Gods of War, Gods of Peace: How the Meeting of Native and Colonial Religions Shaped Early America

by Russell Bourne, Geoffrey H. Bourne

Through dramatic comparisons of Native American and early colonial politics, history, and religion, historian Russell Bourne offers a complete and insightful look at how these two disparate groups influenced each other and how this interchange helped forge the basis for the culture we live in today.

Despite living in a war-torn world, both sides made heroic efforts to reach out to each other. The religious and cultural concepts of the Native Americans helped to transform the colonists, turning many into pantheists, communal villagers, and woodland warriors. Similarly, many of the Native Americans became evangelical Christians, farmers, traders, and even commanders of nationalistic armies. Benjamin Franklin, marveling at the cooperation and mutual respect evident among the Six Nations of the Iroquois, suggested that colonial leaders should follow their lead. Yet, in the end, differences and treacheries drove the two peoples apart.

Based on extensive historical research and consultation with numerous Native American and academic sources, Gods of War, Gods of Peace offers a revelatory new view of how Native American and colonial religions shaped America and its ideals.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Religion

425 pages, Hardcover

First published April 4, 2002

About the author

Russell Bourne began his career as a writer-editor on LIFE Magazine in 1950. Career interrupted by the Korean War, he operated as a Special Agent in the US Army’s Counter-Intelligence Corps in Berlin until 1953. He then returned to Time, Inc and served as Henry Luce’s assistant at Time-Life Books and went on to run several publishing departments for American Heritage, National Geographic and Smithsonian. In the 1980s, he began creating books on his own and published about a dozen works, mostly on American History and Transportation, while also writing poetry. His poems have been published in reviews and journals across the country. He was a Fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society. For many years his habit has been to spend summers in Maine and winters in the Finger Lakes.

Reviews

[Bryan Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently read this book and was impressed. It focuses on the relationship of colonists and natives and the development of European power through the course of religion. While at times it seems to repeat events you realize that often the same methods were used with differing levels of success with different groups of natives. While the main focus was on the spiritual aspect, Bourne shares the ways this also led to military and social changes for both natives European settlers. A very good read.

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book on the interplay between Anglo-Americans and Native Americans from the pilgrim landing to the Indian Removal Act. The role that each sides religion played in that interaction is the thread that ties it together. The author also posits that the religions adopted elements of each other over time.

[Jackson Hager · Rating 4 out of 5]

Filled with stories of hope and heartbreak, Russel Bourne tells the stories of struggle that emerged within the clashes and encounters between Native Americans and colonial settlers. Bourne demonstrates how each group influenced each other, and how native religions came to influence the resulting American society we know of today. While a thrilling read, some previous knowledge of the political and military events of the time period would deepen one's understanding of the book.