God of the Tories: How English Clergy Made Their Case Against the American Revolution

"God of the Tories: How English Clergy Made Their Case Against the American Revolution."

March 21st, 2026, 1 pm

Lecture given by John Ericson, Executive Director and Site Historian

“God of the Tories” explores the often-overlooked world of the English and Loyalist clergy who stood against the tide of  Revolution. While Patriot preachers filled the pulpits with fiery calls for liberty, many Anglican ministers, royal chaplains, and colonial clergy looked to Scripture, tradition, and their ordination vows to argue that rebellion was both unlawful and ungodly. This lecture uncovers their sermons, pamphlets, and personal trials—voices that defended monarchy, warned of anarchy, and suffered exile, imprisonment, or silence as war unfolded. By restoring these forgotten perspectives, ‘God of the Tories’ invites us to see the American Revolution not only as a political struggle but also as a profoundly theological one, where competing interpretations of God’s will divided congregations, clergy, and the empire itself.

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