1. Puritans, Revolutionaries, & Transcendentalists
Historic Pathways
Puritans, Revolutionaries, & Transcendentalists

2. Theology
Theists – A person who believes in an all powerful God as a creator and ruler
Deists – A person who believes in a God, based on reason, who created the universe, but has assumed no control over life, exerted no influence on nature, and given no supernatural revelation
Pantheists – A person who believes in the worship of all gods, identifies gods with nature

3. Puritans

4. Basic Beliefs Came to America to escape persecution
However, believed that their way of life was absolutely right
This lead to persecution of others
No person could remain in the community without being a member in good standing of the Church
Doctrine of the Elect
Only God could grant the gift of Salvation
If not chosen, could not enter Heaven
Arbitrary – no amount of good work, righteous living or moral behavior could help anyone become Elect

5. Ideology Theocracy Basic Beliefs
Government totally controlled by the Church
A person must be a member of the Church to vote
Without Church membership, loss of property was possible
Basic Beliefs
As sinners, all must be punished – All humans are inherently evil
God decided the fate of all people before they were born – Nothing they did could change destiny
Each person, regardless of fate, was responsible for own behavior
All Puritans had to carefully watch their own behavior & that of their neighbors
God required everyone to be busy & work hard
Bible is the supreme authority on earth

6. Puritan Essentials
View of God: God is omnipotent and wrathful (Theists)
View of Man: Man is basically Evil without God
Work and Worldly success are the paths to God’s grace
View of Society: Emphasis on success of society and authority
View of Truth: Faith and religion
Values: morality, religion, Bible, & God
MISC:
Education was religious
Pessimistic view of life

7. Revolutionaries

8. Basic Beliefs Believed in God -- Did not believe God controlled life
God is benevolent
God judges, but doesn’t control
Reason and logic was an integral part of life
Optimistic about life – saw the goodness in man
Individual rights and liberty were supreme
Success can be achieved through work

9. Revolutionary Essentials
View of God: Believed in a higher power who was benevolent (Deists)
View of Man: Man is perfectible and basically good
All men can achieve success through work
View of Society: Emphasis on the individual
View of Truth: Science and reason
Values: usefulness, success, reason
MISC:
God judges but doesn’t control
Importance of liberty
Education is practical and vocational
Optimistic view of life

10. Transcendentalists

11. Transcend “To go beyond”
To go above reason and beyond the material world
Ralph Waldo Emerson lionized as the great thinker of the time
Emerson’s optimism was tailored to the era
Social Reform Movement
Anti-Slavery
For Women’s Rights
Use intelligence to rescue mankind from poverty, ignorance, and social injustice
When inconsistencies were pointed out, Emerson accused critics of not being morally capable of understanding

12. Basic Beliefs
Generation of well educated that struggled to define spirituality and religion
Individuals had it within themselves to be perfect – the capacity to be happy
Self-reliance and self-discipline
Pantheism- belief that nature is divinity – nature over civilization
Based on feelings rather than reason, Personality over laws
Universe ruled by all-pervasive intelligence known as the Over-Soul
As an intelligent being man was divine – salvation from within
Man in the process of realizing own divinity
God gave humankind the gifts of intuition, insight, & inspiration – Why waste such a gift?

13. Transcendentalism Essentials
View of God: Believed in many gods (Pantheists)
View of Man: Man is divine and shares divinity with all life
Success is measured by man’s correct relationship to his work
View of Society: Emphasis on the individual as superior to society
View of Truth: Intuition and instinct
Values: Nature and instinct
MISC:
Self Knowledge was important
Education aimed at self-knowledge
Idealistic view of life