The Light and the Glory

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Summary: Part Sermon, Part History
Review: Authors Peter Marshall and David Manuel admit from the beginning that they are not really writing a history book exactly. They are giving what they perceive as historical examples of America being a Christian Nation guided by God to fulfill its destiny in God's plan as a Puritan City on A Hill or a New Israel. Millions of Americans both past and present have believed in such a destiny and these authors present this view well. Are they biased? Yes. But not anymore than Marxist, revisionist, feminist, or multi-cultural historians. My advice is read history from several viewpoints as you search for the truth. Try to avoid that inevitable destination to which we all finally find rest, comfort, and joy--self-righteous smugness and arrogant certainty.

I think their book is targeted for a mostly teenage audience to impress impressionable minds, but adults can read it and not insulted intellectually. It just seems a bit simplistic at times when compared to other histories I've read.

The authors begin with Christopher Columbus's voyage to America. They mention Columbus's belief that he was destined to find a land in which he would bring the light of Christianity to the heathen. (A more cynical interpretation would be that Columbus was merely a conquerer imposing his religious beliefs on the native subjects, but the authors are not taking that route.) Strange incidences are mentioned in which Columbus chose the lot among about 30 men to go on a pilgramage more than once during storms which threaten to sink the ship. This lot-choosing for taking a pilgramage to a shrine was seen as a way of appeasing the Lord. In fact, the authors use incidences in history as examples of God's providence or testing, or the devil's meddling or tempting the people of God to choose right or wrong. Storms such as natural events often don't happen by mere chance according to the authors, especially during some important historical event that is affected by that natural event.

I thought the authors covered the Puritan leaders really well. John Winthop was a particularly important figure in American history because he was largely responsible for successfully starting and leading the Puritan colony and making it a success. He made everyone, gentlemen or not, roll up their sleeves and get to work on building the colony. This colony is contrasted with the struggling colony in Virginia which was harmed by bad leadership. Kudos to God and blame to sinners is given along the way.

I got the impression that the Puritan Roger Williams was a character. He wanted to be really, really, really pure in eyes of God. So much so that he even became an annoyance even to the Puritans. When they tried to correct the error of his fanatical ways, he would always resort to the argument that they were violating his freedom of conscience. He could always brilliantly reason his way out of being reproved. Finally, he went off to Rhode Island to a colony of people who were dissidents bordering on crankdom like himself and they were a terrible annoyance to him--I found it an amusing account of folly of fanaticism.

Anne Hutchison, was another Puritan character who became a heretic. She believed that whatever on her mind was the voice of God talking to her. She began preaching unbiblical ideas which got her banished from the colony.

The authors take pains to present the Puritans as NOT the tired, old killjoys that some people, probably pleasure addicts, libertines and hedonists, have described them as. They give examples of Puritans partying and telling jokes, all within the limits of righteousness, of course. The authors give them a break from the relentless criticism--I think the Puritans deserve one.

Religious leaders and great preachers are covered in the book. The evangelist George Whitefield during the Great Awakening was the era's greatest soul-winner. Sometimes he would have crowds up to 30,000 listening to him in nearly complete silence. It's remarkable to think about in era before microphones. His preaching helped God save the souls of whole towns on occassion. He would preach as many as four sermons a day and worked everyday. Though he kept an exhausting schedule on his tour of various towns, he never quit until he dropped dead.

Some of the natural events do seem to more than just coincidences. The famous fog that gave cover to George Washington and his cornered troops during the Revolutinary War is one example. Although it had been clear and not rainy previously, a fog appeared in the early morning hours to help the American troops to escape from the British who had them right where they wanted them.

The authors cover the beginnings of a culture war between secular rationalists such as Thomas Jefferson and fervent fundamentalist believers such as George Washington. Jefferson was a deist and a Unitarian that didn't believe in miracles or the divinity of Christ. He thought that Jesus was merely a great moral teacher.

The authors cover the period from Columbus's arrival to America to the beginnings of the Constitutional Republic. I've just picked a few events and people of interest to me. This is a good book for anyone wanting to study the Christian roots of the United States.

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Summary: God's plan is still available
Review: Did God have a plan for America? That is the question the authors tried to answer and its a question many of us have asked? Was the discovery of the new world chance or was there a Divine purpose behind it?

The Light and the Glory highlights the coming of the Light of Christ to the new world in an extraordinary way - through faithful but sinful people. Yes, sinful people founded this country but they were a people faithful to achnowledge their own sins and quick to repent. God used these people - ordinary people - to do HIS work of planting a new Israel.

Marshall and Manuel do a wonderful job of addressing how God used the early explorers' and settlers' faithfulness to plant the Light of Christ in the New World. They show how through convenant obedience with God the great discoveries were made and settlements were started. They showed how men lived in both a vertical covenant with God and a horizontal covenant with their neighbors. "Love one another as I have love you" was their guide. They also showed how self-love and breaking the covenant relationship between themselves and God and their neighbors brought hardship and death upon the settlers to the New World. For example Jamestown.

