| Agents of Wrath, Sowers of Discord: Authority and Dissent in Puritan Massachusets, 1630-1655 Contributor(s): Wood, Timothy L. (Author) |
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ISBN: 0415977312 ISBN-13: 9780415977319 Publisher: Routledge OUR PRICE: $152.00 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: December 2005 Annotation: This project seeks to reconcile two conflicting schools of thought within the historiography of American Puritanism by arguing that even within the parameters of Puritan religious and political orthodoxy, dissent played a recognized and expected role in the life of early Massachusetts. Challenging previous interpretations that have depicted a monolithic Puritan establishment ruthlessly crushing all principled opposition within the colony, this book emphasizes the enormous importance the colony's leadership placed upon balancing their allegiance to the colony and its institutions with the Christian duty of reconciliation. At the same time, this study addresses more recent scholarship that dismisses the notion of a discernable "Puritan identity" entirely and contends that 17th century New England was a turbulent sea of competing ideas and enthusiasms that wholly lacked a coherent unifying ideology. Instead, this book contends that under the threat of social and intellectual chaos on the frontiers of America, there emerged a core Puritan mission that was either embraced or spurned by New England's founders, but widely understood by all. Only when opposition to that mission pushed beyond accepted boundaries and finally rose to a threatening level did the authorities of Massachusetts act decisively in defense of the colony. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | United States - Colonial Period (1600-1775) |
| Dewey: 974.402 |
| LCCN: 2005028840 |
| Series: Studies in American Popular History |
| Physical Information: 0.65" H x 5.98" W x 9.3" (0.88 lbs) 206 pages |
| Themes: - Geographic Orientation - Massachusetts - Cultural Region - New England |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: This book explores the authorities of Puritan Massachusetts balanced concern for the stability of the colony and the integrity of its Puritan mission with the hopes of reconciling dissidents back into the colonial community. |