Study Guide Death
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Apocalypse
It cannot be underestimated the extent to which Puritan society was an apocalyptic culture. When the first Puritans arrived in Plymouth they felt the end of the world was eminent. Although this end did not arrive with haste, nearly every generation was gripped at some point by apocalyptic fervors. This was particularly true in moments of crises and during the period known as the “First Great Awakening” (1739-1745). Mayhew’s history is a precursor to this large-scale apocalyptic fervor: its tale of miraculous conversions points to the ultimate death—the end of world as it was currently understood.
An apocalypse is more than just a catastrophic event: it is the catastrophic event—as most often “apocalypse” refers to the end of the world. In biblical terms, however, an “apocalypse” is not an event, but a revelation in written form that reveals the truth through signs about the past, present, and future events. This revelation may come in the form of dreams or visions such as those related in Indian Converts. The purpose of these revelations, like the book of Revelation itself, is to provide hope and encouragement. Revelations provide divine influence for the understanding and behavior of a community. Importantly, revelations also defined community: for example, Mary Rowlandson Captivity and Restoration defined the community of saints who would be saved in the end time by equating sinfulness with both Indianness and Indian captivity. Indian Converts counters this racialized vision of the “Day of Doom” by counting the Wampanoags as among the saved sheep rather than the exiled goats. Mayhew’s text borrows from the prophetic and revelatory language of the major apocalyptic writings of his time.
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