Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Godly Letters: The Literature of the American Puritans
Godly Letters: The Literature of the American Puritans
Godly Letters: The Literature of the American Puritans
Ebook1,114 pages18 hours

Godly Letters: The Literature of the American Puritans

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars

()

Read preview

About this ebook

In Godly Letters, Michael J. Colacurcio analyzes a treasury of works written by the first generation of seventeenth-century American Puritans. Arguing that insufficient scrutiny has been given this important oeuvre, he calls for a reevaluation of the imaginative and creative qualities of America's early literature of inspired ecclesiological experiment, one that focuses on the quality of the works as well as the demanding theology they express.

Colacurcio gives a detailed, richly contextualized account of the meaning of these "godly letters" in rhetorical, theological, and political terms. From his close readings of the major texts by the first generation of Puritans-including William Bradford, Thomas Hooker, Edward Johnson, John Winthrop, Thomas Shepard, and John Cotton-he expertly illuminates qualities other studies have often overlooked. In his words, close study of the literature yields work "comprehensive, circumspect, determined subtle, energetic, relentlessly intellectual, playful in spite of their cultural prohibitions, in spite of themselves, even, they are in every way remarkable products of a culture that . . . assigned an extraordinarily high place to the life of words." Magisterial in sweep, Godly Letters is likely to stand as the definitive work on the Puritan literary achievement.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 15, 2006
ISBN9780268159238
Godly Letters: The Literature of the American Puritans
Author

Michael J. Colacurcio

Michael J. Colacurcio is Distinguished Professor of English at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Read more from Michael J. Colacurcio

Related to Godly Letters

Related ebooks

Literary Criticism For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for Godly Letters

