Welcome to Historically Speaking!
A warm welcome to “Historically Speaking,” the main online presence of John S. Oakes, historian!
I am currently a Research Fellow at Wycliffe College, University of Toronto and was previously an Adjunct Professor in the Department of History at Simon Fraser University [SFU].
My new book, Reluctant Revolutionary, is the first full biographical study of the life and legacy of Pastor Andrew Eliot (1718-1778) of Boston It is now available from Pickwick Publications (an imprint of Wipf and Stock).
It follows Conservative Revolutionaries, also published by Pickwick (2016) and since reissued by James Clarke & Co, an in-depth study of the religious and political thought of the 18th century Boston ministers, Charles Chauncy and Jonathan Mayhew.
I have a PhD. in history from SFU (2008) and four Master’s degrees in classics, history and theology. Until mid-2014, I was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard Divinity School, following a Visiting Fellowship at Yale Divinity School.
My primary academic interests are in the history of colonial and revolutionary American religion, of Anglicanism, evangelicalism and the Protestant Reformation. Here you will find details of all my ongoing academic projects and publications, as well as a summary CV and details of my teaching experience.
I hope that you enjoy this site and find it helpful and informative. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or comments about my work.
With best wishes!
JOHN S. OAKES
NEW! - Online Presentation on "Reluctant Revolutionary"
In this virtual presentation given through the Congregational Library and Archives on May 27, 2026, Dr. John S. Oakes introduces the first full biography of one of 18th-century Boston's most influential yet neglected leaders. As the minister of one of the city's largest Congregational churches, Rev. Andrew Eliot (1718–1778) wielded a powerful religious and political voice during the earliest years of the American War for Independence.
Drawing on Eliot's personal letters and 40 years of daily diaries, Oakes reconstructs a fresh portrait of a complex man: a moderate Calvinist, a prosperous family patriarch, and a "reluctant revolutionary" whose British Protestant ideals made him cautious of conflict until war was inevitable. From repeatedly turning down the presidency of Harvard College to being one of the only pastors who chose to endure the severe hardships of the British military occupation of Boston, Eliot’s life offers a timeless example of maintaining personal integrity and diverse community connections within a highly polarized political climate.
Highlights
New Book
Reluctant Revolutionary, is the first full biographical study of the life and legacy of Pastor Andrew Eliot (1718-1778) of Boston
Conservative Revolutionaries
A comparative study of two of the most prominent, 18th-century ministers, Charles Chauncy and Jonathan Mayhew.
Resume
A potted timeline of my education and career, with a few other personal details. For the inside story, you'll have to contact me personally!
Reviews
Reviews by major historians--in other words, some of the nicer things qualified people have said about my work.
“The watchword of the historian should be solidity and, of no less importance, listening to your predecessors and building on them in the service of the goal of a better understanding of the past. We are in John Oakes's debt in both respects.”
David Hall, Bartlett Professor of New England Church History Emeritus, Harvard Divinity School
Contact us
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