ENG BC3179
Fall 2009
Gordis
READING JOHN WINTHROP
The Norton Anthology
introduction explains that John Winthrop preached A Model of Christian
Charity on board the Arbella, either as a group of Massachusetts Bay
settlers prepared to leave England or at some point during the voyage.
(Recent scholarship has raised some questions about this, but we’ll
bracket those for now.) Winthrop was not a minister, though his
university education gave him some of the same training that ministers
had. You may want to consider the interpenetration of the secular and
the religious here, though. What are the implications of having a
governor deliver a sermon like this to a community?
As you read,
pay attention to the issues and themes that Winthrop stresses. How does
he envision this community? What kinds of metaphors does he use to
describe it? Consider the range of his metaphors. Is it
surprising or jarring to have metaphors about clock mechanics
juxtaposed against metaphors about the body and marriage? How might
this juxtaposition reflect Winthrop’s views of the relationship between
law and love?
Consider this text in the context of some of the
issues that we’ve been discussing over the last few weeks. How similar
is Winthrop’s discussion of the community as a body to Bradford’s?
Also, consider the metaphors of love and marriage that Winthrop uses.
See, for example, the discussion of the soul’s relationship to other
souls compared to Adam and Eve, on page 154 (213 in the sixth edition).
For comparison, I’ve asked you to read part of an excerpt from
Winthrop’s Journal that follows in the Norton (pp. 164-167 in the
seventh edition, or pp. 223-35 in the sixth edition). Here,
Winthrop includes the text of a speech that he delivered in 1645, when
he felt that his authority was being challenged. Does his approach seem
to have changed here? Does he use marriage metaphors differently in
this passage?
In the final section of his sermon, Winthrop
spells out concrete implications for the community. Note that he
emphasizes the covenant between God and people of Massachusetts Bay. A
covenant is a mutual agreement and commitment requiring the consent of
both parties. How does Winthrop understand God’s role in this
agreement? And what is the danger if the covenant is broken?
Finally,
note the famous “city upon a hill” passage on page 158 (216 in the
fifth edition). Often, this phrase is cited to suggest that the
Massachusetts Bay settlers believed that they would be a bright shining
example. Does this seem to be what Winthrop is saying? If we think
about this as Winthrop’s attempt to create an origin story for
Massachusetts Bay, what are the implications of his announcing in
advance that the eyes of the world are upon this colony? What response
might he envision from his audience?