"Under the Cope of Heaven" by Patricia U. Bonomi

In her literary work, Patricia U. Bonomi overviews the topic of religion during the colonial years. The author provides a detailed narrative about religious life, conflict, and toleration in the United States of those times. Also, Bonomi investigates the relationship between religion and politics, specifically their tight links. The study illuminates the crucial role of religion in the American Revolution. The author researches the religious life in the Middle and Southern colonies depicting its vitality among churchgoers and clergy. Moreover, this updated edition of the book contains a new preface on the study of African American people, Indians, the Great Awakening, and women opening the new perspective on the issue. Under the Cope of Heaven is an enlightening story showing the impact the religion has made on the American society during the colonial period. Therefore, Bonomi's book demonstrates that religion has been a political, as well as economic instrument that shaped American life and values at that time.

Under the Cope of Heaven begins with an overview of colonies, specifically their religion. Bonomi argues that religious toleration was granted to colonies in order to promote immigration. Furthermore, the author states that this act has been done begrudgingly. The most interesting part of the study is masterful connections the author makes between religion and the Revolution. The writer shows that the latter has been a key motivator forcing colonists to question the authority's power. The literary work regards not only the religious argumentation but also the set of religious events in the scopes of revolution in late years of colonial America. At the same time, the author dispels the two myths: the religious decline in that century and an irreligion of the Middle Colonies. In fact, there was no substantive decline in religiosity but there were enough congregations per capita in the Middle Colonies. Bonomi concludes the book with an informative section portraying the Great Awakening and the contribution it has made to the American Revolution.

In her book, Bonomi refers to multiple sermons that prove the greatly individualized conception of the Christian faith. Thus, the author provides the audience with a good summary of the emerging ideology showing her own understanding of the colonials’ situation. In this respect, Bonomi discovers the religious productivity of the tradition existing in the American colonies. The author investigated why this tradition seemed so relevant to the late colonial crisis. The entire book depicts convincingly that religion has played a vital role in the Revolution, as well as its expansion. Moreover, the two chapters of Bonomi's religious discovery explore the Great Awakening underlying the resistance within the clergy. This friction has led to the conditional neglect of the impact the Awakening has made on the lay people. The author maintains that the revival converted models of “popular participation in organized opposition to authority” (Bonomi, 2003, p. 161). Thereby, Under the Cope of Heaven is an informative study of the writer who has made a deep research in order to characterize the particular era.

Under the Cope of Heaven is a powerful and thought-provoking book. Bonomi demonstrates religious, as well as the political background of American people living in the colonial period. In her study, the author also regarded Americans' attitude towards the Revolution. Bonomi also examined political and religious concerns existing in the colonial America. At the same time, Bonomi's book is a valuable investigation of the development of colonial religion and tradition existing at those times. Although Bonomi's work is provocative, it is respectfully written taking into consideration the opposing views. Thereby, the book possesses style and grace of the author, as well as a stimulating new perspective on the developmental era of the religious culture of America.