They showed the Divine hand of God orchestrating and guiding a vast group of individuals with one heart into a fledgling nation. How Washington was preserved for a great calling during the Indian wars of 1755 because of his own covenant relationship. Later they highlighted the coming to gether of the continental army at Valley Forge. Entering for the winter, they were a defeated group of rag tag soldiers ready to collapse. When they left six months later, they were a united, devoted group of men fighting for a common cause under the covenant banner of relationship. United with God and with each other an Army that never truely won a battle before Valley Forge, never lost one after.

The Light and the Glory is a powerful look at American history so often neglected today. The History of God in America.

Thank you Peter Marshall and David Manuel for showing us the LIGHT once again!

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Summary: The Lord has revealed the truth for such a time as this
Review: Finally I see the real history of what happened to and with my country. My school gave biased one sided information with no God no bible at all and focused on surfacey facts not to go in depth at all at Christian influence as the bedstone for this country. I so glad to my King and Savior for burning His heart in mine for this country again to be one nation UNDER (not above) God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. To Jesus be praised now and forever in this place. Hail KING JESUS!

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Summary: Great book for all Americans to read
Review: Great book. Wish school classrooms would use as a text book. Amazing "little" facts of our history. Every American should read.

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Summary: This book belongs in everyones library and home no if nor an
Review: I read this book several years ago and had forgot the title and the author, but it stayed in my mind as a book that could change the social,educational and spirtual consciouness of the whole world if enough people just would tell the truth like these 2 great men Peter Marshall and David Manuel did in this book I plan on reading it again and telling everyone where they can get it. The sorry state of education today is because we have gotten away from the principles that are the very basis for our nation,that are in this book. If there is a Medal given for truth in literature these men should get it.

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Summary: good information but the presentation needs work
Review: I would give this book very high marks for the information it presents. Marshall and Manuel write with an air of authority that comes from having studied their material very well. Unfortunately, the book is written with such poor English that it was difficult to digest without constantly being drawn to the poor writing. This was somewhat surprising to me since both authors are Yale educated. The book is also somewhat one-sided. Despite its obvious flaws, I would consider it a must read for the information presented. The average Christian or American citizen does not have the time to do the research that these two men did. Since their research came up with a large amount of important information, we owe it to ourselves to learn more about our country through this book. Simply keep in mind the positions that the authors hold and try to ignore their poor writing.

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Summary: The Truth
Review: It will be left up to books and authors like these to teach our children the correct history of our country. That God is the reason for this country and the without Him we don't have a chance of survival or salvation. This is a must read for every Christian, from the youngest to the oldest.

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Summary: You Will Re-Read This Several Times
Review: Marshall and Manuel have assembled a significant anount of material that has been written out of today's politically correct history. Starting with Columbus and working through to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the authors take details from newspapers, books, diaries and other materials of the times and weave a story of Christianity and the founding of the United States. They show that the two were intertwined and not meant to be separated. A drawback to this kind of writing is that it can not be taken as a serious history text, but rather as a historical overview or treatise. In other words, there is a significant amount of personal comment from the authors. I found quite a few places where the authors imagined comments or scenes about people; what they thought or did. This is unfortunate and caused me to downgrade the book slightly. However, these parts are well written (as is the whole book) and do not detract. Well worth the purchase price.

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Summary: The real principles upon which this country was founded.
Review: Marshall and Manuel have written a book that could not be more timely. For those who eschew revisionist history, this book sheds light on the values, belief systems and mindset of the founding fathers. Must reading for those who would understand the reason our country is not working and how to remedy the problem by returning to our roots.

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Summary: Interesting reading, but it ain't history
Review: Peter Marshall and David Manuel attempt to present a new perspective on America's founding, telling two stories: that of America's genesis, and that of their laborious research to unearth the "truth" of America's origins. The book is certainly well-written, but passes poorly for history and fair interpretation. Arguments about God's existence and/or will aside, the work seems plagued with a notoriously Eurocentric version of American history that discounts and dismisses the history of its orginal inhabitants. A quote from the book (p. 47, top) demonstrates such a dismissal: "And God may have had another concern: that His grand design for the New World get off on the right foot. He had withheld it from man's knowledge for this long, in almost virginal purity. He had stocked it with an abundance of game and fertile soil, natural resources and beauty--all that a people would ever need--as a fitting abode for the followers of His Son." The most glaring statment is the "withheld it from man's knowledge" bit. Do Marshall and Manuel consider the Native Americans something other than "men"? The other key word is "may," which along with "might," "could have," and "possibly," is the most common word in the text. Marshall and Manuel's work is rampant with speculation (including speculative prayers and dialogue) that goes far beyond established fact to create a biased and ethnocentric "history." Don't read this if you're a serious student of American history--you'll be sorely disappointed.