The Kingdom of Matthias - A Story of Sex and Salvation in 19th-Century America (Paperback, 2nd Revised edition)

Paul Johnson and Sean Wilentz brilliantly recapture the forgotten story of Matthias the Prophet, imbuing their richly researched account with the dramatic force of a novel. In the hands of Johnson and Wilentz, the strange tale of Matthias opens a fascinating window into the turbulent movements of the religious revival known as the Second Great Awakening-movements that swept up great numbers of evangelical Americans and gave rise to new sects like the Mormons. Into this teeming environment walked a down-and-out carpenter named Robert Matthews, who announced himself as Matthias, prophet of the God of the Jews. His hypnotic personality drew in a cast of unforgettable characters-the meekly devout businessman Elijah Pierson, who once tried to raise his late wife from the dead; the young attractive Christian couple, Benjamin Folger and his wife Ann (who seduced the woman-hating Prophet); and the shrewd ex-slave Isabella Van Wagenen, regarded by some as "the most wicked of the wicked." None was more colorful than the Prophet himself, a bearded, thundering tyrant who gathered his followers into an absolutist household, using their money to buy an elaborate, eccentric wardrobe, and reordering their marital relations. By the time the tensions within the kingdom exploded into a clash with the law, Matthias had become a national scandal. "Written with the sweep and narrative drive of a best seller.... It has sex and sexual depravity, violence, murder, a courtroom drama, a media feeding frenzy, prostitution, lunacy, theft, religion (plenty of that), politics, social commentary, subtle humor, a fascinating if weird cast of characters, and a surprise ending." -Atlantic Monthly "The Kingdom of Matthias is about marginality, fantasy, commerce, sex, and the soul's hunger, and the classically American combustion of all of the above.... A delicious and disturbing book." -Leon Wieseltier "As exciting as a novel...a wonderful book that will keep you up all night." -Katha Pollitt

General

Imprint:	Oxford UniversityPress
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	March 2012
First published:	April 2012
Authors:	Paul E. Johnson (Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus) • Sean Wilentz (George Henry Davis 1886 Professor of American History)
Dimensions:	202 x 132 x 17mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	256
Edition:	2nd Revised edition
ISBN-13:	978-0-19-989249-5
Categories:	Books > Humanities > History > American history > General Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > General > History of religion Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Christianity > Christian & quasi-Christian cults & sects Books > History > American history > General Books > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Christian & quasi-Christian cults & sects Books > Religion & Spirituality > General > History of religion Books > Christianity > Christian & quasi-Christian cults & sects Promotions
LSN:	0-19-989249-0
Barcode:	9780199892495

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!