For Horace Bushnell, spending a year abroad in Europe meant taking a big leap of faith. Arriving solo in the summer of 1845, the Connecticut clergyman used travel to evolve some of his best-known beliefs. His first stop was Exeter Castle, then Bushnell hurried on to service at Bristol Cathedral. The self-proclaimed “Yankee parson” was dazzled. Grand organ music soared up to stir the church’s 12th-century bones. Starburst-shaped tomb recesses, stocked with medieval effigies, bordered the pews. In the choir, more fantastic scenes of mermaids and medieval sports made the woodwork gleam and jump to the eye. From every angle, Read more