Paul E. Johnson and Sean Wilentz, in their book The kingdom of Matthias, describe in great detail the rise and fall of Matthias and his kingdom. They show how a religious change throughout the 1830’s impacted Robert Matthew’s views and how he became known as Matthias. Matthias decided to build his own kingdom to try and stop the Finneyites from continuing to grow in memberships. The Second Great awakening caused a major change in religion throughout the United States during the 1830’s and this turn of events caused Robert Matthews to become Matthias and to gather others into his Kingdom of Truth. Robert Matthews had a tough childhood which resulted in a difficult life as an adult. He was raised as an Anti-Burgher Presbyterian but his parents
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The Kingdom eventually settled in the Folger’s house where everyone worked together and Matthias preached to and controlled everyone in the house. The downfall of The Kingdom began when Ann Folger started seducing Matthias. She believed she was to be The Mother of The Kingdom; therefore she and Matthias forced Ann’s husband, Benjamin, to hand Ann over to Matthias in marriage. After that, marriages began to fall apart, the Kingdom soon became bankrupt and just before the Kingdom disappeared forever Elijah Pierson grew ill and was believed to be murdered. The Kingdom and Matthias eventually died along with Matthias’ beliefs and morals. Religion started growing and changing throughout the 1800’s and Matthias believed that men should always hold the power and that Christians will eventually be punished for ruling the world while the spirit Truth was to leave the world. During the Second Great Awakening churches began to help those who were abused by husbands and humiliate the people who used violence as a way to control their families. According to the writers Johnson and Wilentz, “Rochester was roaring with the conversions of hundreds of women and their businessmen husbands. It was the Finneyites grandest triumph thus far, the grandest revival of religion the nation had ever seen.” Matthias believed that with a Kingdom he would be able to put a stop to these Finneyites. He wanted to make people realize how phony and fake the Christian faith was. He wanted people to realize that he was Matthias, Prophet of the God of Jews. Matthias believed that he had the word of God and that he would make the world great
The Kingdom eventually settled in the Folger’s house where everyone worked together and Matthias preached to and controlled everyone in the house. The downfall of The Kingdom began when Ann Folger started seducing Matthias. She believed she was to be The Mother of The Kingdom; therefore she and Matthias forced Ann’s husband, Benjamin, to hand Ann over to Matthias in marriage. After that, marriages began to fall apart, the Kingdom soon became bankrupt and just before the Kingdom disappeared forever Elijah Pierson grew ill and was believed to be murdered. The Kingdom and Matthias eventually died along with Matthias’ beliefs and morals. Religion started growing and changing throughout the 1800’s and Matthias believed that men should always hold the power and that Christians will eventually be punished for ruling the world while the spirit Truth was to leave the world. During the Second Great Awakening churches began to help those who were abused by husbands and humiliate the people who used violence as a way to control their families. According to the writers Johnson and Wilentz, “Rochester was roaring with the conversions of hundreds of women and their businessmen husbands. It was the Finneyites grandest triumph thus far, the grandest revival of religion the nation had ever seen.” Matthias believed that with a Kingdom he would be able to put a stop to these Finneyites. He wanted to make people realize how phony and fake the Christian faith was. He wanted people to realize that he was Matthias, Prophet of the God of Jews. Matthias believed that he had the word of God and that he would make the world great