1. Puritans – Who Were They?

2. Came to North America as a business venture The everyday world and the spiritual world were closely intertwined. Puritan = Protestant groups seeking to “purify” the Church of England. Religion was a personal, inner experience.

3. Puritans: Single-minded visionaries convinced of the rightness of their beliefs, but also were practical and businesslike Felt Christian worship should be simplified to more closely resemble Biblical models Many were persecuted and fled England Major belief – “In Adam’s Fall, We sinned all.” Elect – “saved” Damned – “unregenerate” Puritan values – self-reliance, industriousness, temperance, simplicity Mayflower Compact – constitutional democracy, yet “elect” influenced the government = undemocratic

4. Characteristics of Puritan Writing Bible provided a model: individual life as pilgrimage to salvation Used writing to explore their inner and outer lives for signs of workings of God Diaries and histories most common – directly expressed the workings of God Favored plain style – stressed clarity of expression and avoided figures of speech Emphasized education so people could read & understand the Bible – believed Bible was literal word of God