The Rights of God's Stewards: Property, Conscience, and the Great Awakening in Canterbury, Connecticut

The struggle for religious liberty in Canterbury, CT, was fought over property. When the Great Awakening divided church against town, evangelical Separates withdrew from the establishment and launched a campaign against ecclesiastical taxation, using concepts of conscience, stewardship, and property rights to defend estates and create a voluntary religious economy.

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The struggle for religious liberty in Canterbury, CT, revolved around property. As the Great Awakening led to divisions between churches and towns, evangelical Separates chose to withdraw from the established church and launched a campaign against church taxation. They relied on concepts of conscience, stewardship, and property rights to defend their estates and establish a voluntary religious economy.