Customer Reviews

The Puritan Dilemma: The Story of John Winthrop (2nd Edition)

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One of Edmund Morgan's most enduring works, The Puritan Dilemma, published in 1962, is still a good starting point for understanding the motivations behind Puritan migration to America and the ideological and political difficulties they faced once they arrived. It was Winthrop who declared that the new colony would be as a city on a hill, a new example of community for the rest of the western world. Morgan shows that this statement masks the Puritans' somewhat melancholy desertion of the political revolution brewing back in England, and examines what the search for true community cost in terms of individual freedom as well. The contradictions in Winthrop himself mirror those of the entire Puritan colony and by extension America: what does freedom mean, and what is the proper role of the individual in society? How could a group looking for freedom of worship cast Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams out of their society? Morgan examined the issue of freedom many times, most definitively in American Slavery--American Freedom, but this short biography lays bare fundamental American problems with grace, concision, and a consistent point of view that debunks our culture's simplistic use of the "puritan" label. An intellectual bargain at only 200 pages.

I read this book many years ago for an American Literature class and am now rereading it for an American History class. I enjoyed it the first time and am enjoying it now. The writing is fluid, entertaining; the points made are profound. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about Winthrop and the early Puritan immigrants--a quick, pleasurable read.

This is an excellent overview of Winthrop and his Massachusetts Bay Colony. The author traces how John Winthrop struggled with the dilemma, first internally, as he dealt with the question of whether traveling to the New World represented a selfish form of "separatism", the desire to separate himself from an impure England, or whether, as he eventually determined, it offered a unique opportunity to set an example for all men by establishing a shining "City upon a Hill", a purer Christian community in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In this regard, it seems to have been of vital importance to Winthrop and his fellow Puritan colonists that they had the imprimatur of the King and that though they were physically distancing themselves from the Church of England, they were not actually renouncing it.

The issues Winthrop faced are no different than what the Church still faces today (though perhaps seemingly less practical). That is, what is the normative and non-arbitrary basis for jurisprudence- Gods' law or autonomy? Gary North's books are particularly helpful in answering this, hopefully, rhetorical question. The sad reality is that most ecclesiastic officers and the Church as a whole are altogether unprepared to deal with the task presented to Winthrop because of their pessimillenialial views despite Christ's admonition that the (defensive!) Gates of Hades shall not prevail against His kingdom.

I highly recommend this book.

Edmund S. Morgan is simply a wonderful historian and writer. As I get older I find I appreciate a writer who can get to the nub of his subject without blathering on for hundreds of unnecessary pages. This excellent short biography concisely tells the story of Winthrop's leading role in the Massachusetts Bay Colony established during the Great Migration of Puritans. Great books challenge us with new insights. Read this book and leave your preconceptions of Puritans behind.

This book recounts the struggle between Politics and Ideals, the Practical and the Spiritual. It isn't true that the ancestors of our country were incorruptible, etc. etc., that the old times were better. Not a bit boring for anyone who reads history. Fascinating and educational.

People often bemoan or praise the "Puritan work ethic" and the Puritan character as being judgemental (true), hardworking (true) and joyless (not true). For better or worse, the Puritans are so much at the core of the American character that it is fascinating to delve into the details of how they came to the New World and what they did. As an agnostic reader, I have no opinion of his religious beliefs, but John Winthrop's self-discipline, focus and all-round ability are fascinating. He was the original Go To guy, I suppose. I especially like the way they figured out how to govern themselves. I am sure if I was assigned this book in high school or college I would write similar reviews as many of the previous ones; but as a 50-year-old who is interested in American social history, I think this book is a winner, and Edmund Morgan is an excellent writer.

An interesting look at the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the remarkable character who lead it for most of its first couple decades. It seems easier for many people to view the Puritans as stereotypes rather than real people, but they're more interesting as flesh and blood human beings living in the real world. Considering their importance to American beginnings, it's probably wiser to try to understand them as real people. They were amazing in some respects, misguided in others, but they got New England going, along with Harvard, Yale and a powerful commitment to literacy and education. They also started representative government in the New World, at least in the northern British colonies, and they had a leader of rare abilities in Winthrop. This is a part of American history that's perhaps more relegated to either caricature or the dustbin than any other, and that's to our loss in understanding our roots and their continuing effects on our society.

This book is a good overview of Puritanism in England and New England in the first half of the 17th century, especially the role of John Winthrop in establishing a Puritan commonwealth in the vicinity of Boston, Mass under the auspices of the Massachusetts Bay Company in 1630. Little time is spent on day-to-day living conditions in the new Mass. Bay colony - and they were harsh.

Much of the book is concerned with the subtle but explosive differences in Puritan thought that Winthrop was forced to deal with: Separatism, Presbyterianism (hierarchical, inclusive) vs. Congregationalism (flat, independent, & exclusive), or such deviating thought as Arminianism and Antinomiansim. In some cases, diffident residents were banned from the colony, such as Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson.

In addition, the author shows the gradual inclusion of adult male church members in the governance of the colony from the original conception of only the few members of the Company exercising absolute control. The author maintains that the basics of church-state separation existed, yet there is no doubt that both sectors were concerned with rooting out and punishing ungodly behavior. The author shows that the survival of the colony owed a lot to Winthrop as he resisted tendencies of some towards separatism and purity - in other words, fanaticism. At times he was voted out of the governor's office, but the colony always returned to him.

A rather understated aspect of the book is any real feel for living in a totally religious community under constant surveillance and the superiority of those who wish to judge who had been saved or not (or worse). Somehow the spread of that mindset into representative government is not especially heartwarming. The myopic idea that a pure, godly community, superior to others, could be established plagues us even today.

This brief and dense history of John Winthrop's Boston is a must-read for folks interested in colonial life in America. Beginning with the formation of the Massachusetts Bay Company in England, and following them to the new world and the new struggles that accompany their arrival, historical juggernaut Edmund Morgan paints an unfamiliar picture of John Winthrop.

Often depicted as a fundamentalist zealot, Morgan's Winthrop is a more pragmatic puritan - one willing to make compromises in favor of trade, diplomacy, or popular support. Winthrop's struggles with his own people are also highlighted throughout the book, particularly in the roller coaster of on-again, off-again governorship between him and his rivals.

The book also clarifies the objectives and different types of puritanism, which I, as a student of history, found very helpful in understanding the religious landscape of Englands both new and old.

The one downside to the work is the style in which it's written. As an early work of Morgan's, he had not yet found the compelling, conversational voice which he is today known for, resulting in an academic tone that makes reading a bit tedious at times. Regardless, the thorough research and interesting subject matter more than makes up for it.

While this book is an excellent biography of John Winthrop, Massachusetts' first Governor, it is also an excellent review of the various types of Puritanism and the issues faced by Winthrop and others in their American experiment to found and develop a colony based on Scripture. Morgan gives a very balanced portrait of Winthrop: his genius and his foibles. While looking closely at the Puritanism of the Massachusetts colony, Edmund S. Morgan, also show the Puritanism of England and its leaning toward Presbyterianism and the dangers of seperatism that were very threatening to Winthrop and his supporters. Overall, this is a very readable and entertaining biography that looks at the development of Winthrop's thought from his youth in England to his great contributions to Massachusetts' survival.