Exile and Kingdom: History and Apocalypse in the Puritan Migration to America

Cambridge Studies in Early Modern British History

by Avihu Zakai

By analyzing the ideological origins of the Puritan migration to America, the author shows how Puritans believed that their removal to New England fulfilled prophetic apocalyptic and eschatological visions. Based on a close reading of Puritan texts, the book explains how Puritans interpreted their migration as a prophetic revelatory event in the context of a sacred, ecclesiastical history, and why they considered it as the climax of the history of salvation and redemption.

276 pages, Hardcover

First published November 14, 1991

Reviews

[Rachel Sharansky Danziger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book that hooked me on American history, and eventually led me to seek out the author and write my master's thesis under his guidance. It maps out the powerful emotional, theological, and spiritual impulses that came together to be the wind in the sail of the puritan migration. As someone who grew in the shadow of another movement of aspiration and renewal (Zionism) I found the messianic and aspirational aspects of these impulses deeply familiar, despite the theological chasm that separates me from the christian ideas of the puritans. I would recommend it to anyone who's interested in understanding the migration to America beyond the well- known generalizations that permeant popular culture, and for anyone who is interested in the way high ideals and deep dreams can motivate people to great achievements, shape the world around them, and yet pose challenges as the dreams become reality and the generations pass.