This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

The congregation is a distinctly American religious structure, and is often overlooked in traditional studies of religion. But one cannot understand American religion without understanding the congregation. Volume 1: Portraits of Twelve Religious Communities chronicles the founding, growth, and development of congregations that represent the diverse and complex reality of American local religious cultures. The contributors explore multiple issues, from the fate of American Protestantism to the rise of charismatic revivalism. Volume 2: New Perspectives in the Study of Congregations builds upon those historical studies, and addresses three crucial questions: Where is the congregation located on the broader map of American cultural and religious life? What are congregations' distinctive qualities, tasks, and roles in American culture? And, what patterns of leadership characterize congregations in America?

Excerpt from The Trial of Ezekiel Cheever Before the Church at New Haven Ch. That the preparing work belongeth to the Elder's Office, he did not in that respect charge them with usurpation. The ruling Elder asked him, in what other respect he did charge them with usurpation, and desired to know his ground, why the brethren are now but Clerks, if he could give no ground, it would appear that he vented this slan der out of malice. Br: Cheever denied that he had done any thing out of a malicious frame, but said, he thought his ground was a passage in Mrs. Eaton's case. It was ex pressed when she was to come to the Ch: that she must not come, till the Elders were first satisfied. It was replied, this instance is neither sufficient nor true. The Officers propounded, and consented to her coming, but a question then falling in about the Officers preparing work, wherein himself and some others dissented from the rest of the brethren, the Ch: acting freely, and according to their light, the major part by far declared and voted, that they would not have her come, till she had first applied herself to the Elders. Hereupon sundry of the brethren declared themselves offended with br: Cheever for laying a false ground to bear up a slanderous charge. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Restores the place of early-American literature and its writers beyond just the New England sermon - long thought to be the only literary form accessible to the colonial population.

Much like A Midwife's Tale and The Unredeemed Captive, this novel is about power relationships in early American society, religion, and politics--with insights into the initial development and operation of government, the maintenance of social order, and the experiences of individual men and women.