Puritans: Theology and Dissent  1. Intro Stuff:  -Not “Pilgrims”  -everything you think you  know about them is probably a LIE.  -These people are WEIRD  and NOT FUN!

II. Coming to the New World  A. Looking for Somewhere they could be Puritans– practice their religious and cultural beliefs.  B. New World their Last Chance–  C. Probably landed in “Massachusetts” on Accident.  D. Found abandoned Indian village, with food, housing, buried dead people– thought this was sign of God’s Favor

 E. Wanted to Establish a Religious Utopia  or “A City On a Hill.”

III. Puritan Theology  A. Predestination: the Individual is PREDESTINED for either Heaven or Hell.  “God’s Team” or “Satan’s Team”

The Bummer Part:  1. Individuals had no choice in their team. God and Satan decided.  2. Your Eternal Destiny (Heaven or Hell) was decided before you were born.  3. Not much you could do– going to Hell? Bummer!

 B. Covenant of Works  1. Church Members & Elders could KINDA tell which team a person was on by their “works.”  *Deeds:  Good deeds =Good Works  --Bad Deeds =Bad Works  *Stuff:  Good Stuff = Good Works  Bad Stuff =Bad Works

IV. Puritans and Dissent  A. Roger Williams: Church Elder– Came to Plymouth Got in trouble  1. Advocated for people to have Religious Freedom and Separation of Church and State.  2. Found Guilty of Sedition and Heresy– Banned from the Community.  3. Founded Providence RI, first place in American where Religious Liberty was GUARANTEED!

What a Stud Bunny!

B. Anne Hutchinson  1. Midwife, Wife and Mother  2. Strong Theological education from her father.  3. Religious Lay person.  4. Notices, in her mid-wifery work, a flaw in Covenant of Works Begins preaching Covenant of GRACE in Home Bible Study Group

Bad Anne!

 , put on Trial for Heresy, despite the fact that she and her ideas were Popular; also, she’d never talked about Grace in Public.  8. Church Elders had trouble making a case.  9. UNTIL, she said she wasn’t afraid of them, she answered only to God, and that God had told her this stuff.  PROBLEM SOLVED!

Anne Hutchinson Banished to R.I. Hutchinson family massacred my Indians in 1643 (one daughter taken captive for 6 years).

More Puritan Obsession with Control:  1. Man prosecuted for adultery. Witness watched man have sex with woman not his wife THREE TIMES. Man hung.  2. Another man, more adultery....  Man Hung.....

The Pig was Hung too.