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Religion Presbyterian

Boundless Dominion

Providence, Politics, and the Early Canadian Presbyterian Worldview

by (author) Denis McKim

Publisher
McGill-Queen's University Press
Initial publish date
Nov 2017
Category
Presbyterian
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780773551060
    Publish Date
    Nov 2017
    List Price
    $125.00
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780773551077
    Publish Date
    Nov 2017
    List Price
    $40.95
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9780773552418
    Publish Date
    Nov 2017
    List Price
    $34.95

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Description

In the twenty-first century, the word Presbyterian is virtually synonymous with “austere” and “parochial.” These associations are by no means historically unfounded, as early Canadian Presbyterians insisted on Sabbath observance and had a penchant for inter- and intra-denominational disagreement. However, many other ideas circulated within this religious community’s collective psyche.

Boundless Dominion delves into the elaborate worldview that galvanized nineteenth-century Canadian Presbyterianism. Denis McKim uncovers a vibrant print culture and Presbyterian support for such initiatives as Indigenous evangelism, temperance advocacy, and anti-slavery activism and finds that many of the denomination’s characteristics contrast sharply with its dour and quarrelsome reputation. Tracing the themes of providence, politics, nature, and history in Presbyterian communities across five provinces, from Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick to Lower and Upper Canada, this book reveals that at the heart of this denomination lay a desire to facilitate God’s dominion and to promote Protestant piety across northern North America and beyond.

Through an innovative approach to the study of religious ideas, Boundless Dominion highlights the permeability of borders and the myriad ways in which nineteenth-century Canada – including its Presbyterian community – shaped and was shaped by interactions with the wider world.

About the author

Denis McKim teaches in the History Department at Douglas College.

Denis McKim's profile page