As a City on a Hill: The Story of America’s Most Famous Lay Sermon

In modern times it is considered one of the most famous sermons, though most people only know the single line about a city on a hill: John Winthrop’s “A Model For Christian Charity.” A document written for new immigrants heading to a new colony in what is now New England. Professor Daniel Rodgers splits the book into two parts, the first part closely examines the work, and the times it was written in. From the pressures, John Winthrop faced in trying to raise money and find settlers. The second half looks at how this sermon was used by Americans across the centuries and how it found a life for itself long after it was written. How each generation took what it wanted from the sermon and used it to talk about daily life in their current time. While the events that led to the writing of the sermon are long gone, parts of it are still part of American life.

Professor Rodgers has done an excellent job with both parts of his book. From putting it in its context, and helping shine a light on a document that only exists at one copy in an archive in a New York library. The second part is very insightful looking at how people viewed the document through the centuries after.