6 0 , ▁Par s ons ▁sent ▁B ella h ▁a ▁draft ▁of ▁his ▁paper ▁on ▁" The ▁Relig ious ▁Background ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Value ▁System " ▁to ▁ask ▁for ▁his ▁comment ary . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁B ella h ▁of ▁September ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁Par s ons ▁discussed ▁his ▁reading ▁of ▁Perry ▁Miller ' s ▁An ▁Er rand ▁into ▁the ▁W ilder ness . ▁Par s ons ▁wrote ▁that ▁Miller ' s ▁discussion ▁of ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁Cal vin ism ▁" in ▁the ▁early ▁New ▁England ▁the ology ... ▁is ▁a ▁first ▁rate ▁and ▁fit ▁beautiful ly ▁with ▁the ▁broad ▁position ▁I ▁have ▁taken ." ▁Miller ▁was ▁a ▁literary ▁Harvard ▁historian ▁whose ▁books ▁such ▁as ▁The ▁New ▁England ▁Mind ▁established ▁new ▁standards ▁for ▁the ▁writing ▁of ▁American ▁cultural ▁and ▁religious ▁history . ▁Miller ▁remained ▁one ▁of ▁Par s ons ' ▁most ▁fav oured ▁histor ians ▁throughout ▁his ▁life . ▁Indeed , ▁religion ▁had ▁always ▁a ▁special ▁place ▁in ▁Par s ons ' ▁heart , ▁but ▁his ▁son , ▁in ▁an ▁interview , ▁maintained ▁that ▁he ▁that ▁his ▁father ▁was ▁probably ▁not ▁really ▁" rel ig ious ." ▁ ▁Through out ▁his ▁life , ▁Par s ons ▁interact ed ▁with ▁a ▁broad ▁range ▁of ▁intellect uals ▁and ▁others ▁who ▁took ▁a ▁deep ▁interest ▁in ▁religious ▁belief ▁systems , ▁do ctr ines , ▁and ▁institutions . ▁One ▁notable ▁person ▁who ▁interact ed ▁with ▁Par s ons ▁was ▁Marie ▁August a ▁Ne al , ▁a ▁nun