The Puritan warrior is an early example. He built a “city on a hill”—and burned native settlements. Later examples include the Christian slaveholder who ruled with a mixture of paternal benevolence and brutal violence; or the Christian homesteader who settled the frontier and drove out the natives; the WASP imperialist who selflessly pursued his self-interest overseas; or the Cold War evangelical who battled “godless communism.” They, too, were prepared to use violence to defend (their) liberty and impose law and order (on others).
