In 1846, Erik Jansson founded a religious colony in western Illinois. Utilizing the collective resources of fellow Swedish immigrants, Jansson established a settlement called Bishop Hill. Under Jansson’s leadership, Swedish pioneers witnessed individual hardships, communal prosperity, pestilence, and disillusionment, while Jansson recklessly promoted the belief that he was the Second Coming of Christ.
At Bishop Hill, a personal struggle raged between Erik Jansson and John Root, a handsome adventurer, over which man would secure the allegiance of a young woman named Charlotta Jansdotter. The competition for Charlotta’s loyalty forced her to choose between spiritual commitment and physical desire, and determined the future fate of the Bishop Hill Colony. Years of suppressed romantic cravings drew Charlotta to John Root. But, Charlotta’s dilemma of choice was complicated by a fear instilled in every Swedish colonist: The cost of departure from the colony and rejection of Erik Jansson would be eternal damnation.
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