Devil's Mousetrap

The Devil's Mousetrap approaches the thought of three colonial New England divines—Increase Mather, Jonathan Edwards, and Edward Taylor—from the perspective of literary theory. Author Linda Munk focuses on the background of these men's ideas and on the sources from which they drew, both directly and indirectly, in framing their theology. She notes that the language used in the pulpit by Mather, Edwards, and Taylor is full of allusions to the Bible andApocrypha, to Puritan treatises, and to post-biblical exegesis, Jewish and Christian. Munk proceeds to elucidate many allusions that have, for the most part, proved to be unclear to contemporary readers, in order to provide essential insights into the construction of Puritan theology.

Munk's readings are sensitive and detailed. She works carefully through etymologies in several languages to achieve precision in key terms....The refreshing prose style adds to the value of a book that is both creative and rigorous in its scholarship, essential reading for those who would understand the Puritan mind.