The Last American Puritan: The Life of Increase Mather, 1639-1723

by Michael G. Hall

A critically acclaimed and accessible biography of one of the towering figures of New England's colonial period; winner of The Conference on Christianity and Literature's Book Award.

Powerful preacher, political negotiator for New England in the halls of Parliament, president of Harvard, father of Cotton Mather, Increase Mather was the epitome of the American Puritan. He was the most important spokesman of his generation for Congregationalism and became the last American Puritan of consequence as the seventeenth century ended. The story begins in 1639 when Mather was born in the Massachusetts village of Dorchester. He left home for Harvard College when he was twelve and at twenty-two began to stir the city of Boston from the pulpit of North Church. He had written four books by the time he was thirty-two.
Certain he was God's chosen instrument and New England God's chosen people, he disciplined mind and spirit in service to them both. Tempted to "Atheisme" and unbelief, afflicted early by nightmares and melancholy, then by hope and joy, he was a pioneer in recognizing the excitement of the new sciences and sought to reconcile them to theology.

This well-wrought biography, the first of Increase Mather in forty years, draws on the extensive Mather diaries, which were transcribed by Michael Hall.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

456 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1988

Reviews

[Rachel Shallenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was WAYYYYY too much detail, too many unnecessary names, facts, dates, etc. But some of it was super interesting. Well written except for minor sentence structure issues, I guess. Also, the author seems a little bit critical of Christianity, so I'm not sure why he wrote a book about Increase Mather, some kind of secular curiosity, I guess. I don't know, it's an okay book. I was glad to finish it! It was difficult, but I made it. Certain parts made it worth it. Increase was relatable in some parts! Not recommended or nonrecommended, lol. Do what you will.

[Noah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched and very readable

[Richard Bartholomew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating account of religion, politics, and culture in New England at the end of the Seventeenth Century. As well as a detailed account of Puritan theology and living and its decline, the book provides in-depth discussion of church controversy, the urban development of Boston, the rise of popular publishing, disputes over the Harvard and the governorship of Massachusetts, and the 1692 witchcraft trials.

Mather's visits to England are also covered, and these parts of the book highlight the trans-Atlantic links of Puritanism (Mather came to know Richard Baxter, and a distant relation by marriage was minister at the dissenting chapel at Fetter Lane, London. He was also aware of Isaac Watts. Back in New England, Mather also helped a couple of regicides on the run from Charles II). Here the author shows less familiarity on some minor points: there is a place in London pronounced "Holburn", but it is spelt "Holborn", and an MP is a "member for" a particular place, not a "member from". This is of course nit-picking, but there is also a picture supposedly depicting London in the Eighteenth Century - given that it shows the gothic St Paul's Cathedral that was destroyed in 1666, that's a real howler.

I read this book following Marsden's bio of Jonathan Edwards and Silverman's bio of Cotton Mather - the three volumes make up an excellent trilogy which together chart the evolution (or if you prefer, decline) of New England Puritanism into Evangelicalism.