City upon a hill

There are several similarities and differences between Winthrop’s use of the phrase “city upon a hill” and John F. Kennedy’s use of the same phrase.  In John F. Kennedy’s speech, he says to the people of Massachusetts, “Today the eyes of all people are truly upon us--and our governments, in every branch, at every level, national, state and local, must be as a city upon a hill--constructed and inhabited by men aware of their great trust and their great responsibilities.”  John F. Kennedy is telling the people that the government should be constructed by people who understand how important their positions are.  A quote from John Winthrop’s A Modell of Christian Charity is “For wee must consider that wee shall be as a citty upon a hill.  The eies of all people are uppon us.  Soe that if wee shall deale falsely with our god in this worke wee haue undertaken, and soe cause him to withdrawe his present help from us, wee shall be made a story and a by-word through the world.” John Winthrop is saying that the puritans should live their lives as if they were living at the top of a hill and everyone could see them.  He wants people to be good puritans so they can set a good reputation on others. One similarity that John Winthrop and John F. Kennedy wrote about was that they were both using the phrase to make the same point about setting good examples for other people.  One difference that Winthrop and Kennedy wrote about was their meaning of the phrase “city upon a hill”.  Winthrop’s meaning of a “city upon a hill” has to do with religion and following all of Gods rules.  John F. Kennedys meaning of the phrase is about politics and the government.