accepting a plane from nation linked to Hamas - The Independent - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Mike Pence ramps up Trump disapproval with 13 words slamming overseas trip - The Mirror US - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Would former VP Mike Pence ever run for office again? Here's what he said - IndyStar - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Mike Pence Sounds Terror Alert on Trumps Free Plane - The Daily Beast - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- How Mike Pence says he came to the conclusion he should part ways with Trump - MSN - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Mike Pence criticizes Trump on tariffs and key foreign policy issues as he watches from afar - Straight Arrow News - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Trump's Middle East Trip Draws Rare Praise From Mike Pence As 'Very Successful' For US Economy Amid 'Historic' Boeing Deal: 'That'll Really Support... - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Mike Pence says Trump tariffs were the largest peacetime tax hike in U.S. history - MSN - May 22nd, 2025 [May 22nd, 2025]
- Mike Pence Says This Trump Policy Could Kill The American Dream - HuffPost - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Mike Pence receives award for defending democracy from Trump without mentioning his name - MSN - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Former Vice President Mike Pence urges President Trump and congressional Republicans not to raise taxes on wealthy Americans - Fox News - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Mike Pence rebukes Trump over tariffs and wavering support for Ukraine - The Guardian - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Mike Pence Finally Goes Scorched Earth on Trump and His Agenda - The Daily Beast - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Former Vice President Mike Pence honored by Kennedy family in receiving the JFK 'Profile in Courage Award' - Fox News - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Mike Pence: Keeping toys affordable is part of the American dream - CNN - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Mike Pence eloquently carves up Trump and MAGA with the precision of a surgeon - NJ.com - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Mike Pence Is Too Scared to Mention Trump While Picking Up Courage Award - The Daily Beast - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Mike Pence speaks out about January 6 Capitol attacks while receiving the JFK Profile in Courage Award - Fast Company - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- EDITORIAL | Profile in Courage: Mike Pence stood tall in defense of the Constitution - Texarkana Gazette - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Mike Pence issues damning 7-word assessment as he turns on Trump in bombshell interview - Irish Star - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Mike Pence Pushes Back on Trump's Assertion That Young Girls Only Need '2 or 3' Dolls: 'Really Part of the American Dream' - Latin Times - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- 'America's best days yet to come...,' Mike Pence quotes JFK as he received Profile in Courage Award - The Economic Times - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Mike Pence Rejects Trumps Tariffs: They Will Hurt the Economy and Consumers - La Voce di New York - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Opinion | Mike Pence: What the 47th President Can Learn From the 45th - WSJ - April 30th, 2025 [April 30th, 2025]
- Mike Pence has message for Trump just days after ripping the president and angering MAGA - PennLive.com - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Former US VP Mike Pence: Providing Ukraine with means to defend itself is an imperative for the entire West - All Israel News - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Mike Pence Reacts to Trump's Pivot on Tariffs - MSN - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Mike Pence to receive JFK Profile in Courage Award for actions during January 6 insurrection - CBS News - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Mike Pence has spent the week making Trump fans and the MAGA world mad - PennLive.com - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- And the JFK Library Profile in Courage Award goes to: Former VP Mike Pence - MassLive - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Mike Pence to get JFK Profile in Courage Award for certification of 2020 election - The Independent - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Mike Pence to receive JFK profile in courage - news8000.com - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Mike Pence to Receive JFK Profile in Courage Award - The Well News - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Mike Pence to get JFK Profile in Courage Award for certification of 2020 election - MSN - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Mike Pence to receive JFK Profile in Courage Award - Irish Star - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Former US VP Mike Pence: Like Israel, the US should give Taiwan 'the ability to defend herself by herself' - All Israel News - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, as Vice President Mike... - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- In Trumps Washington, Mike Pence Is Odd Man Out - The Dispatch - February 27th, 2025 [February 27th, 2025]
- People Are Genuinely Stunned They Agree With Mike Pence's Ukraine Tweet - Yahoo - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Mike Pence aims to be 'constructive force' during Trump's second term while willing to challenge him - Fox News - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Mike Pence emerges as one of the few Republicans willing to challenge Trump 2.0 - The Associated Press - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Mike Pence criticizes President Trump for saying Ukraine started war with Russia - IndyStar - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Mike Pence lashes out, but most Republicans mum as Trump savages Ukraine and Zelensky - The Independent - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Mike Pence emerges as one of the few Republicans willing to challenge Trump 2.0 - Niagara Gazette - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Mike Pence lashes out schools Trump on who started the Ukraine-Russia war - Boing Boing - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- All those to speak out against Donald Trump as Mike Pence rallies against former boss - Evening Standard - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Mike Pence emerges as one of the few Republicans willing to challenge Trump - Mon Valley Independent - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Incensed Mike Pence Slaps Down Trump Over His Sucking Up to Putin - MSN - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Mike Pence emerges as one of the few Republicans willing to challenge Trump 2.0 - LPHeraldDispatch.com - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Mike Pence emerges as one of the few Republicans willing to challenge Trump 2.0 - WPLG Local 10 - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Mike Pence emerges as one of the few Republicans willing to challenge Trump 2.0 - HubcitySPOKES.com - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Mike Pence emerges as one of the few Republicans willing to challenge Trump 2.0 - Oil City Derrick - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Mike Pence Revives Trump Tirades Against RFK Jr. in New Ad - The Daily Beast - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- Mike Pence Shares Brutal Video Montage of Trumps Own Words on RFK Jr. - The New Republic - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- Mike Pence Takes Aim at Donald Trump: 'Deviated From This Record' - Newsweek - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- Mike Pence Shares Brutal Video Montage of Trumps Own Words on RFK Jr. - Yahoo! Voices - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- Opinion | Mike Pence Hits the Hong Kong Target - The Wall Street Journal - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Mike Pence Back on the Scene as His Group Moves to Undermine Trump - MSN - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Mike Pence to attend inauguration - ABC7 Los Angeles - January 26th, 2025 [January 26th, 2025]
- Mike Pence arrives at Capitol before Trump inauguration - CBS News - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- Mike Pence Will Reportedly Attend Trump's Inauguration: What We Know - Newsweek - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- Mike Pence to Trump: cutting Taiwan support would likely spark a new nuclear arms race - The Guardian - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- Mike Pence booed by crowd as former presidents enter Capitol Rotunda - FOX 5 DC - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- Rachel Maddow Admits Mike Pence's Wife Refusing to Stand for Trump at President Carter Funeral Is Marriage Goals - TheWrap - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- Bill and Hillary Clinton and Mike Pence BOOED by MAGA fans as they enter the Capitol Rotunda - Daily Mail - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- Mike Pence makes shocking U-turn on Donald Trump support despite being branded as 'disloyal' - Daily Mail - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- Mike Pence makes brutal 'arms race' warning to Donald Trump - Irish Star - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- Ex-Mike Pence Aide Olivia Troye Says Kash Patel Threatened to Sue Her for Calling Him a Delusional Liar on MSNBC - Yahoo! Voices - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- Ex-Mike Pence Aide Olivia Troye Says Kash Patel Threatened to Sue Her for Calling Him a 'Delusional Liar' on MSNBC - TheWrap - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- Karoline Leavitt praised Mike Pence in 2021 and then deleted two social media posts - The Times of India - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- Mike Pence urges Senate Republicans to reject RFK Jr for US health secretary - The Guardian US - November 16th, 2024 [November 16th, 2024]