Topic of Choice: John Muir and his Father’s Theology

Muir’s father, Daniel, was inspired by the Campbellite form of Christianity that encouraged a straightforward and stern approach of following the Bible.  By following the teaching of the Campbellite sect, Daniel, “practiced a hard and humorless religion” (Wood). By his father’s order, Muir was required to memorize passages of the Bible daily, without any reluctance; otherwise, he would face a whipping. As it appears, Daniel was a strict disciplinarian who would not allow his family to pursue anything that did not relate to the Bible. For example, “Daniel had forbidden all but religious or practical books as frivolous or impious” (Wood). Muir’s father, being a tyrant as he was, caused him to escape his fruitless household, to pursue his intellectual curiosity.