A Harmony of the Spirits

“Erben brilliantly demonstrates how religion, language, and affect come together in the interrelationships among nations, faiths, and individuals. . . . [This book] redefine[s] the parameters of discussion for colonial English and Germany literary culture in early Pennsylvania.” — Journal of American Studies

“Erben’s work uses previously unexploited sources to give a fresh perspective on the founding and early history of Pennsylvania. . . . This is a magnificent book that deserves to be widely read and emulated.” — American Historical Review

“[A] wonderfully imaginative work on language and translation. . . . A Harmony of the Spirits is thoroughly worth reading for those interested in the religious and ideological underpinnings of American colonization.” — Journal of American History

“Erben has masterfully translated the multilingual sectarian voices of the past into an academic treatise on spiritual cooperation.” — William and Mary Quarterly

“Erben makes compelling arguments. . . . [He] successfully broadens our view of early Pennsylvanians and their efforts to create a harmony of the spirits.” — Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography

“Intriguing. . . [and] remarkably successful in helping readers understand the broader context for many of the religious groups of early Pennsylvania.” — Journal of Moravian History

“An extraordinary book. . . . Beautifully recaptures the lost voice and vision of the early American Philadelphian mystics.” — Nova Religio

“Erben’s project powerfully reconstructs another lost hermeneutic that will hopefully inspire future scholarship.” — American Literature

“Scholars interested in transatlantic conversations and in particular Pietist and Quaker studies will find this well-researched and well-written book a welcome volume. Erben’s method of providing translation and quotations invites a continued conversation among those who have a shared interest in the spiritual, social and even political life of seventeenth- and eighteenth- century Pennsylvania.” — H-Pietism

“Highly readable. . . . The book is wonderfully written and profound in its observations.” — Mennonite Quarterly Review