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Academic Seminars

Religious Change in Revolutionary America: Conflict, Competition, Consolidation

Stephen Marini

Tuesday, March 18, 2008, at 4:30 p.m.
Elmarion Room, Goddard-Daniels House
190 Salisbury Street, Worcester, Massachusetts

PRÉCIS: Religious culture in America changed dramatically between the Great Awakening and the end of the Revolutionary Era. Colonial communions rooted in the Reformation confessional identities were overwhelmed by a new and diverse Evangelical culture led by the Baptists and Methodists. In this seminar Stephen Marini will present new research from his AAS-NEH Research Fellowship on how that religious change occurred. While historians have tended to focus on revivalism as the prime transformational factor, this presentation will focus instead on processes of religious conflict, competition, and consolidation that mediated change between 1740 and 1790 through personal and familial networks, ethnic enclaves, reading and publishing orbits, and local and regional church institutions.

Refreshments will be provided after the paper, which will be followed by a dutch-treat dinner in Worcester. If you plan to attend, please notify Ann-Cathrine Rapp at AAS no later than Friday, March 14. You can either fax the form below to 508-754-9069, or email her at arapp@mwa.org or go to the calendar and electronic registration form.