We've received a lot of archival material in the past couple of years, so we've been a little more selective about the books we buy, but these were just too good to pass up. Check out some of the new additions to our circulating collection.
Race and Redemption in Puritan New England by Richard H. Bailey
Bailey contends that, as New Englanders of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries offered spiritual redemption to their neighbors, they found it necessary to define how they differed from one another, especially from the Native Americans and Africans living in the northern British mainland colonies. Race and Redemption in Puritan New England explores how these proponents of the New England variant of puritanism made race out of their offers of spiritual freedom, setting the stage for similar processes when physical and social freedom became more accessible for New Englanders of color in the generations following the American Revolution.
Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul by John M. Barry
These days, everyone in the US is familiar with "separation of church and state", but in the early days of Puritan colonists, it was a topic of fierce debate. Roger Williams was so vocally opposed to the colonial government influencing the actions of the churches, and vice versa, that he was brought before the Massachusetts court multiple times before being convicted or sedition and heresy. Acclaimed historian John M. Barry explores the development of Williams's fundamental ideas -- the proper relation between church and state and between a free individual and the state -- through the story of the man who was the first to link religious freedom to individual liberty, and who created in America the first government and society on earth informed by those beliefs. The story is essential to the continuing debate over how we define the role of religion and political power in modern American life.
Bless God and Take Courage: the Judson History and Legacy by Rosalie Hall Hunt
Based on six years of research among the Judson family's personal papers, this book tells the story of Adoniram Judson and his clan as they served as missionaries in Burma (now Myanmar) during the earliest days of the ABCFM. Unlike most missionary histories, Hunt's tale is less concerned with the larger task of conversion to Christianity than it is with the intimate family moments experienced as the Judsons traveled through unfamiliar places. It's gotten rave reviews on Amazon.com, so take a look and share the ups and downs of 19th-century mission life for yourself.
Martyrs' Mirror: Persecution and Holiness in Early New England by Adrian C. Weimer
Martyrs' Mirror examines the folklore of martyrdom among seventeenth-century New England Protestants, exploring how they imagined themselves within biblical and historical narratives of persecution. Memories of martyrdom, especially stories of the Protestants killed during the reign of Queen Mary in the mid-sixteenth century, were central to a model of holiness and political legitimacy. The colonists of early New England drew on this historical imagination in order to strengthen their authority in matters of religion during times of distress. By examining how the notions of persecution and martyrdom move in and out of the writing of the period, Adrian Chastain Weimer finds that the idea of the true church as a persecuted church infused colonial identity.
Exploring New England’s Spiritual Heritage by Garth Rosell
This is a long-awaited publication from a good friend of the library. It takes contemporary pilgrims on a spiritual heritage tour through historic New England. Enjoy a journey through the sights and sounds of New England and trace the spiritual heritage of Boston, Ipswich, Newburyport, Salem, Plimoth, Northfield and Northampton. Contemporary pilgrims and families alike will find this tour book to be an excellent resource on the rich history of this region.
It includes:
- Seven self-guided tours
- Full color maps at the beginning of each chapter with each stop marked on the map
- Basic directions provided for each stop
- "Did You Know" facts scattered throughout each chapter
- "For Further Reading" bibliography provided at the end of each chapter
- "A Closer Look" at the end of each chapter takes readers deeper into an aspect of the life and times of the region
- Appendix with suggested daytrips and instructions for how best to use the book
- 160+ pages full of colorful pictures and descriptions for each stop
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