Godly Republicanism: Puritans, Pilgrims, and a City on a Hill, by Michael P. Winship

Abstract

Several decades ago, before the rise of revisionism, few scholars doubted that strong links existed between the English Puritan tradition and the rise of republicanism. While Whig historians in England rarely paid much heed to theology, they understood that those on the Calvinist fringes of the church tended to argue most vociferously against the excesses of the Crown. In North America, meanwhile, scholars of New England looked to that region for the roots of democracy—especially in its tradition of local participatory government. In this remarkable study, Michael P. Winship breathes new life into these once accepted but now maligned interpretations, positing that the ‘godly ecclesiastical republicanism’ of Puritans on both sides of the Atlantic had a strong influence on later, more secular, visions of republicanism. And yet, this is not just the old Whig history in new form, as Winship accepts the Puritans on their own terms. If they did end up influencing their more secular successors, their goals were very different and decidedly less modern. As Winship argues, political reform was just a necessary step on the path to remaking the pure church and paving the way for Christ’s return.