The Puritans, David D. Hall
The Puritans, David D. Hall
List: $29.99 | Sale: $21.00
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The Puritans
A Transatlantic History

Author: David D. Hall

Narrator: Jason Culp

Unabridged: 21 hr 24 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Recorded Books

Published: 11/12/2019


Synopsis

A panoramic new history of Puritanism in England, Scotland, and New England This book is a sweeping transatlantic history of Puritanism from its emergence out of the religious tumult of Elizabethan England to its founding role in the story of America. Shedding critical new light on the diverse forms of Puritan belief and practice in England, Scotland, and New England, David Hall provides a multifaceted account of a cultural movement that judged the Protestant reforms of Elizabeth's reign to be unfinished. Hall's vivid and wide-ranging narrative describes the movement's deeply ambiguous triumph under Oliver Cromwell, its political demise with the Restoration of the English monarchy in 1660, and its perilous migration across the Atlantic to establish a "perfect reformation" in the New World. A breathtaking work of scholarship by an eminent historian, The Puritans examines the tribulations and doctrinal dilemmas that led to the fragmentation and eventual decline of Puritanism. It presents a compelling portrait of a religious and political movement that was divided virtually from the start. In England, some wanted to dismantle the Church of England entirely and others were more cautious, while Puritans in Scotland were divided between those willing to work with a troublesome king and others insisting on the independence of the state church. This monumental book traces how Puritanism was a catalyst for profound cultural changes in the early modern Atlantic world, opening the door for other dissenter groups such as the Baptists and the Quakers, and leaving its enduring mark on what counted as true religion in America.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Nathan on February 09, 2020

This book is really an essential book for someone to read if someone wants to understand the Puritans on their own terms and grasp the complexity of the experience of the Puritans in the English-speaking world during the 16th and 17th centuries and their relevance for today.  To be sure, I do not kn......more

Goodreads review by Caleb on July 03, 2021

Very good for delineating the confessional issues underlying the English Civil War, motivations of American Puritans and where these histories diverged or interacted with one another. The reader will find detailed treatment of topics such as the Scottish Kirk, the entanglement of church and state is......more

Goodreads review by Victor on January 22, 2020

This is not an easy read though the author does a good job keeping the subject interesting. Definitely have to revisit the material at some point . On second reading, I’m sure it will still seem new to me.......more

Goodreads review by Colin on February 28, 2023

I have a rough understanding of what was happening in 17th Century England and North America but it was not enough to easily follow this book. I had to constantly Wikipedia many of the figures the author discusses to understand what he was writing about. Others with more in-depth knowledge of the ti......more

Goodreads review by Janet on March 16, 2020

way too much detail for a casual reader. Perhaps by focussing on theological issues, a reader who is less familiar with the political situation may not get a good sense of the times. On the other hand, by the penultimate chapter, the theological conflicts become more comprehensible and provide an op......more