'The Kingdom of Matthias'

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews the book 'The Kingdom of Matthias: A Story of Sex and Salvation in 19th-Century America' by historians Paul E. Johnson and Sean Wilentz. According to this paper, the historians provide a social and cultural chronicle of a sensationalist tale that gripped the attention of 19th century American society.

From the Paper:

"During the year of 1836, the sensationalist papers of the city of New York put into print common rumors of a so-called mystery cult of a man named Matthias who self-consciously styled himself upon the prophets of the Old Testament in his flamboyant dress and attitudes. The press portrayed Matthias as a charlatan who had been bankrupting its followers. The story only grew in the popular imagination, however, as it was reported that the prophet was engaged in sexual relations with his flock, despite his supposed hatred of women. Every new event raised the level of notoriety attached to the case, and Johnson and Wilentz use the dramatic potential of the tale by not revealing how exactly how this now forgotten historical anecdote will end. They relate the tale to the modern reader in an unfolding fashion, much as a contemporary of Matthias would have encountered the story in the popular press. Every chapter yields a new development. Johnson and Wilentz rely upon the reader's ignorance of a once widely known story to create suspense as they dispense information and critical analysis of different aspects of the Matthias story--as for example, how spiritualism, which was then increasing in popularity during the time of the prophet's rise, became interwoven with the allegations against his ministry. The climax of the tale occurs when Matthias is arrested for murder."

More papers on 'The Kingdom of Matthias':

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