Making Heretics: Militant Protestantism and Free Grace in Massachusetts, 1636-1641

Making Heretics is a groundbreaking narrative that fundamentally recasts the famous Massachusetts disputes of the late 1630s as a complex ongoing interaction of personalities and personal agendas, rather than a simplistic "antinomian controversy." This book offers a striking portrayal of Thomas Shepard as an angry heresy-hunting militant, while also highlighting the contributions of previously neglected figures like Sir Henry Vane and John Wheelwright.

With a focus on the rich contexts of ministerial quarrels, lay piety, and geopolitics, Making Heretics provides an object study in the ways that puritanism generated, managed, and failed to manage diversity.

This comprehensive account also moves into England in the 1640s and 1650s, shedding light on the differing fortunes of puritanism in the Old and New Worlds.

Whether you're a historian, theologian, or simply someone interested in the complexities of religious history, Making Heretics is an essential read that will keep you engaged from start to finish.