The first Christians to arrive in what we now call “New England,” were radicals in the truest sense of the word. “Radical” means “forming the root” and our New England forbearers were Christians with a singular goal of returning to the source of Christian faith.
Like the Pilgrims before them, Colonial Christians were Hebraists and valued Jewish learning. They remained in communication with old world saints who sought rabbinic guidance in the development of Christian thought. In the New England Colonies, Christian ministers consulted with rabbis and were known to attend Jewish holiday services and lifecycle events. Colonial Christianity is smart, informed and in context.
Read more from JewishBoston.com about how most people are unaware of how Judaism influenced Benjamin Franklin. Also read what the Center for Christian-Jewish Learning has to say about it.
Also read Alexander Hamilton, Colonial Christian and Yeshiva Student?