God, War, and Providence, by James A. Warren

As a Baptist, I was always aware of Rogers Williams's role as the founder of the first Baptist church in the New World.  But the more you know about Williams, the less that seems to be the defining characteristic of his life.  As James A. Warren writes in God, War, and Providence: The Epic Struggle of Roger Williams and the Narragansett Indians Against the Puritans of New England, Williams's legacy as a peacemaker and friend to the Indians of New England may be more impressive than his role as a clergyman.

For much of God, War, and Providence, Williams is a bit player, a character in a much larger drama.  Warren, a historian who has written about America's wars in the 20th century, goes into a lot of detail regarding the Indian's territories, factions, rivalries, and wars among themselves, as well as with the settlers.  His tone reflects that of Williams, who believed the English to have arrived at territory already held by sovereign people.  Unlike many of his contemporaries, "Williams did not see how the king could claim the right to grant English settlers land that had belonged for thousands of years to the current inhabitants."  This put Williams in the minority, and on the bad side of the crown.  But his actions backed up this attitude and put him in a place of respect with the Indians and in a position to negotiate between the Indians and the English.

Baptists are familiar with Williams's promotion of religious liberty, but his aims were larger than that.  Warren writes that Williams's ideas became foundational to the American character: "religious liberty for all comers. . .; complete separation of church and state; democratic government, in which magistrates derived their powers not from God, as Puritan political theory had it, but from the consent of ordinary citizens."  On religious liberty, or "soul liberty," Williams struggled to point out to his Christian brethren "that Christian faith was most likely to prosper in an environment where other faiths were permitted to flourish, unimpeded by the strong arm of the state."

God, War, and Providence is an enjoyable read.  If you can keep everyone straight, which is no easy task with the rival tribes, both Indian and English, the story Warren tells sheds a lot of light on this period of American history.  He doesn't overplay Williams's role, but the message is that Roger Williams's impact on the history of the United States is greater than many people are aware. 


Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!