A jeremiad is a style of literature, either in prose or in verse, in which the author expresses his or her despair for the state of contemporary society and its morals, and prophesies its imminent downfall because of its sins. Born in the pulpits of medieval Europe, it was brought to America by the Puritans, who couldn’t wait to employ it in the New World. Indeed, as Sacvan Bercovitch notes, the first “American” jeremiad of note was delivered not in Massachusetts but at sea aboard the Arbella as it transported the first wave of Puritans and their provisions to their new home. Even before they had a chance to begin, the Puritans were warning of their failure.

Instead, the colony thrived, forming an important cultural and moral foundation for the nation that followed. And because of this, the jeremiad became an important rhetorical form, used by preachers, authors, and politicians to critique the world and express their anxieties about their fate. Bercovitch’s book describes the evolution of the jeremiad from its early use by the Puritans through its adoption as a “national ritual” in the early republic and the antebellum era. It's a dense work that can make for challenging reading, especially as Bercovitch assumes his audience’s possession of a wide-ranging familiarity with early American history and religion, as well as the seminal texts of American literature. Nor does his writing, which often comes across as more of a transcribed lecture studded with qualifications and rhetorical turns, help make his arguments clear. Yet for those who persist with the text, Bercovitch delivers a profoundly informative analysis of a rhetorical form that helps to define America itself.

Central to this is Bercovitch’s demonstration of how jeremiads became the medium for making the millennialist argument for America. As the original Puritans and their descendants regularly argued, the struggles of the present needed to be borne so that those suffering them could enjoy a brighter tomorrow. This infused their labors with a sense of mission, one that transcended their internal quarrels to unite them as a community. Such unity was necessary lest the community collapse and the colony fail, a danger that was both real and metaphorical at the same time. This forward-looking concept of self, Bercovitch argues, became one of the key inheritances from the Puritans for subsequent generations, as it was this mission which distinguished the colonists’ plantation and fueled their motivation to succeed.

Succeeding generations of Puritans continued to hear such jeremiads as their leaders worried that their earthly pursuits were distracting them from their godly mission. To this was added castigation for ingratitude, the claim that they were not just failing the Lord, but their forefathers as well. Thanks to its continuing use, the rhetorical tool was such a familiar part of colonial rhetoric by the 18th century that it was only natural for it to be adopted by activists as they argued for their rights in the 1760s and 1770s, with their contemporary struggle requiring a sacrifice necessary to ensure the success of the colonists’ collective mission. Through it emerged an ideological consensus that came to define the new nation that emerged after the revolution: a visionary model of national uniqueness, destined for greatness but faced with innumerable threats to its ultimate success.

Such a summary can convey the scope of Bercovitch’s argument, but not its depth. He grounds his analysis in a close reading of sermons, essays, and other literature ranging over two centuries of American history. From this he provides a better understanding of Puritan thought and its contribution to American culture, while offering insights into the role it played in defining America’s national identity. It’s a rich work that rewards the reader’s patience with enlightenment, and remains an invaluable study for those who want to better understand a rhetorical form that was not only an enormously important tool for understanding American identity, but one that remains in common use today. ( )