About this episode

Daniel Stein joins the Messiah Podcast to explore the misconceptions about Puritan values as depicted in dystopian fiction, particularly in The Handmaid’s Tale.

Can a work of dystopian fiction completely overwrite historical reality in the public imagination? Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, portrays an American dystopia purportedly based on Puritan values in which women are enslaved to bear children for the ruling class. But what would the actual Puritans have thought of Atwood’s horrific theocracy? Daniel Stein, author of American Dystopia, joins Messiah Podcast to deconstruct the massive cultural gap between The Handmaid’s Tale f...

People in this episode

Host: First Fruits of Zion

Guest: Daniel Stein

Topics covered

• Puritans
• dystopian fiction
• cultural analysis
• historical reality
• women's rights
• American literature

Keywords

• Puritans
• dystopia
• The Handmaid’s Tale
• Margaret Atwood
• cultural gap
• historical reality
• women's rights

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Messiah Podcast, First Fruits of Zion

Books & works: The Handmaid’s Tale

More episodes of Messiah Podcast

• 98 – When Your Theology Fails: A Pastor’s Journey to the Jewish Jesus | Chad Oltman · June 16, 2026 · 60 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Messiah Podcast podcast page.