Description
On this pathbreaking study, Patricia Bonomi argues that religion used to be as instrumental as either politics or the economy in shaping early American life and values. Taking a look on the middle and southern colonies in addition to at Puritan New England, Bonomi finds an abundance of religious vitality through the colonial years among clergy and churchgoers of diverse religious background. The book also explores the tightening relationship between religion and politics and illuminates the important role religion played within the American Revolution. A perennial backlist title first published in 1986, this up to date edition features a new preface on research within the field on African Americans, Indians, women, the Great Awakening, and Atlantic history and how these affect her interpretations.