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings

0 ratings0 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

    Book preview

    Godly Letters - Michael J. Colacurcio

    mNabook_preview_excerpt.htmlے,u%+aІcU$@ϡvmx zdž TdD".U'$~ҟ0ocR~@TUf\ܷk}?|>n~~wz4۞O}mhf$/64aa\}7|% IþLݹmNݼSK} vv^o֩o̿747ø4۫ٶiCo7M4l26s6O4ukNM>S>vO]&Pk^_͹;.vS{|=x@|~yd8{{{յOvP߷e54N~c=mhR3J}>vniؕ R''aߍmh7]iu8p7~Ov%쑏`Wfx8 Dd ^.⚶|[˾h;쾽>]7vA н-=օnƽxl!x"|OMӎ/p3Gzw )H7BvJ1ںnay4i|J8y4L/l祽۷%t%ݶ۷x++ah2uOYyW?KO-f씤 =)ЅПh.\E6I鈹ɴۼjCsIS%)un'.V ]98HcڬEp wRc7ro$5O-) u7Sk{2.V=#6`ضEiY'vKkGNIh6o~X{=^JTskGaץEМ)0nn` =Ul$]Z/]uvbO -;'2 Gҽ ҨU+L,ͣJ%M5O0@>43=n;j?v }ۿu6NVEv݉-^a?¯w )Ev8ҶwÝd$s} 7  OF=-4@e)s2#-FuX[ 2@ ? {ć4jZvS>L';FM5WJ|hSn )q0#gKgϘJz-C.]eڛJ;HtTw 92/ MCݙץGLX7 7mTBd9"f:/kY3yu6̝_B=9/>"$JzVoNvd ,f0ko3[S/q`ə̵9E]3!ȱh\L*s2ƞ [i睟Zz;65:|posD b(cd~Aq閖濷Jh!Ot [2CɴikQ_J}]GgLt3sHh#um0e:tQ`hi<71]>z>ӧ@~|o[ZHzUݒMnwoRe+KL6DNH0]JHY;.8xN )B,g .Y)Ufz>3<0S\in\1s-6^AiA|A>ټNk$ܮ]m;m<d.S+L[gf$If}%x‘fiߎlpw\vPL+7r"M.cS,8"⠚s;EbEjF'X2e]R[ùeEUJGUlBiz,EY擤  f;ZDef.s2R[%S& Shʊ&\Ս,]/K0KË@})8##nO6&/G,tpf}HL2_>44[j7U{&i*]gÒh(ɤmqa%d LM`Ƴ4MٶM% ѦwHp>zj&?`iۦFj9l5]BarRi$;uB6A^b3//+3Si]Nw;.3E[^Cݦ]iXf3lװPK ^{e1UYJb Bv4*yJ=nU14 P &%]e;gi3{x2E Olq%]IiQ|;v L8d{{wQc}5kQN  IU2} v/GI`jx<'K8f P䠏 p_VE\fׯ$GՂ جݾ¢68z=Gisf;րak+T/ǎl^)չN'SNf 4U:UQich"09˧ӗpI „Z%+|ΊdXi"C+DidBlYJpMd4D_v/j}IWKٟy#ȣm=[QqT(hdrhzb0-(-{v+$"9Uc>[4K_o.UUyF5,j3zl7wv3ƱǪ}//\IWxS\{B5UqIgm_9"jb/); eOO-!b eyw)iy1لѽ~C&מsGSsy"ns%z cUnHIpb%sW&X`oYXG^TĊXqd~[]AD&qq~X 8GlqUr&<*-,KJ)8׵]4Ȍ1] bDΰ#K U2mZ8C̈r]1)[xeʏ~3D Y/J2Ϧʸ= @?9NYM` dTVc/4ր-0M$Js;NҺ¥prcQ 9;$5TOH-^_ͷ!Ó/X#9*GЧ,x@X6ypѦY{HȠ^ԥg鰁A/t$Ot,l `{u=GDYZUw6E}zVHJ8]ΜGJ"@Mk TmuɫgLn7'`M"^TZL_o,/e r⚭*dP fu4P1svn;fy]J hRw(NhB΢w@̊+ȣﱸ`n?:|*< r@"gj&olC 9JS[fD"] vSmWovG6c Q& uf,C"[\w B; [uLNڜ} ?/uE>\tD 鼝!TJQ@vwʁRTt FV]𚃻H{1%p"9&&b_?Ź'yvj@1-NdPe 7h;zjtϰ [Ą^}J30wrAz%pY.