Event
The Capacious Sacrament of Necessity: Community Formation in Early American Godparentage Networks
Author: Maeve Kane, University at Albany
Comment: Karin Wulf, Brown University
This is a hybrid event. The in-person reception will begin at 4:30 pm.
New York and Pennsylvania before the American Revolution were some of the most ethnically and religiously diverse colonies in North America, and baptismal witnessing tied together these diverse groups. Baptismal ties both created and reflected long lasting social ties: parents selected neighbors, business partners, and extended family as godparents, who were then expected to socially and financially support the baptized child up to adulthood. Digital social network analysis of these connections shows that in the decades surrounding the American Revolution, women grew in prominence as essential connectors within otherwise ethnically fractured congregations, suggesting the increasing social role of women in the creation of American national identity.
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Hybrid Event
The in-person reception starts at 4:30 PM and the seminar will begin at 5:00 PM.
Masks are optional for this event.
The virtual seminar begins at 5:00 PM and will be hosted on the video conference platform, Zoom. Registrants will receive a confirmation message with attendance information.
