The First American Evangelical: A Short Life of Cotton Mather (Library of Religious Biography

by Rick Kennedy

An accurate, sympathetic account of influential colonial Christian leader Cotton Mather

Cotton Mather (1663-1728) was America's most famous pastor and scholar at the beginning of the eighteenth century. People today generally associate him with the infamous Salem witch trials, but in this new biography Rick Kennedy tells a bigger Mather, he says, was the very first American evangelical.

A fresh retelling of Cotton Mather's life, this biography corrects misconceptions and focuses on how he sought to promote, socially and intellectually, a biblical lifestyle. As older Puritan hopes in New England were giving way to a broader and shallower Protestantism, Mather led a populist, Bible-oriented movement that embraced the new century — the beginning of a dynamic evangelical tradition that eventually became a major force in American culture.

Incorporating the latest scholarly research but written for a popular audience,  The First American Evangelical  brings Cotton Mather and his world to life in a way that helps readers understand both the Puritanism in which he grew up and the evangelicalism he pioneered.

Genres: Church History, History, Biography

176 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2015

Reviews

[Lisa]

Beautiful sabbath reading--engaging writing, inspiring story. Even though I am not a stranger to 17th century Colonial America, this brief biography reminded me of some of the basics as well as making me feel like I knew these characters personally. The pictures, maps and walking tour as well as the humorous and imaginative renderings of scenes--really made this important time and person come alive. This will be the book on colonial religion and history that I recommend to non-specialists for some time to come. And I will be assigning it in class.

I was most inspired by Kennedy's description of the social knowledge (both in academic and spiritual arenas) that Mather valued. The way he fused strong creative thinking with spiritual passion is a fascinating model to draw on. I'm so grateful for this book and for the life of Cotton Mather.

[Clark Maddux]

Rick Kennedy is one of the liveliest scholars of American Puritanism at work today. His conversational style, engaging wit, and deep appreciation of his subject are on full display in this brief portrait of Cotton Mather. Kennedy does superbly what precious few students of early American religious culture are able to do: he makes his subjects come alive. Thanks to Kennedy, we can see one of the most complex, and misunderstood, figures of Puritan New England as a human being, surrounded by equally deftly drawn characterizations of all of the important figures of Boston in the 17th century. All of Kennedy's works evince this same quality of being both readable and for the skill with which they disguise--as the best scholarship does--the immense research behind them, but this biography is a particular delight for the sensory descriptions of Mather and old Boston. In ways that more consciously academic biographies do not do, in Kennedy's work we see Mather in the Harvard Library, in his private study, in his church, among his congregants and his family. Kennedy allows us to understand why Mather was deeply loved and well respected by those around him, and teases out the human figure behind the rumors that have historically swirled around him.

[Ruth]

After reading this short summary of the life of Cotton Mather, I stand by my critique of his involvement in the Salem Witch Trials (even his sympathetic biographer concedes that Mather tended to be a bit revisionist and melodramatic in his personal histories and diary entries), but it was nice to get a broader idea of the man himself and the influence he had on America's early development. His writings give evidence of an active, imaginative mind paired with a lively sense of humor and a strong sense of spiritual purpose.

[Jimmy Reagan]

Have you fallen prey to the prevalent misconception that Cotton Mather was the moralistic, harsh perpetrator of the Salem Witch Trials? If that is the case, you do not really know the man. Author Rick Kennedy takes us to the heart of the man and Mather is, in fact, a man worth knowing. Kennedy succeeds in a short biography at what some massive tomes can’t even deliver—a winning biography that is enjoyable to read and brings life to the subject.

I must confess that I came to greatly admire Mather by the end of this book. His faith was real. Though he worked at scholarly efforts on many occasions, he never lost his full confidence in God’s Word. He was in no way a fake. He was sincere in his home and ministry. The members of his church loved him and stood by him all his days. His faith was tested and stood as he buried 13 of 16 children and 2 of 3 wives.

Kennedy makes a good case that Mather is not the last American Puritan, but rather the first American Evangelical. He had only a cursory involvement in the Salem Witch Trials, but has had his reputation altered by a disreputable rival.

You will see just how good this book is in the first chapter entitled “The Pastor’s Study”. While that title may bore you, I have never come to know someone better in the first chapter before. The scene he draws is vivid and makes the study a vibrant place.

He doesn’t hide Mather’s weak points. He almost took his thoughts on angels too far. He relentlessly promoted his own books. His last marriage had problems and he always had trouble managing his own finances. All these things only made him real. The fine man remained. I simply loved this book!

