Who were Increase and Cotton Mather, and what happened with the Salem Witch Trials? Rev. Dr. Cameron A. MacKenzie, Professor of Historical Theology at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, joins Andy and Sarah for our nine-episode series, “Pilgrims, Puritans, and the Founding of New England.” In episode 8, we learn about the influence of both Increase and Cotton Mather (including how they got their names), the religious context in Salem, and what happened during the Salem Witch Trials.

Resources in this episode:

• All episodes in The Puritan Movement series
• Find more from Dr. MacKenzie here
• Recommended reading from Dr. MacKenzie includes: Worldly Saints by Leland Ryken, English Puritanism by John Spurr, Reformation in England by Peter Marshall, Puritan Christianity in America: Religion and Life in 17th Century Massachusetts  by John Carden, and Pilgrim’s Progress  by John Bunyan.

As you grab your morning coffee (and pastry, let’s be honest), join hosts Andy Bates and Sarah Gulseth as they bring you stories of the intersection of Lutheran life and a secular world. Catch real-life stories of mercy work of the LCMS and partners, updates from missionaries across the ocean, and practical talk about how to live boldly Lutheran. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: [email protected].