You may know the stereotype of the “busibody New Englander,” the person who knows all about their neighbors’ private affairs.

This stereotype comes from the New England town-church ideal: The idea that ministers and congregants of the town church had a responsibility to maintain civic and moral order in their town.

Shelby M. Balik, Assistant Professor of History at Metropolitan State University of Denver and author of Rally the Scattered Believers: Northern New England’s Religious Geography, joins us to explore the New England town-church ideal, how it helped New Englanders organize their towns, and why the post-Revolution migration into northern New England forced New Englanders to change and adapt how they maintained civic and moral order in their towns.

Show Notes: http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/030

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030 Rally the Scattered Believers: Northern New England's Religious Geography 01:01:37 Share

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030 Rally the Scattered Believers: Northern New England's Religious Geography