Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul

The New York Times best-selling author examines two fault lines that have defined and divided America since Williams’s arrival in Boston in the 17th century: the relationship between church and state, and individual freedom versus state power.

Both of these fault lines first opened with the extraordinary thought and struggles of Roger Williams, who had an unparalleled understanding of the conflict between a government that justified itself by “reason of state,” its perceived “will of God” and the “ancient rights and liberties” of individuals.