Cedric B. Cowing

I found this book fascinating, given its theory that people's approaches to religion in early New England, whether they were more rational/legalistic or more spiritual/otherworldly [to put it simply] were strongly influenced by where they or their ancestors originated in England. That rational/legalistic and spiritual/otherworldly dialetic played itself out in early New England, leading eventually to the Great Awakening with the resurgence of the spiritual/otherworldly in Puritan life and, later, the splitting of Puritanism into Trinitarian Congregational and Unitarian Congregational paths. Another valuable aspect of this book was its discussion of New Light and Old Light churches and a formula which could help one determine whether or not a Puritan church in that Great Awakening period was likely New Light in orientation, or not.… (lisätietoja)