PURITANISMPURITANS PURITANS A RELIGIOUS-POLITICAL MOVEMENT DEVELOPED IN THE MID-1500’S EVOLVING INTO PROTESTANTISM. PURITAN IS A BROAD TERM, REFERRING TO ANY NUMBER OF PROTESTANT SECTS THAT SOUGHT TO “PURIFY” THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH

A. INTRODUCTION Puritans most powerfully influenced the course of American Literature What we identify as “American” comes from the moral, ethical, and religious convictions of the Puritans.

INTRO (CONT) Voyage:  Two months (66 days)  Ships: Speedwell (abandoned) & Mayflower Divine Intervention  Sailor who mocked and cursed Puritans died of fever.  Beam of ship buckles- Puritans use screw to repair.

INTRO (CONT.) Characteristics  Practical  Single-minded visionaries convinced of rightness of their cause  Businessmen: spiritually and worldly  Commerce with heaven  Competent in real world of business ventures

WHO WERE THESE PURITANS? Puritan – refers to any of a number of Protestant sects that sought to purify the established church of England.  Also called “Nonconformists” and “Dissenters”

WHO WERE THESE PURITANS? Many suffered religious persecution.  Some left England, at first for Holland.  Fearing they would lose their identity, a small group of about a hundred set sail in 1620 for the New World.  Hoped to build a new secular society patterned after God’s word.

2 MARTIN LUTHER’S CONTRIBUTION: CONTRIBUTION 10 yrs. after entering monastery had a personal revelation his approach is a mystical convergence distrusted reason shocked by the spiritual laxity in higher church offices the results were...

3 THE 95 THESES 1Roman Catholic Church had no divine rights in spiritual matters 2Scriptures are the final authority over conscience. 3Man could be absolved of sins without the intervention of a mediary (priest) by his own actions--turning toward God. 4Justification came through faith alone, not ceremony, good works or the sacraments

4 JOHN CG5PYICALVIN’S CONTRIBUTIONS: CG5PYI a French Protestant theologian who experienced a sudden conversion left the Church and became a hunted Protestant leader. His Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536) sets forth his basic theology. Calvinism affected the Puritans the most

5 FIVE BASIC POINTS: 1) The Total Depravity of Man-- man’s natural inability to exercise free will since Adam’s Fall. 2) Unconditional Election-- God’s election of those few to be saved w/ or w/o good works. 3) Irresistible Grace--made available in advance only to the elect (i.e.. God’s sovereignty.)

6 4) The perseverance of the saints--the predetermined elect persevere in the path of holiness (Once saved, once having received God’s Grace, it cannot be returned.) 5) Limited Atonement-- Christ did not die for all but only for the elect, provided through the Holy Spirit, giving them power to attempt to obey God’s will as revealed in Scriptures.

7 PURITAN MOVEMENT: Henry VIII broke with the Roman Catholic Church in 1534 to assert the supremacy of the State over the Church. Puritans did not consider this break adequate. They wanted to eliminate bishops and papal ceremonies not authorized by Scriptures.

10 PURITAN THEOLOGY: The basic premise was to set up a Christian religion based solely on the Bible. Many wished to set up a theocracy where religion and government went hand in hand. While they advocated religious liberty, they were not themselves tolerant of other religious preferences.

11 BASIC PRINCIPLES: The Sovereignty of God God’s Hand in government The authority of the Scriptures The Trinity Universal Depravity

12 Predestination Damnation of unregenerate Election of salvation of some regenerates through God’s Grace

13 Though good works did not get one to heaven, seeing one do good works could be a sign that he was one of the elect. Thus everyone worked hard and reaped benefits. The hard earned riches was another outward sign of being God’s chosen.

14 THE CONTEST CONTINUED IN NEW ENGLAND: The SCROOBY Group of Separatists settled in Plymouth Bay in 1620 The Non-separatists established a colony at Massachusetts Bay in 1629 Once established--both groups practiced intolerance

PURITANS AND PILGRIMS Pilgrim: one who makes a pilgrimage, or journey to a holy place.  Took on a wider meaning – it was a journey to salvation The Pilgrims (capital P) is generally reserved for the small band of Puritans who founded the colony of Plymouth in 1620  The many other Puritans who came afterward are usually just called Puritans

THE BIBLE IN THE AMERICAN WILDERNESS The Bible was the literal word of God Reading the Bible was a necessity for all Puritans  Therefore, Puritans places a great emphasis on education  Puritans founded Harvard College in 1636, just sixteen years after the first Pilgrims landed

PURITAN WRITINGS The Bible was the foundation upon which Puritan literature was built  Rejected mere adornments, such as ornate figures of speech or witty plays on words. The Ideal Puritan style of writing:  Plain style  Strong, simple, and logical  Made explanations of the scriptures accessible to everyone

PURITAN WRITINGS Inner and Outer events (emotions & occurrences) were interpreted as God’s messages. Writing these occurrences became the records of the workings of God.  They recorded forms of revelation

PURITAN WRITINGS Writings recorded forms of revelation.  God revealed His purpose to humanity in three primary ways:  The Bible  The natural world  Direct intervention in human affairs

Puritan Beliefs Puritan StyleContent “Of Plymouth Plantation” “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

15 ROGER WILLIAMS Questioned the validity of the VA. Charter Civil authorities had no right to punish people for religious opinions Banished--wandered for 14 weeks until befriended by Indians Bought Providence Rhode Island-- founded on religious tolerance