When the issue of slavery emerged as a national problem in the United States, representatives of various American social groups, including clergy and religious groups, took part in the controversy. Among them were both supporters of preserving slavery and active opponents of it, who adhered to abolitionism. In the hands of the planters, religion was the most powerful means of giving the appearance of moral justification to their slave system.
The proponents of slavery appealed to the divinely established nature of slavery, while the opponents appealed to the injustice of slavery, including comparing them to ancient Israelites. At the same time, there was a stratum of churchmen close to radical circles who were sober about the situation in the country and consistently advocated the recognition of constitutional manners for the African-American population. The presence of such politically diverse tendencies indicated a division of forces within the American church, which in some cases served to divide and form northern and southern denominations.