>:VF%eg$¡+:`Y$+F cZF"9(qmAȉ2owSQ'频2&B"AҢ: X%՟}?:&Y YxFv8I7\a:|; sLE茒F"C~QT;f/em@%=hC.ZniXgyX<(54?;NyKF>jMS"o4pb) .H[)#j7O:w{nw|ժc?2H`_E^7ِC@R Rm#Y }MEK{&уh8QvwU%Ȍ<e۾;~|3˰l£c#噭` 4=_)f׆Ţ4=#l`*BՆsXlFT %5-W/!u0 %eԦ Aр$o!mmͩ!W H?ke .}TR%ɫ~oMc&1%k?U?o2i adɳEk.X~JS^ͺ/BѨ %z.bb?:M@jF?N9ғ Xl B*5U>XopH&R^Pm?,RΑ, uvtA:ς&F&aVA6! 'aױhhJgdNd*a=k[7BCf U]-SƵPi[fڽbBIRm&Lحwت ?.$,&f ?f@j"+IiI6ll\̏+Rn ޔ䴜"#`t>C{M ;w^^zKovSwjOO_b+6>x{y[<1Rװt eG JY/~"%# %#KB6:WQ_ys}!J:xDNj(^DK5nx4G< :P(:QexDU^x,A*Jv9іAmbʄ[ %ibd_&.5[M$n`\q:k#BqETS:`#twv ?vYV'dԹrGy% 8>s * D>Ci*>nV4Aupި48!5Z m+x!l5Zt>7/MgrB z9H"OO4tcbМXWhJAhK!ຓEf&%Y-N7%\*48%Rٳ-T-ţ 1I(z'.COIEy3QxNɣhldToWLKaU5;:GH+n ~k> V$졩}=xgi:yLEgA&b'DGOdG8;fm =v̍yED3rq(wSxL9=iY}V|(b*E;9yw ^3)`>*b/O%tpݚ83@c8cPmg%#ohfsQHe0ܳ3d"$ ~`?w8Yn<^IhvF pySƱVzSo4\x`܁kA9k_)wPM;g/5?x7h/3Gp+hbOjaW@.зsM "znl8)j_\~IΑ:_Ϡ{f}9"O)/toٓQ"VܱU%]8Hq |KM>g=x ¥3C<tvo63xgdòK]pkm#bAY2$ye[*L3whV@HPtmh);LK>ZK9; Sh=5D7@07p,z&YWz׿~4`-ѭ\6xJ]CT3I|i#ؼV>B^ûu?oUMݦjސTx%Exw⤍C,+| 7˸߳(}ra›t^"gX1_#QVnL~P\c3^႒0yUa +"d3&o[ ;Y=W[,m4tNxufyնL<^ُ~ ;p~$3]| . ՘anOU$Wkr*"w{JM(gL|J~ڲ=l@U!AQnS98 is lաݣi΋WOq)@hN_wBUB0sVIP9'KC J&ݝ70>oiLj>H /"o3ɣE띄?I*R,<*x0iVbc޹jcUGF()tG)#@W*^-`S0-NrS~U4|۾;GA)y (S `+ s~b 0GI{Ҡbv^S&^i3$z!ٌgf8 .ҭJQ" :@W\gW}fpG?J5NWe*SjLE&ɶ .!u&<[L}##ԱwC[/Fy'/(tTMy\it^o䷘WLrZD g.2 hrN?4_i|j棯|o>z_#owT aҙMjU#oťb`Oꨣ롔6:P׼NGv/M沦yt _A:M&;EP1}CFsɄ Vmr9~*zʌBcX*}ӏC=R ;av PU/<"bf8~oF:bXg3FB\lN/Ӻ MfH5ؗˬ3f%}w[Rh{%30O~z 5-SD3ʳ-tFɞ\tʖQ1Kϼ ;X/f&"VATN1NM!BacE64l%cdĖk Mo+; =C;$W֫e)0)^֥m63Fj!.Csuс +[˴Ce6ppYWRv;F\oөλ!y]-W׿'uRX(DSxQ_ɕϗydnP)G'5!yCYw _%"eNќy ,(+@շLA| kp:.u {`l']4+6 KUtԍ5e=bBV+ #GY`R)y$BWJ#[d:VrY6-u|)i2n<"&bc*#<4w1xJ74ӗzwq|ꗚ!ɀr< FMBiwP?̼n&ķ\фf]sP& $e M4l->#ϜWo$ڸy)5gzV"ҙ&CPFF+]=Ps &Dc gHbc2<Ўh~tZLM<;r/-^}06lGgn=yS1-j`Ar1&S+T#:QZ\aX4tѬqsd>z8O &99I=I`-'3\ܫ&|<\Ϥ I@q4xz4Xyaw.7t3<آu9α/@K@!X,s.,Hr,qEwR 㡄_Xh$z1rR)#zj$v&m:,(S ]}m?c1:AǷ/]F<Z6jض^\C?b )va25UٖO Rl$&"y` ]9BqcOSU< vp7dQ}9L%9j(T UFwȇOT̃>aVo m['*F&$S'[AJ-n0GMmp` 7<̽:M1K}J] X5`R7kg\;yp!RKZn˓}9ԝ=[ X/a/7`@>$!29s$̢#m w2sz\!