Records of Trial from Thomas Shepard’s Church in Cambridge, 1638–1649: Heroic Souls (Christianities in the Trans-Atlantic World)

"This book presents a revolutionary new reading of manuscript records left by puritan minister Thomas Shepard in Cambridge, Massachusetts that have been studied for decades as his on-the-spot recording of oral relations of faith delivered by candidates for church membership. This book proves that these records are not relations, but Shepard's personal record of sessions of trial--meetings with candidates still working out their spiritual seeking. New transcriptions of the original manuscript records, and corresponding never-before-published writing by Shepard, dispel much of the confusion produced by the published transcriptions. Close-readings of the manuscripts, contrasted with the published transcriptions, set the stage for a new understanding of puritan spiritual preparation in Shepard's Cambridge church. The book concludes with a challenge to the negative reading of the women's records that is central to established scholarship, revealing their powerful, confident spiritual identities and voices." --Provided by publisher, back cover Front Matter ....Pages i-xii Re-reading, Re-interpreting, and Recovering Priceless Texts (Lori Rogers-Stokes)....Pages 1-37 Close-Reading the Shepard Manuscripts (Lori Rogers-Stokes)....Pages 39-80 “Venture and Try”: Women Taking the Ultimate Leap of Faith (Lori Rogers-Stokes)....Pages 81-101 The Shepard Context (Lori Rogers-Stokes)....Pages 103-130 Heroic Souls: Reading the Cambridge Women’s Records (Lori Rogers-Stokes)....Pages 131-173 Conclusion (Lori Rogers-Stokes)....Pages 175-185 Back Matter ....Pages 187-190