1. PURITANS ’s

2. History “Purify” the church in England Severe persecution
1620 – Landed in “new world”
1640 – 20,000 arrived

3. Nature What is in the woods?
All manners of bad things could have been in there to the puritan mind.

4. Theology Religion was a personal experience
Heavily superstitious, belief in witchcraft
Original sin
Saved [elect] and unsaved [damned]
Call of the saved
Outward expression of beliefs
Valued exemplary lives
Bible was the literal word of God
Source of guidance for life

5. Theology Continued… Predestination
G-d has chosen certain few of the “elect” for salvation.
Unlike other Christians, they believed faith alone was not enough.
Whether or not you were “saved” could be determined by your behavior—if you acted in a holy manner, it was assumed you were saved.

6. Theology Continued… Covenant of Grace
Once Adam broke the Covenant with G-d, He created a new covenant with Abraham.
Punishment for sins is considered a proper response to disobedience.

7. The Great Awakening
The term Great Awakening is used to refer to a period of religious revival in American religious history.
Each of these "Great Awakenings" was characterized by widespread revivals led by evangelical Protestant ministers, a sharp increase of interest in religion, a profound sense of conviction and redemption on the part of those affected, a jump in evangelical church membership, and the formation of new religious movements and denominations.
The first Great Awakening began in 1734 and lasted to about 1750.

8. Government Elect ran the government Strict and slightly undemocratic
Constitution (over monarchy)
Power spread out

9. Mary Rowlandson Wife of minister Victim of King Phillip’s War
Captive of Wampanoag
Story shows obedience of
faith
A Narrative of the Captivity

10. Jonathan Edwards Puritan preacher Began Great Awakening revival
Challenge to the duty of the
saved
Extremist
Fought modern world and religious world of ancestors
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

13. Themes in Puritan Writing
Idealism- (presenting things as they should be rather than as they are) both religious and political
Pragmatism- practicality and purposefulness

14. The Style of Puritan Writing
Protestant- reverence for the bible.
Purposefulness- there was a purpose to Puritan writing.
Puritan writing reflected the character and scope of the reading public, which was literate and well-grounded in religion.

15. Visible Signs of Puritan Decay
Visible decay of godliness.
Manifestations of pride- especially among the new rich.
Presence of “heretics’- Quakers and Anabaptists.
Violations of the Sabbath and swearing and sleeping during sermons.
Decay in family government
People full of contention- rise in lawsuits and lawyers.
Sins of sex and alcohol on the increase.
Decay in business morality- lying , laborers underpaid, etc.
Lacking in social behavior.