Comparing Washington And Lincoln As Prophets, By Thomas Merelman

I found Merelman’s thesis centered around America’s loose-boundedness fascinating. The article starts with an in-depth description of Puritan life, and the Winthrop notion of a “city on a hill.” It then proceeds to argue that the decline of Puritanism in the eighteenth century paves the way for a more democratic America which would carry in secular terms the convent. I think what Merelman is really pointing out here, are the analogous or similar nature of American religious and governmental institutions. These similarities are further emphasized the similar ways we celebrate hero’s, “Just as Puritans celebrate hero’s through fulsome biographies the US celebrates Washington and Lincoln as prophets.” At least to a certain extent this remains true today, as American schools, teach history in a very celebratory way, and in general mystify our founders. …show more content…
While I think this comparison between Puritan and Government is certainly interesting I also think it is important to inherently self-centered because both assume that they are God’s chosen people. Essentially the Puritan message of being a “city on a hill” or a moral guide towards the world reorients into an America notion that we are the political guides of the world. Anyways, I think this narrative for looking at the world could be investigated more in contemporary politics. Finally, Merlman argues that the Puritan notion of a liberal, reasoning helps to form the foundation of American politics, through the concept of the individual which ultimately leads to loosen