Book Review: Religion, Society, and Politics in Colonial America

Under the Cope of Heaven: Religion, Society, and Politics in Colonial America by Patricia U. Bonomi, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1986) vii-291

Religion is a dominant theme in Colonial Studies. Often, however, it can seem the majority of Colonial religious works focus heavily on Puritan New England or the Great Awakening with little explanation of the broader context. Patricia Bonomi’s work stands in opposition to that. Under the Cope of Heaven is an attempt to explain the complexity of religion in the Colonial period and how through controversy, it shaped society and politics leading up to the American Revolution. Though the work is concerned with religion, it is more specifically focused on Protestant religious groups in the regions of the British Colonies.

Bonomi structures the book into two distinct parts: Religion and Society, and Religion and Politics. This structure affects content by organizing by themes rather than chronology. Each theme, whether on clergy or the “political awakening,” is broken into sub-themes based upon religious tradition. These sub-themes lend the work to not only a topical approach, but also add a regional dimension. This is extremely helpful because it takes a broader focus and gives crystallized insight into the sheer complexity of religion in Colonial America.

Complexity is a dominant theme throughout this work. In the first part, Bonomi continually stresses the diversity among Protestant groups in the Colonies. This diversity then leads to conflict between various groups. Bonomi contends that much of the conflict between religious groups was due to competition between groups, whether Baptist-Anglican conflict in Virginia, or Presbyterian-Congregational conflict in Connecticut. Though many touted the idea of religious liberty, they did not practice tolerance toward other groups.

Another route Bonomi takes to impress the importance of complexity is to explain the social context of clergy and churchgoers. Bonomi argues that many of the problems among religious groups were due to the lack of clergy among more structured groups such as Anglicans and Presbyterians. In addition to requirements for graduate degrees among these groups, many clergymen, especially Anglicans, did not want to come to the Colonies because of its remoteness and distance from England. Less structured groups, such as Baptists or Quakers, did not have education requirements and Bonomi shows the antagonistic interplay between these kinds of groups and structured groups as they quarreled over education, class, and economics.

After exploring the social context of Colonial religious life, Bonomi moves toward the relationship between religion and politics. The key event for Bonomi is the Great Awakening. This period of revival lasted from 1739-1745 and set a series of denominational conflicts which catapulted from the pulpit to the penny press to the Colonial legislatures. Key to this conflict was the Old Light-New Light controversy in the Presbyterian Church. Leaders such as Gilbert Tennent began promoting a pietistic view of life and challenged the rationalism and Scottish Common Sense beliefs of others. This also heightened a growing discontent with establishment oriented church government.

Bonomi contends these internal conflicts led to external conflicts. Religious groups began competing in the political arena, particularly in the Colonial legislatures. Whether Presbyterian-Quaker conflict in Pennsylvania or Anglican-Dissenter conflict in Virginia, Colonial Politics was ingrained with religion, and escalated tensions. Many began to fear an Anglican Bishop would be established in the Colonies. This, combined with the British exerting more perceived control, led to increased political rhetoric in sermons as themes of patriotism and liberty became common Sunday fare. These situations added with the Revolution set the course for an engrained sense of the importance of religion in American life.

Bonomi’s presentation of the complexity of religious life in Colonial America is compelling. She uses her sources in a convincing way that ties together themes such as struggle, deference, and class with the thread of religion to underscore the importance of her topic. Despite this persuasive presentation, there are a few shortcomings.

One glaring example is the exclusion or minimization of key movements and leaders. For instance, the short section covering gender and race did not delve into key abolitionist movements during the Colonial period. While it was refreshing to devote space to a few of the “positive” relationships between Colonial religious groups and African slaves, it would have been strengthened by mentioning efforts of abolitionist movements and leaders.

The most glaring minimization by Bonomi is the lack of information on Jonathan Edwards. Since Edwards is arguably the most studied religious leader during the Great Awakening, it seems odd that he is mentioned only four times. There was no reference to his famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” which many scholars would argue “begins” this period of revival. While Bonomi does an excellent job assessing the impact of the Awakening, she could have given readers better insight into this event by including more on Edwards.

Other groups which were downplayed in this work were the Moravians and Methodists, who were important, particularly in Georgia. There was one curious omission in the paragraph on Benjamin Franklin’s religious views. Bonomi minimizes Franklin’s Deism and places him in a more “Christian” mindset by referencing records, which show some of Franklin’s Christian sympathies. However, she ignored his affinity for attending revivals led by George Whitefield.

Despite the few shortcomings, this is an important book. Bonomi presents complex issues without attempting to simplify them. She places religion in its broader context to understand the intricate role it played socially and politically. This is supported by the thematic and regional organization of the material. While the book leads to the Revolution, it lacks teleology, which strengthens her argument that Colonial religion, society and politics share a multifaceted relationship with an impact felt even today.