A City on a Hill

[David Inglehart]

In 1630, Puritan minister John Winthrop referred to the fledgling English colony at Massachusetts Bay as a “city on a hill,” an expression that would come to represent the United States and its role as a example of righteousness for the nations of the world. In your view, is this usage still relevant or even desirable as an aspiration?

[David Inglehart]

“City on a Hill” originates from Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount. The Puritans picked it up and applied it to Boston in the early 17th century. Later its meaning broadened, becoming more political, and generally declared America to be a “beacon of hope for the world.” Sadly this reputation has been destroyed by the current administration.

–SB

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