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WHO WERE THE WHO WERE THE PURITANS?PURITANS?
The “Pilgrims”The “Pilgrims” Name came from wanting to Name came from wanting to
“purify” the Church of “purify” the Church of England of its corruptionsEngland of its corruptions
Emphasized the afterlife, Emphasized the afterlife, simple living, and STRICT simple living, and STRICT adherence to the teachings of adherence to the teachings of The BibleThe Bible
Religious extremists who were Religious extremists who were very conservative morally and very conservative morally and seen as religious zealots and seen as religious zealots and potential political potential political revolutionariesrevolutionaries
Were persecuted and harassed Were persecuted and harassed in England as a resultin England as a result
WHY DID THEY COME TO WHY DID THEY COME TO AMERICA?AMERICA?
To escape persecutionTo escape persecution To find religious freedomTo find religious freedom To make money: they were good businessmen To make money: they were good businessmen
and hard workers (a secondary reason)and hard workers (a secondary reason) To establish a “City on a Hill”To establish a “City on a Hill”
An exemplary religious community that all could An exemplary religious community that all could see, admire, and emulatesee, admire, and emulate
Could only do this is an uninhabited, uncivilized, Could only do this is an uninhabited, uncivilized, undeveloped land where they had total freedom undeveloped land where they had total freedom and where they were not overshadowed by other and where they were not overshadowed by other cultures.cultures.
Arrived on the Mayflower at Plymouth Rock, Arrived on the Mayflower at Plymouth Rock, late 1620late 1620
PURITANS WANTED TO PURITANS WANTED TO ESTABLISH A ESTABLISH A THEOCRACYTHEOCRACY
A government based on religious beliefs A government based on religious beliefs and teachingsand teachings
No separation of church and stateNo separation of church and state Leaders of church and state are often Leaders of church and state are often
the samethe same God’s law = man’s lawGod’s law = man’s law Legality = moralityLegality = morality For the Puritans, this meant legislation For the Puritans, this meant legislation
based on The Biblebased on The Bible
STRONG BELIEF IN STRONG BELIEF IN PREDESTINATIONPREDESTINATION
God selects those to be “saved”, taken God selects those to be “saved”, taken to heaven, before they are even bornto heaven, before they are even born
One cannot influence God’s decision One cannot influence God’s decision during life: it can’t be changedduring life: it can’t be changed
One cannot know for sure whether One cannot know for sure whether one is “saved” or “damned”one is “saved” or “damned”
ALL humans deserve damnation; only ALL humans deserve damnation; only through God’s bestowal of grace due through God’s bestowal of grace due to His infinite mercy are a few savedto His infinite mercy are a few saved
THE ELECT VS. THE THE ELECT VS. THE DAMEDDAMED
The Elect are those chosen The Elect are those chosen for heaven. for heaven. They are few compared They are few compared
to the damnedto the damned The Damned are those The Damned are those
going to hellgoing to hell They are manyThey are many
ALL deserve damnation ALL deserve damnation due to our depraved and due to our depraved and evil natureevil nature
It is only through God’s It is only through God’s infinite mercy that even a infinite mercy that even a single person is saved from single person is saved from hellhell
HUMAN NATURE AND HUMAN NATURE AND “THE FALL”“THE FALL”
Human Nature is EVIL: we Human Nature is EVIL: we are born to sin and are are born to sin and are drawn towards it as our drawn towards it as our natural impulsenatural impulse
It is evil due to “Original Sin”It is evil due to “Original Sin” Adam and Eve’s Adam and Eve’s
disobedience in the disobedience in the Garden of Eden: also Garden of Eden: also called “The Fall”called “The Fall”
All humans inherit Adam and All humans inherit Adam and Eve’s sin—so even newborn Eve’s sin—so even newborn babies are not innocent.babies are not innocent.
Thus it is our nature to do Thus it is our nature to do evil, to disobey, to rebel evil, to disobey, to rebel despite God’s great kindness despite God’s great kindness in creating usin creating us
THE NATURE OF GODTHE NATURE OF GOD
Omnipotent and omnicientOmnipotent and omnicient Loving, merciful, and just beyond all Loving, merciful, and just beyond all
measuremeasure Capable of great wrath and anger—Capable of great wrath and anger—
though his wrath is justified alwaysthough his wrath is justified always Never mean of cruelNever mean of cruel When God damns, his wrath is When God damns, his wrath is
righteous: he created us, gave us life, righteous: he created us, gave us life, gave us EVERYTHING, and we repay gave us EVERYTHING, and we repay Him with disobedienceHim with disobedience
PROVIDENCEPROVIDENCE
God acting in God acting in historyhistory
They thought God’s They thought God’s fingerprints were on fingerprints were on every event: could every event: could try to read God’s try to read God’s messages through messages through the events of historythe events of history
This plus This plus predestination = predestination = NO FREE WILLNO FREE WILL
GRACEGRACE
You could feel God’s presence You could feel God’s presence entering you in the form of “Grace.”entering you in the form of “Grace.”
This was an overwhelming feeling of This was an overwhelming feeling of joy and exhilarationjoy and exhilaration
They searched their lives and hearts They searched their lives and hearts and souls for signs of grace: this, and souls for signs of grace: this, they felt, was proof that God had they felt, was proof that God had chosen them as one of the Electchosen them as one of the Elect
WHY DO GOOD INSTEAD WHY DO GOOD INSTEAD OF EVIL?OF EVIL?
