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Name: The Kingdom of Matthias: A Story of Sex and Salvation in 19th-Century America: Johnson, Paul E., Wilentz, Sean: 9780199892495: Amazon.com: Books
Price: 19.99 USD
Availability: LimitedAvailability
Rating: 4.2 (149 reviews)

The Kingdom of Matthias: A Story of Sex and Salvation in 19th-Century America Paperback – April 2, 2012

by Paul E. Johnson (Author), Sean Wilentz (Author)

149 ratings

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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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The book reads much like a novel....The authors relate this offbeat tale like the good storytellers they are, sqeezing the story out of a number of sources in a creative and imaginative way."--Journal of Social History

"A history book that reads like a novel of suspense and intrique...it affords us a rare glimpse into a much-misunderstood time."--WORLD

"Johnson and Wilentz successfully anchor their narrative in the religious and economic history of the early nineteenth century."--American Historical Review

"The story is an inherently engrossing one, and its retelling will be of direct value to scholars of the history of communitarianism and of alternative religions. The scholarship here...is impressive; the authors have come up with remarkable detailed sources for a story so seemingly marginal and so long past. But even more impressive is their ability to tell an engrossing story in language at once scholarly and as compelling as that of a good novel."--Utopian Studies

"This interesting and informative examination of an early religious cult will be a definite asset for anyone doing research on the history of cults."--KLIATT

"Johnson and Wilentz weave a gripping story around the activities of the Prophet Matthias and his band of followers."--New York History

"An extraordinary cache of information about the period from roughly 1800 to 1850. It is also a bizarre story: 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....Written with the sweep and narrative drive of a best seller....A dazzling work of original history that is a joy to read....What makes this study so extraordinary, aside from the fascinating story, is its depiction of a large slice of American life during a period of momentous social, economic, and political change. In addition to important religious history, the authors provide a great deal of detail about living conditions of the time."--Atlantic Monthly

"One of the most entertaining and felicitously written academic histories I have ever read. [The authors] have taken the story of one tiny collection of cuckoos and related it to the greater story of the early decades of our republic."--Roger Miller writing in The Milwaukee Journal

"A highly readable and well-researched examination....Matthias is presented effectively against the backdrop of his social and economic times and brought vividly to life. Recommended."--Library Journal

"Fluid, well-contextualized and dramatically detailed."--Publishers Weekly

"A book about American evangelicalism and cults which proves that Jim Jones and the more recent Branch Dividians are part of a longer tradition....Johnson and Wilentz set their compelling history against the backdrop of an America experiencing rapid social and economic change. Theirs is as much a history of our moral and cultural formation (often via the press), as the tale of a mesmerizing, dangerous man."--Booklist

"The Kingdom of Matthias is as exciting as a novel: it has sex, a weird religious cult, a murder mystery, and an ending that is truly a surprise. It is also a serious work of historical scholarship--in short, a wonderful book that will keep you up all night."--Katha Pollitt

"It happened in Jacksonian America, this fascinating episode of religious frenzy and delusion, but it could just as well happen in America today--or tomorrow. In their vivid book, Paul E. Johnson and Sean Wilentz open up a chilling vein of continuity in the American religious experience."--Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.

"A mesmerizing tale of fanaticism and fervor, of early nineteenth century Christians convinced they are Old Testament prophets: as Johnson and Wilentz deftly place this strange story in social, religious, and economic context, they illuminate the uniquely American history of extremist patriarchal cults that reaches from the Prophet Matthias to David Koresh, and deliver on the final page a stunning surprise."--Jean Strouse, author of Alice James: A Biography

"American religion has often been distinguished by self-declared saviors, loud and pompous messiahs, self-profiting tyrants. One of the most egregious--vulgar, sinister, and unbelievable--was the early 19th century Robert Matthews, who while enforcing the submission of his women and profiting from the possible murder of his most devoted follower, proclaimed himself the prophet Matthais and close enough to God to replace him--from time to time. The story is told well here by two marvelously inquisitive historians who possess the sure hand of a gifted novelist. An excellent book in every way and a warning to the latest 'Messiah'--The prophet Matthias ended in the dust."--Alfred Kazin

"Johnson and Wilentz are marvelous storytellers as well as skillful historians. The tale of the prophet Matthias brings vividly to life a buried side of antebellum American religion and politics and opens up a critical and neglected side of American culture to serious discussion. It's not just essential reading; it's also a roller-coaster ride through the past."--Mary P. Ryan, University of California at Berkeley