|3@u9Ź|39QiEDޗeg% kR>$Ui٥Yc*6)8Y)s$0DLۣR#0)lYz_ؠjy6w|lj٭ Oo[--0HnR.hVY{~ jѣ'ĝ7𪠄`A+޸DO0@ Gc~#!( :l˫'-M >mG/_` w6ġÇ$dteq E 0bhq%G%%ponov.eZꂃC`'6LѠ:kJXos*LyDe BgoN1g"ڣA$G#Amq|>lz'yUAU ߼huܖFM ?Ĩ&<խ[BtXP6?eN Fο_Z*G7`rSGh!WϻᔶH)^TѼj$9F>~95? qN$+fiѴ7Fzy 4h'[ Hm>pҡIÞkFC`湧N)HķcpZLW?z~ien[Éu9 Qv&oXBN4f,C[tK?~UTO1Qx?. \StT5Wwb/y9NTģyM?4T83?i+ؙ0 *vB|pZBvy47!0NBxq\?gp0i9ټ3%Frn'\՜Bj$Ry*L⨲`^Z[xq{@@q}Q!i, Ah9b }S_L&7Tw P:kMl zy{m+NCs\&ϣ_{C,h@=~s&HM}/t?''ƯrH~??]J 2լ=,qlc&ƍf E7欀>%B<_t9=m.cw,G#IIH[u4?3<@"VgŌ׈=uj2[\2~96e[ONgŇ)g=lj{ġ5텎U(DhE vUa`q+N9&֟Fb!1`Aa>E[gz9eC9߄p_QpSM1;Ϛ66]ZUܑuDV+]67έsDM23SZ6"ӏ^!xW}=vw?ԫ"<3+U,\v%&Wb{<[0+ R߾ˁHplqM3ᾂqI5JX~1s"o'܋t3\:QEz5Z=gnJf <2 5qc2MX肞L`Oe7GY1> @`Bbt=;œPUCC<⸈vz`5oMKb-/oiLhG «|$suzhsL #Ų[b:& PBBV=>kROUd͒^A4Rf4X< XpQY;;[^5޷*1,Syz0D vQbjk=} +;3kf/tNoCP\Zء?`-ꅊ@t\F`\!["a#|}ERO $-թ#Ubbs`υݭ"惈% ҞʘClg+ˍD&x7D*χ}9'0~VA;cuޏ17[T-` Aw9U?)s WM9WEo>iLN /f=-+H!d\=gEH:7͝ޢ_SȆMaHo5 NjlK6.Y4_xcm4KBV9LB̆i;>Xv7lജ[>] q,__f2gη%R۳]LK~I_ jmskg8OJ=`a<]2W=RQ) WP^ʺ SG_cGQh;*rʮ#A64=MN-5'1y*^G)\%3dDQX=~;؅չb#.:l R& 苆._+7ycZv_,츛.<*0?||3{*Cou)LN6E- SӞ;ㅙɊ])MudI-ۻ7o ChصE2D (әh8Ec,o57䤴K1[C]o)x4qT\A+KMza%ghr.S-N)W=N X|"78#}U_0qF RPA'Q6FQ}nm&YG&1?jD63ScRF7!ں&/~6r˗뙐3_{Gεu(M(DZPxZ릉iN]M<MAvc*SV㕷xa:Sv9}ef'PWZmaTaƾk'g%tAD)gxQ0T$%|N+}ݎW:s51W|"-L&tV1,zˆ ;ߚD{dp&&T7tߨUpHk|^ܩcz)BϠMaXbPѠ<3m a|"p-cbO(vJMi_Q}3X^}?Jq7;lӂkw>?&){뙾EO:TqCz! O$|ԵbbʤD?("g!H 'nݕuQWe0ev1qP}wAhxiDH[82duoOߪ>;&5k)0i'X mᱵJ͞`$z\#oڋy [h¯w[_9ԯgnřh?=ޱ~\"Z`0a H{/x ]v+2 &‘YN#cGO^l [23Ќ\/o5r\Dc)J\2^[s#ܦRI>.rOdx۩AJM On8cqTMQ _z=2s|;IO#z΁J܄"!ZIJ,򣆣ܕ BrfS9 maad9ɏ+Szzh-`5t+>qD' x jSŅ\Wz}@\-x7QNAp<ҋX0ζqzc>[ 9{[cdfexfMQ R0L=aHZ{/-mZ-fE7x^/frowOǔb qcnj/jˑ} eB{Dp1 ]< G@+k| '[x&[w񹉊bi_ MꀙˢfKGO֯rH6+C=0cB,;<%BH0GMіh>0ΈMZ4FCn[//m/Cn.k~ ox`MF4ftNܶ(rDx1 8Y,AA >W<̟'wfHkaAQޕs΍6ԒQ\o8kr]4pjDk h=G:eC2UHyPYrz«iFLnM\jD(9{ߙdY'5|+19wbqXy- O9U5-8)&]4nj}$*_ LE>c$_{;|6oߊ71PE='; lu};2_`8ӲFqSl^:;:cq O];Q:]+yϱwq|nR^F7`. ^G>CQ/v)pey75~yb2ͩ`Zv8f' 3ַY|L0MI!4I8]'nhmEvR$KS D=MrNq,|f(Q= /},;8Qq?n@lT4;z+%'|)WȄEkEet7ңɓ3,'U m1V̂±nw L~}kD?yjF;CDZ*^eY)'՛ b}AT_V.6ō'w:AJ .:q nN1xD>$ PéeT/I?gev(thyx*wjX)?m(I oF{@1LLwc k=j{i(wT׬CPܱ3ފ({2f"nߥ@+@}yܪgR`!yN0 p; Y`nD Lb 1$ C+AM+—5o`Zyf N1k~ .L_vVtg_QO vgTŸ^)D;oA~_.iT;'ɍxDħ9)!6><=cG1ȼUv(h)k!ezp/ŤBvV 9;&pT Y2x^{wU-vWP,: bMXA42h'`b+^ds~tϧ.}@Mw2qtDyLK7cw"1D(&=ƊK~\O# (cOp'U9,{_:9+E7;UVG2[;Kwڦn^(jH*c9-.-oPoJI͔b4ull-P{1Eng og?7%͹=t>fN&ϝĚH`(rLmoARd04yavX P|I!;#~N1|dj^z`/8 d!5 s O;2Ns(oQ\J$w9jr/#n_H_j SkH^f.7i1G`% j?S{LCM"cs0Nv c:w8Lt5{.e4S,ق}e'6rg6z̧t`Yڱ7&콴1q!ēCya&cZdVnVt+E91V ( 9! Q :Mpʙ1Qɠ}_UVPN]Fvu?g<y<^u4da+ԁ@:[lo*?*SqgN}Eha-rDxCě]XSr?jIJ%nߪ$YF2߱\ Zilgen\^4C`jBoDxX-'*]LǪx0]9ԛ:sª LΜnջ^W/;a%8ir }?^@rdkbFزcp)I|)/_\#`P,yLIONym83:sw\G6_2m-O`εR[T:$3C߽oʬ}9G}5Ww@pu$RuD  Jۛ[tY!z2YD4yҁ.GNJV+ǦTLqύ  n∐yijjGl0s핯NT ì1"5V=yl/o߸+5a<WLI# X9d ÞAC8Х4= 1z(߰kK~_5ްqiR+C>NlfBɩv7!@i[.Z@9_iVg,bk<э{`BVM#n\:e9ٽYnિPo&ܼ˧ ^ME!ݑx;Zfx"dN˰ 5|rG(^ZA:UL1; :@z9M"L\6Idp(ܟ,Z}_ƞļϟ˅ҿ;_TmCZD/)b>`C4 C-"LxaZ= ~ [hSJ.sMK$G5{54i?TYB]l 9:No8],YR-K.k4eZ9쎀R A$J%6iNۄ_j֥ 3Xl5G̔v uܬs&D)5yY;oj̈́ qpZ_}/&j/ayV;c~G/i\[a='>R/ȯX>;Oj߽#r8K#>by3/۵zk[ ے*!,NxicoƊ] 1%WpN ',yųk*0mIO&cH/Ófv1 ,hBKK:rS!]2zX.*i"5DCl| yvfp<5ɩ~Aɠ`CͿǭok(I0BST0'Gր|ɬ=ؘ$N.W@oO[\pjʝ,*#%Up['1 s<1"XMA!ȼydv&rh~gw|oⓣ]㾙`S ~ ㍃2OӠI "|xQ-Lfp<AnNj$Q I>k~Lk-Rګ_PH˂[㕼BsTA g藹2qd\=y/Z>cb@T$N Ŝw[\ qgYzSK+Y4( BJӥY s)6n3kTB{>n\(uCJz7a3i5Ti,ϘE(4 jjʙ/d"z6 qwvi!:`*\NT\M∥ bhLCB.űSLИmyț.<_~Cm5\%=)b2=c Wuo,UXR$TQy2;?sӥYH[,N>D+wK`E(&יFՆkSKn?rۛrEuuj}3bj7vJ{fxݬ¡y#h#+Rd38M2Mo3$jL5u!tA=)ev.WQ ]NesFqϴ?/p(]uǷwHbл"EyY`KvWg,.2C=>nyۓ(bb{bL[)Ոh0"$+U#6XFl ^98h؏ 0;3>U^?fXg4p9ĪmzНB8|/{!y29/uB5'[oy/vYԹ/.$ǡW JWv{\-fHNVq Œzk$ \mnm!>@%G .)!YqG >s~pJӹε%Xn|7yXcL6 ezdqr5]0KC'p+5)fkJcIDiѳA)3c{.)NB9CX
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1