If your action on earth do not influence If your action on earth do not influence whether you go to heaven or hell, why do good?whether you go to heaven or hell, why do good?
Typical twisted, irrational Puritan logic:Typical twisted, irrational Puritan logic: God wouldn’t choose someone to go to heaven who God wouldn’t choose someone to go to heaven who
was evil or corruptwas evil or corrupt So, you act holy to try to convince yourself that you So, you act holy to try to convince yourself that you
would be good enough for God to have chosen youwould be good enough for God to have chosen you Grace is the only “proof” you might haveGrace is the only “proof” you might have
However, we are imperfect and we have an evil However, we are imperfect and we have an evil nature, so we will naturally always revert to sin nature, so we will naturally always revert to sin . . .. . .
NATURE VS. THE NATURE VS. THE COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY
Nature was seen as frightening, Nature was seen as frightening, potentially a place of evil, and potentially a place of evil, and always a place of temptationalways a place of temptation You fear what you don’t You fear what you don’t
understand: this is pre-science understand: this is pre-science so didn’t understand nature; so didn’t understand nature; thus, they feared itthus, they feared it
Without the strict rules of the Without the strict rules of the community, harsh punishments community, harsh punishments for sin, and the authorities to for sin, and the authorities to enforce punishments, our evil enforce punishments, our evil nature would take overnature would take over
You don’t have these restrictions You don’t have these restrictions in Nature to keep you on the in Nature to keep you on the straight and narrow—thus we straight and narrow—thus we would were more likely to sin in would were more likely to sin in naturenature than in the community than in the community
CRIMES IN PURITAN CRIMES IN PURITAN SOCIETYSOCIETY
Sinning = crimeSinning = crime Ex.: Adultery was a sin, and Ex.: Adultery was a sin, and
also a crime: could be also a crime: could be punished in court for it.punished in court for it.
The Bible was literal word of The Bible was literal word of GodGod So, any deviance from the So, any deviance from the
teaching therein was a sin, teaching therein was a sin, and thus a crimeand thus a crime
Extremely strict morally:Extremely strict morally: Dancing, showing any skin, Dancing, showing any skin,
playing cards, wearing playing cards, wearing ostentatious clothing, any ostentatious clothing, any sort of sexual misconduct, sort of sexual misconduct, were all sins. Having fun were all sins. Having fun was a SIN! (at least it was a SIN! (at least it seemed like it)seemed like it)
PURITAN VIRTUESPURITAN VIRTUES SobrietySobriety TemperanceTemperance IndustriousnessIndustriousness
““Idle hands are the Devil’s workshop.”Idle hands are the Devil’s workshop.” SimplicitySimplicity
In dress, lifestyle, worshipIn dress, lifestyle, worship Self-RelianceSelf-Reliance ***Just by chance, these are EXACTLY the ***Just by chance, these are EXACTLY the
characteristics it would take to survive in characteristics it would take to survive in the New Worldthe New World
THE MEDIEVAL THE MEDIEVAL PARADIGM: THE GREAT PARADIGM: THE GREAT
CHAIN OF BEINGCHAIN OF BEING
GOD
ANGELS
MANKIND
ANIMALS
PLANTS
INANIMATE OBJECTS
A hierarchy; each level is subordinate to the one above it
A hierarchy; each level is subordinate to the one above it
Each level, other than God, has sublevels
Each level, other than God, has sublevels
No concept of democracy or equality in this worldview; a clear order of superiority/inferiority and absolute obedience to those above
No concept of democracy or equality in this worldview; a clear order of superiority/inferiority and absolute obedience to those above
This carried over to the way they organized politically and socially
This carried over to the way they organized politically and socially
PURITAN LITERATUREPURITAN LITERATURE
SermonsSermons HistoriesHistories JournalsJournals Some poetrySome poetry
Very little creative literatureVery little creative literature Little concern for beautyLittle concern for beauty Total focus is on God, following God’s Total focus is on God, following God’s
will as outlined in the Bible, and the will as outlined in the Bible, and the afterlifeafterlife
THE DIFFICULTY OF THE THE DIFFICULTY OF THE PURITAN EXISTENCEPURITAN EXISTENCE
They were a very serious, dour people under They were a very serious, dour people under enormous stress constantlyenormous stress constantly Everything is a sinEverything is a sin We are by nature evil so we have no real chance of We are by nature evil so we have no real chance of
avoiding sin for longavoiding sin for long God damns most people—and we all deserve itGod damns most people—and we all deserve it We can’t change God’s decision (predestination)We can’t change God’s decision (predestination) We can’t even KNOW if we are saved or notWe can’t even KNOW if we are saved or not Everyone watching over you constantly to control your Everyone watching over you constantly to control your
behavior and keep you from sinning (or to tell on you)behavior and keep you from sinning (or to tell on you) No way to really confess sins due to the harsh No way to really confess sins due to the harsh
judgments of the community: so no way to expiate guiltjudgments of the community: so no way to expiate guilt Purely human impulses are harshly punished and never Purely human impulses are harshly punished and never
forgotten or forgivenforgotten or forgiven