"Paul E. Johnson and Sean Wilentz have recovered one of the great, weird instances of the spiritual volatility of our country. 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. Johnson and Wilentz tell their strange story with compassion and with scholarly care. They are rational men tracking the power of the irrational; which is to say, they are fine historians. They have written a delicious and disturbing book."--Leon Wieseltier

"A story of religious fanaticism and sexual scandal in the early days of the republic, The Kingdom of Matthias is a brilliant work of historical scholarship with disturbing contemporary implications. A beautifully written narrative that builds toward a stunning conclusion."--Brian Morton, Executive Editor of Dissent

"[An] engaging and entertaining study, this is a bizarre story, one which makes for superb reading."--Matthew G. Schoenbachler, Book Reviews

"A fascinating microcosm of the Age of Reform, written by twotop-notch scholars."--Kenneth W. Noe, West Georgia College

"The authors relate this offbeat tale like the good storytellers they are, squeezing the story out of a number of sources in a creative and imaginative way."--The Journal of Social History

"Important and illuminating...the authors have skillfully placed their subject within the broader context of American religious, social, and economic history...perspective from which to understand early Latter Day Saint history in the larger cultural milieu in which it emerged."--John Whitmer Historical Association Journal

Book Description

An updated edition of "a dazzling work of original history that is a joy to read"--Atlantic Monthly

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 2nd edition (April 2, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 234 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0199892490
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0199892495
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1270L
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #645,302 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #394 in Religious Cults (Books)
- #618 in Church & State Religious Studies
- #649 in Ancient Greek History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
149 ratings

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Sean Wilentz
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Sean Wilentz is the George Henry Davis 1886 Professor of American History at Princeton University, where he has taught since 1979. He received his Ph.D. in history from Yale University (1980) after earning bachelor’s degrees from Columbia University (1972) and Balliol College, Oxford University (1974). He is the author or editor of thirteen books, including The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln (2005), which was awarded the Bancroft Prize and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His writings on American music have earned him two Grammy nominations and two Deems-Taylor-ASCAP awards. (He also holds the semi-facetious title of Historian-in-Residence at Bob Dylan's official website, www.bobdylan.com.) Professor Wilentz lectures frequently and has written some four hundred articles, reviews, and op-ed pieces for publications such as the New York Review of Books, the New Yorker, the New York Times Book Review, the Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, Le Monde, and Dissent. He has helped prepare speeches and congressional testimony, most notably his own testimony before the House Judiciary Committee in conjunction with the impeachment drive against President Bill Clinton in December 1998. He spent the academic year 2014-15 as the Leah and Michael Weisberg Fellow at the New-York Historical Society and the Siemens Berlin Prize Fellow at the American Academy in Berlin. He also delivered the annual Nathan I. Huggins Lectures at Harvard, which he is now preparing for publication as "No Property in Man": The Origins of American Antislavery Politics.
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Paul E. Johnson
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Customers find the book fun to read and appreciate its writing quality, particularly noting its value for history class. The story receives positive feedback, with one customer describing it as a fascinating woven tale of religion in Early America, while another highlights its importance in understanding cults.

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Customers find the book easy to read and enjoyable.

"...any time Calvinism is mentioned - even obliquely - it is still an excellent work, so long as you know that the author's presuppositional commitments..." Read more

"bought for college assignment. was extremely fun to read and was super interesting. clear, concise, detailed...." Read more

"This was a fun read! I enjoyed learning about this small occult that formed and disbanded...." Read more

"Picked up as required reading for a college course. Worked for the purpose. Seller was fast and item was as described." Read more

6 customers mention "Writing quality"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-written and engaging, with one customer noting its detailed content and another highlighting its informative coverage of historical figures like Sojourner Truth.

"bought for college assignment. was extremely fun to read and was super interesting. clear, concise, detailed...." Read more

"...Three things changed my mind: the remarkable (and remarkably written) final paragraph, which sent me a shock of recognition of the implications of..." Read more

"...The book draws you in, and makes history, which may be normally dry, into a fascinating woven tale of religion in Early America." Read more

"Interesting book for History class" Read more

4 customers mention "Story quality"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the story engaging, with one describing it as a fascinating account of religion in Early America.

