The Puritans English 11 Mr. Bradley

Who were the Puritans? Branch of Protestant church Began in 16th & 17th centuries Preferred to be called “the godly” Attempted to “purify” Church of England Encouraged free enterprise and emerging capitalist economy Wanted to strip the church of Catholic influences

Two Types of Puritans: Separatists Held irreconcilable differences with the Church of England; they thought the church was corrupt and that they must distance themselves from it Were persecuted under various monarchies in England First fled from England to Holland Later, came to found the Plymouth Colony in America in 1620 Non-Separatists Held less extreme views of the Church of England Believed in church reform Came to America in 1630 Massachusetts Bay Colony

Doctrine of Election / Predestination: Man is innately sinful Original Sin Only those who are chosen by God (the elect) are saved The grace of Christ allows the chosen the strength to follow the will of God The chosen will follow the path of righteousness

Predestination continued… No one knew who was or was not saved Must have conversion experience God’s grace given to chosen Grace shown through Godly behavior Self-reflection to determine who had this behavior No one knew who was or was not saved. Puritans believed that you must have a conversion experience in order to be accepted by God. God’s grace was given to the chosen, and this grace was demonstrated through one’s behavior. Puritans would, therefore, reflect upon themselves (self-examination) for signs of this grace. So, even though they did not believe good works helped one get into heaven, they believed that living a godly life was evidence of being chosen.

As a result of their belief in predestination, Puritans: Were always looking for signs Scrutinized daily events Thought there was always a reason for everything Felt that God’s hand was in everything, no matter how insignificant

Puritan Beliefs & Values: Literal interpretation of the Bible Explicit readings vs church doctrines No excesses in worship Simple, so they can concentrate on God Constant struggle between God & Satan God rewards the good & punishes the wicked Puritans believed in a literal interpretation of the Bible They believed in explicit readings of the Bible, as opposed to church doctrines They did not believe in excess worship; they wanted no rituals, adornments, no stained glass, no cushioned pews, no singing, and no music They wanted to keep things simple so that they could concentrate on God There is a constant struggle between the forces of God and Satan God rewards the good and punishes the wicked

Education & Work Ethic: Virtuous, self-examined life Strict discipline Strong work ethic Virtues would lead to economic success Valued education Founded Harvard College in 1636 to train ministers Get children away from evils of England No games Women less capable Eve was the first sinner Literature for pleasure highly censored They believed in living a virtuous, self-examined life They believed in strict discipline and had a strong work ethic They felt that qualities that led to economic success were virtuous They valued education Harvard was founded in 1636 to train ministers They wanted their children to get far away from the evils of England Children were not allowed to play games; boys were taught to go hunting and fishing, while girls were taught how to run a household Women were considered less capable intellectually, physically, theologically, and morally (Eve was the first sinner) Literature for pleasure was highly censored

Puritan Literature & Writings: Very little writing for pleasure or entertainment Fiction considered frivolous & possibly immoral Historical documents, personal journals, religious poetry & tracts Plain Style Clarity Accessibility Straightforwardness Lack of ornamentation They did not write for pleasure or entertainment. One reason was the fact that they were struggling to built their settlement. Another reason was the fact that they considered works of fiction frivolous and possibly immoral Types of texts: - historical documents: preserving their history and offering justifications to relieve the guilt they felt over leaving relatives behind in England - personal journals: as tools for self-reflection/ examination and as a way to look for signs of salvation - poetry, but highly inspired by religious beliefs - religious tracts Plain Style: a mode of expression characterized by its clarity, accessibility, straightforwardness, simplicity, and lack of ornamentation. In early America, the plain style aesthetic had broad cultural relevance, shaping the language of prose and poetry, the design of furniture and architecture, painting and other visual arts. Rejecting ornamental flourishes and superfluous decoration as sinful vanity, plain stylists worked to glorify God in their expressions rather than to show off their own artistry or claim any renown for themselves. This aesthetic appealed to both Puritans and Quakers.

Jonathan Edwards 1703-1758 Fire and brimstone imagery. Helped bring about the Great Awakening. Tyrannical pastor - extreme and strict - humans “lowly sinners.” The last “Puritan”