1. An Overview of the Puritans

2. Puritans vs. Pilgrims
Both groups believed that the Church of England had become corrupt
Puritans wanted to reform or purify the church
Pilgrims believed the Church was beyond saving and therefore wanted to separate from it completely

3. Persecution The King was the head of the Church
Saying the Church was corrupt and in need of reform was a direct assault on the King
Rebelling against the Church was often seen as treason

4. Religious Beliefs Predestination:
Although everyone wants to go to heaven, only a small number will
God knows who will go to heaven and who will go to hell
We can only guess who is predestined by their behaviors

5. Religious Beliefs
A person who is obviously predestined for heaven will act in a way that proves it
People who deliberately sin are not necessarily predestined for hell, they can and should be taught to change their ways.
This is why punishment becomes so important to Puritans

6. Sin = Crime The church is the state
Any sin is views as a crime and is subject to public prosecution
Sin is also seen as a social problem and could result in the culprit being shunned by the community

7. The Puritan Work Ethic
Possibly the Puritans’ most important contribution to America
Puritans believed that any work you had to do was given to you by God
So, you had to do your best to accomplish that task
They were extremely hard workers and endured great hardship without complaint

8. The Puritan Lifestyle Characterized by simplicity
Puritans should not do anything to draw attention to themselves (all attention should go to God)
Clothing was plain and usually dark colored
Their goal was to always be honest and straightforward

9. Puritan Poetry
The literature of the Puritans reflects their simple, straightforward approach to life
It is simple, direct, and meant to focus attention on God rather than the writer
To accomplish this, there are some very strict rules Puritan poetry follows

10. Puritan Plain Style The characteristics of Puritan poetry are:
expression of religious ideas
short words
direct language (no figurative language)
references to ordinary objects
absence of emotion or sensory experiences