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Article: The Puritan Tradition in Revolutionary, Federalist, and Whig Political Theory: A Rhetoric of Origins.
- Article from:
- Church History
- Article date:
- March 1, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 American Society of Church History. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The Puritan Tradition in Revolutionary, Federalist, and Whig Political Theory: A Rhetoric of Origins. By Dean Hammer. Major Concepts in Politics and Political Theory 13. New York: Peter Lang, 1998. xxvi + 222 pp. $32.95 paper.
For several centuries the term "Puritan" was synonymous with democracy, enlightenment, rebellion against tyranny, freedom, and much else that was laudable. In the last century an entire reversal has occurred, making the term to mean repressive, hypocritical, censorious, prudish, and worse.
How did this reversal come about? Dean Hammer's careful and intriguing study avoids simplistic approaches to defining Puritanism, recognizing ...