Puritan Religious Belief & Culture And you think you have it bad…

Who were the Puritans?  Puritans were a branch of the Protestant church  Their movement began in the 16 th and 17 th centuries  Although they preferred to be called “the godly,” they were given the name “Puritans” for their struggle to reform or purify the Church of England

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 rather than an overthrow of the church  Came to America in 1630 and founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony

Why did they come here in the first place?  In 1543, King Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church to found the Church of England.  Protestant religious reformers didn’t think the new Anglican church was different enough from the Catholic Church  Puritans thought the Catholic Church was too opulent and focused on wealth and other worldly things; they wanted a church more focused on God.

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How are Puritan beliefs different from other Christians? PREDESTINATION: The belief that all features of salvation are determined by God’s sovereignty.  Including those were to be saved  Belief in Jesus was not enough!  Participation in sacraments was not enough! JUSTIFICATION: The gift of God’s grace to the elect those chosen for salvation. SANCTIFICATION: The behavior that resulted in an individual when they had been saved.  Evidence of salvation, but did not cause it!!!!

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

John Calvin  Believed that the downfall of mankind was directly related to the corruption resulting from the fall of Adam and Eve.  Believed that God’s forgiveness is limited to a select group of followers (LIMITED ATONEMENT).  Believed that God’s forgiveness could neither be earned nor denied (IRRESTIBLE GRACE).  Felt that God’s chosen remain in a state of grace while on earth and are taken directly to heaven when dead

Tenets of Puritan Philosophy The Covenant of Works – God promised his progeny eternal life if they obeyed moral law.  After Adam broke this covenant, God made a new covenant with Abraham.  Puritans believed they were direct descendants of Abraham. The Covenant of Grace – This requires an active faith and “softens” the doctrine of predestination.  God still chooses the elect but there is now a sort of “contract” or understanding.  Punishment for sin is a proper response to disobedience. The Covenant of Redemption – The pre-existence of the aforementioned covenant.  Christ bound God to accept him as man’s representative.  If Christ paid the price for the redemption of believers, his followers would be washed of their sins.

Puritan Laws & Punishments  A person was fined, imprisoned, and whipped for non-attendance at church services!  People were dealt with more harshly if they spoke against religion or denied the divine origin of any book from the Bible.  Shame was a primary form of punishment. Common punishments included:  Stocks and pillory  Branding  Public whipping

Puritan Laws & Punishments

 Women were not allowed to wear lace or have clothes that showed skin (but they didn’t necessarily wear all black).  Long hair worn by men, smoking in public, or showing P.D.A. was unacceptable!  Youths were not allowed to court one another in public and needed the consent of the girl’s parents to court at all.  Children were often found crying in fear they would go to hell and not be chosen as the elect.  Crying was done privately as children were punished for doing so in public.

Puritan Beliefs & Values:  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

Puritan Beliefs & Values:  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:  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 and founded Harvard 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