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

[Dan Glover]

This sympathetic biography of Cotton Mather is brief, accessible, occasionally a tad repetitive (not badly), but very much worth the short time it will take to read. Kennedy seeks to give Mather, arguably one of the most important people in early American history, politics, medicine, education, and religion, a fair hearing on his own terms and within the world-view of his time. Many scholars and authors have painted Mather as a bigoted, misogynistic, self-righteous villain for his role in the infamous Salem Witch trials, but if Kennedy is correct, not only has this caricature been greatly exaggerated, it is far from the truth of who the man actually was and what his approach to the demonically influenced/oppressed was. Kennedy is attempting to swing them pendulum favourably toward a sympathetic re-reading of Mather which shows him to be a man of good intentions and largely good applications given his convictions and perspective, taking into account the commonly held views of things in his day. This book is about the whole man and his life situated within his time. It speaks to his life growing up, as a scholar, pastor, father, his roles in politics, at Harvard, as an appreciator of natural history, as an educator, as well as his influence on other key figures in early America (such as Benjamin Franklin). One would need to read both critics and fans among scholars, and of course much of Mather's own writings and those of his contemporary critics, to get a balanced view. Still, I came out of this read with a much better knowledge of and appreciation for Cotton Mather than I had going in, and the bibliography at the end is very helpful for any who are interested in a deeper dive.

[Andrew McHenry]

This is a good, readable biography that takes you through all the major stages of Mather's life. It also deepens your understanding of the Mather lineage (Richard to Increase to Cotton). The author does a good job of breaking past the legendary and misleading caricatures, to understand Mather on a human level -- with significant interest in finding common bonds with modern evangelicals. Mather was a educated man, a reader, and someone who was very affable - which made him popular as a pastor and in the community. He also had a strong humanitarian impulse that pushed against some of the rationalistic tendencies of his time. The book concludes with a short tour guide for those who can make it to Boston.

It is a slender volume that was crafted to bring in more readers, so it does not have footnotes. Some of us would've preferred the more scholarly, detailed biography. But it's of good academic quality will serve it's purpose both for students and for other interested readers.

[Bob]

Interesting book

The book was interesting, but I found it thin on spiritual profit. If you want to get more about Cotton Mathers quotes and his personal life I would think his diary would be better. At a lot of points in this book I had a hard time getting through. I was ready to put it down. I kept going and was somewhat glad I did

[Sep]

An excellent word picture of seventeenth-century Boston in which Dr. Kennedy examines the life and Christian philosophy of Cotton Mather. Cotton Mather survived an incredible amount of tragedy and never lost his faith in God. I had no idea. I found this book very helpful in my Christian walk.

[Jordan Reichert]

Loved it. Very interesting introductory into the life, times, and impact of this early American thought leader.

[Tim Liddell]

a great encouragement - Mathers loved to give books away too

[Cale Fauver]

A simple book for an important period in the coming American history and Christianity.

Cotton Mather was brilliant, a faithful pastor of the largest church in Boston (alongside his father), gave away many books, encouraged pastors, and loved his Bible. Helpful to see the details of his so-called 'involvement' with the Salem Witch Trials properly explained.

[Bekah]

This was such an informative, interesting book! I had never heard of Cotton Mather before reading this book and upon getting to know a little about him in the very beginning, I realized that there was a quite a bit of controversy on him. I think this author did an excellent job telling about the life of Cotton and I walked away from this book encouraged and definitely interested in this first American evangelical.

What I Liked: The author was very straightforward in his telling the story of Cotton, yet it kept me turning the pages! At several times in this book I felt like I was getting a little peek into the life of this amazing man of God who believed in having a, as he called it, 'an all day long faith'. He strove to encourage the people that God wanted a diligent relationship with His believers, not a lukewarm one. He encouraged the people to pray often and seek to live by God's Word.

Cotton Mather is most known for, I read, for his part in the Salem Witch Trials. I think that this is where a lot of the controversy comes in. Having never heard about him before, I haven't read a lot of the negativity and controversy surrounding him. (I definitely want to do some more research on him.) But what I know of his part in this very sad part of American history, it seemed he made a pretty substantial attempt in saving the lives of the supposed witches. He believed there was another way to go about things, because he certainly realized and was aware of the dark evil of this world and that Satan is very much alive and well.

According to this book, Cotton and his wife took a couple demon possessed girls into their home and through normal habits like healthy eating, sleeping, chores around the house, etc. they believed they could help these two girls. And through that and the prayers of the congregation, Cotton shared in his journal that they were miraculously healed.

Cotton seemed to have a genuine heart to serve and encourage his congregation and those around him. Was he perfect? Oh no. There were definitely a few things in here I did not agree with, (like his explanation of Noah's flood and a couple other Biblical events in the Bible,) but he truly seemed to have a heart that was after God, and that was definitely very admirable and encouraging to me as a believer.

A really neat thing about this book is that there is a map included in the back with directions and info about different historic sites in Cotton's life. (Like the sites of where he lived, preached, what certain things would've looked like in his day and age.) If I ever go to Boston, I'm definitely taking this book with me so I can see the sites mentioned in the book. :)

What I Didn't Like: There wasn't anything about this book that I really didn't like. Again, I didn't agree with his views on Noah's flood and a few other Biblical events, but this book was excellently researched and I felt like I knew Cotton very well upon finishing it.

I give this book 5 stars for an excellent view into the life of a man who has been widely misunderstood and criticized. I definitely want to do some more research into this man who, I believe, was truly seeking after God.