"...it is generally an important work in understanding the cults that arose in the Northeastern part of America in the..." Read more

"...of the implications of the tale, the final pages, which placed the tale in context, and the afterward to the second edition, which describes the art..." Read more

"An interesting account of Matthias the Prophet, that was required reading for a class on the Early American Republic...." Read more

"What an interesting story this is in early American history. I recommend it and you'll get through the book very fast." Read more

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C. Lee
An important work dealing with a 19th century American cult
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2014
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This is an amazing book - a true story about a long-forgotten part of our religious culture. Although the author is, quite frankly, terribly wrong at some significant points (for example, he truly doesn't comprehend the nature or the specific delineations and elements of Calvinism, which provides a pivotal vantage point in a portion of his telling of the story), it is generally an important work in understanding the cults that arose in the Northeastern part of America in the 19th century.

With the understanding that the author does not have the market cornered on knowing Calvinism, and therefore his opinions are highly suspect any time Calvinism is mentioned - even obliquely - it is still an excellent work, so long as you know that the author's presuppositional commitments in that area are likely wrong, or mistaken, or simply miss the mark entirely on that aspect.

There are some points at which our knee-jerk reaction to the main character in this true-life play would be suspected of mental illness, his is not totally a unique or singular type of craziness for the time, and especially less crazy than the strange twists that Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of War, Edwin M Stanton, took. While Stanton did not record that he believed he and Jesus, or God the Father, or the Holy Spirit had daily chit-chats (and "Matthias" did), at least "Matthias" allowed his beloved dead wife to be buried, and didn't keep her in his bedroom. On balance - or unbalance - "Matthias " DID expect Jesus to restore her to life any minute. Stanton, on the other hand, was creepy crazy.

Rather than spoil it for you, take the time and the little bit of money it costs, and get this book. You'll be glad you did.

(I'm aware of the tenets of Calvinism, for I've been one for 43 years; taught in Calvinist or Reformed churches; and am theologically trained on a post-secondary educational level in that field of study.)

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Myah
great book
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2023
Verified Purchase
bought for college assignment. was extremely fun to read and was super interesting. clear, concise, detailed. the part about the Ne Plus Ultra Kingdom Stove had me laughing for a bit.

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One person found this helpful

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Horace
A Meandering Tale with a Surprise Ending
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2017
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The story is more than interesting, but at times I felt the authors got bogged down in meaningless detail (do readers really have to know every street address of every character?), and the way narratives describing individuals in the book were embedded in stories-within-stories was, at times, confusing. I frequently lost track of characters. About half-way through I definitely thought it a three star book. Three things changed my mind: the remarkable (and remarkably written) final paragraph, which sent me a shock of recognition of the implications of the tale, the final pages, which placed the tale in context, and the afterward to the second edition, which describes the art of doing and writing history so well.

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5 people found this helpful

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Grant
Mental Illness
Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2018
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This was a fun read! I enjoyed learning about this small occult that formed and disbanded. This book provides the narrative of someone suffering from severe mental illness who begins to believe he is God. Intertwined throughout the narrative are themes of slavery and the role of women in society.

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4 people found this helpful

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J.
Evangelism, the early USA Way
Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2014
Verified Purchase
Robert Mathews, AKA Matthias, would be laughed off the streets and into a mental asylum somewhere in Florida today, only to be shoved onto a bus with a one-way ticket to California, of course . . . but then, back in the early 1800's the usual flock of gullible people follows this raving idiot. So much for the title character. What this book has going for it is how free religion life was in the early 19th century USA, without having to deal with the big picture issues of the day, like slavery, tariffs, banking, Monroe Doctrine, etc. etc. . . . just the bible-thumpers, tabloid stars of their day, and how the oh so holy leaders seem to get God or whoever super spiritual talking to them without anybody else around, and then getting those everybody elses to believe them . . . then living off the believers, what a racket. Even to this day, amazing.

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2 people found this helpful

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MaraJrianne
book was in new and perfect condition
Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2019
Verified Purchase
Picked up as required reading for a college course. Worked for the purpose. Seller was fast and item was as described.

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2 people found this helpful

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D crane
Horrible.
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2014
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The package came a week later than promised. Horrible.

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Nico Vela
An interesting account of Matthias the Prophet, that was ...
Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2017
Verified Purchase
An interesting account of Matthias the Prophet, that was required reading for a class on the Early American Republic. The book draws you in, and makes history, which may be normally dry, into a fascinating woven tale of religion in Early America.

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2 people found this helpful

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