Puritanism

Life in the New World1620-1800

Puritans

• Came from England as Pilgrims to escape religious persecution, circa 1620

• Highly, highly (no, really—HIGHLY) religious people—think zealots and extremists

Identity TODAY

Today, many people believe individual identity is shaped by environmental factors, such as

• Culture• Family• Friends• Education• Geography• Personal beliefs

Puritanical Identity

However, Puritans believed that every aspect was controlled and determined by God

•Emotions•Thoughts•Desires•Behaviors•Inclinations•Intuition•Abilities

Puritanical Identity

All abilities, skills, words, and actions were to be directed for God’s service and glorification

•Speakers - Ministers•Scholars - Theologians•Carpenters - Church builders•Parents - Home missionaries•Teachers - Christian instruction•Artists - Christian Painters•Song writers - Hymn writers

Puritanical Identity

• Puritans searched themselves and examined their lives for evidence of God’s grace

• Looked for proof that they were going to heaven

Core Beliefs

• Absolute sovereignty of God• Complete dependence on divine grace for

salvation• Stressed the importance of a personal

religious experience*

*but would harshly judge those who did not publicly attend church

Puritanical Society

• Commonwealth officials insisted that they were God’s elect (Divine Right of Kings)

• National affairs were conducted according to God’s will, as interpreted from the Bible

Puritanical Society

The Bible was Law

Puritanical Society

• No division between Church and State

• Church had direct and EXCLUSIVE control over all colonial actions

Puritanical Society

CHURCH | STATE

Puritanical Society

CHURCH + STATE

Puritanical Society

CHURCH = STATE

Puritanical Society

• Believed that God sanctioned the solidarity of society

• That is, they believed it God’s will for Puritans be separated from non-Puritans

• This is argument for class systems/segregation

Puritanical Literature

• All writing must be purposeful and benefit the society or families

• Literature was NOT intended for mere enjoyment

Puritanical Literature

• Explanation of Biblical texts• Sermons• Application to life in the colony• How-to manuals

Puritanical Literature

• Explanation of Biblical texts• Sermons• Application to life in the colony• How-to manuals

Puritanical Literature

• Novels were NOT written• Not purposeful• Distracted people from work, responsibilities,

and worship

Sermons

• Fire and Brimstone

• Meant to scare people to church

• Preached of depravity/evil of men

Jonathan Edwards

• Puritan minister

• “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

Hands of an Angry God

Purpose:• Scare people toward

holiness

Themes:• Men are intrinsically evil• That they aren’t already in

hell is the grace of God

Poetry

• Anne Bradstreet, “Here Follows Some Verses Upon the Burning of Our House, June 1666”

Purpose:• Record personal history• Denounce materialism• Glorify God

Burning of Our House

• Anne Bradstreet, “Here Follows Some Verses Upon the Burning of Our House, June 1666”

Themes:• Treasure lies in heaven• Triviality of material goods• Acceptance to God’s plan

Puritan Beliefs

• Too many possessions/valuing possessions too much is a sin

• Live a simple life

• Women belonged in the house/married young

Puritan Work Ethic

• Idle hands are the Devil’s playground

• One must work hard to get to heaven

• Men worked their jobs and maintained property (an overgrown field or unkempt farm was a sin)

Puritan Work Ethic

• Hard work was necessary for happiness

• Likening laziness/idleness to a sin and valuing hard work were ways to cope with/justify difficult lives

Puritan Work Ethic

• Hard work leads to success (physically and spiritually)

• This eventually leads to the concept of The American Dream

The American Dream

Hard Work and Good Character leads to Success