The Puritans

A “Purified” Church The Puritans sought to purify the Church of England from within. They believed the Anglican Church of England had become too garish and idolatrous in its worship. They wanted to get back to the basics of Calvinism.

Puritanism A version of Calvinism Asserts the basic sinfulness of humankind, but also declares that God has determined that some will be saved despite their sins Thus, the experience of conversion, in which the soul is touched by the Holy Spirit, is an indication that one is of the elect

Puritanism Puritanism was a way of life (theocracy) Puritan spiritual life stressed self- discipline & introspection Puritans saw their lives as a “divine mission”: God gave them the New World for they were his chosen people This idea is the precursor to the concept of Manifest Destiny

The Bible Puritans believed The Bible to be the supreme authority on earth They used The Bible to justify their occupation of the land and their use of force against Native Americans

Basic Tenets of Puritanism Judgmental God (rewards good/punishes evil) Predestination/Election (salvation or damnation was predetermined by God) Original Sin (humans are innately sinful, tainted by the sins of Adam & Eve; good can be accomplished only through hard work & self-discipline) Providence God’s Grace: The Puritans saw grace as a gift from a kind and loving God; human beings were unworthy to receive salvation because of their depraved natures. Repentance, like personal salvation, depended on the Grace of God. Only select individuals could experience this miracle of God’s love

Am I One of the Elect? Puritans examined themselves & their lives constantly looking for evidence of their election Guilt & remorse were signs of God’s grace Thrift, industry, hard work were viewed as signs of God’s grace Business success was a sign of God’s grace

Hard Work & Self-Discipline To the Puritans, a person by nature was wholly sinful and could achieve good only by severe and unremitting discipline. Hard work was considered a religious duty and emphasis was laid on constant self-examination and self-discipline.

Hard Work & Self-Discipline Although profanation of the Sabbath day, blasphemy, fornication, drunkenness, playing games of chance, and participation in theatrical performances were penal offenses, the severity of the code of behavior of the early Puritans is often exaggerated.

Puritans & Education Puritans were highly literate people Education was highly valued as a way to fight atheism and to instill in children the value of hard work

Puritans & Education They held the writing of history in high regard They wrote narratives, journals, biographies, hymns, sermons Almost all writing was religiously based

1636: The Puritans founded Harvard, the first college in America

The Decline of Puritanism By 1700 Puritanism was in decline in New England for various reasons  Indian Wars (Pequots, Narragansets, Nipmuks, Wampanoags)  Urbanization (more non-Puritans joining the colonies)  Age of Reason (rationalists attack religion, focusing on science & reason)  Salem Witch Trials

Puritan Influence on America After the 17th century the Puritans as a political entity largely disappeared, but Puritan attitudes and ethics continued to exert an influence on American society.

Puritan Influence on America They made a virtue of qualities that made for economic success—self-reliance, frugality, self-discipline, industry—and through them influenced modern social and economic life. Their concern for education was important in the development of the United States, and the idea of congregational democratic church government was carried into the political life of the state as a source of modern democracy

THE POEMS OF ANNE BRADSTREET Puritan Poetry

Poetry in 17 th century New England was almost exclusively devotional in nature and, as such, was highly recommended reading for the Puritan community.

Anne Bradstreet Like any conscientious Puritan, Anne Bradstreet always viewed her life within a spiritual context; every event, no matter how trivial, bore a divine message; every misfortune served to remind her of God’s will and the path to salvation.

Anne Bradstreet The first notable American poet What sets her poems apart from other Puritan verse is their personal subject matter: her family, her children, her home.

Anne Bradstreet Bradstreet’s poems are important because they provide an insight into the daily lives of Puritans Her poems also show a more human side of the stereotypical stern Puritans

“To My Dear and Loving Husband” Reflects a happy marriage/domestic life Written during one of the frequent absences of her husband, Simon Expresses her love for her husband Written in iambic pentameter; contains heroic couplets

“Upon the Burning of Our House” “Yea, so it was, and so ‘twas just.” (God’s providence) “Then straight I ‘gin my heart to chide/And did they wealth on earth abide?...Raise up thy thoughts above the sky…” (rhetorical question; chides herself) “A price so vast as is unknown/Yet by His gift is made thine own;/There’s wealth enough, I need no more…The world no longer let me love,/My hope and treasure lies above.” (metaphor) “Thou hast an house on high erect/Framed by that mighty Architect..” (metaphor)

“Upon the Burning of Our House” Stresses the idea that worldly goods/material possessions should not be loved too dearly, for these things are a distraction from God In the poem, she chides herself for expressing sadness at the loss of her home and its contents Written in iambic tetrameter; contains couplets

JONATHON EDWARDS “SINNERS IN THE HANDS OF AN ANGRY GOD” The Great Awakening

One hundred years after a group of Puritans came to colonial America for religious freedom, some Puritans felt that their congregations had grown too complacent, or self-satisfied. To rekindle the fervor that the early settlers had, Jonathon Edwards and other Puritan ministers led the Great Awakening.

Jonathon Edwards A forceful preacher & speaker Founded the College of New Jersey (later became Princeton) Leader of “The Great Awakening,” a religious revival that swept through New England from

Jonathan Edwards He believed that he had experienced grace as one of God’s elect and refused to serve communion to the non-elect; this upset many in his congregation In 1750 he was dismissed as a minister after he publicly named those who had lapsed in their devotion, including influential members of the community

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” Edwards’ sermon is a classic statement of the Puritan’s literal version of Heaven and Hell In his sermon, he is trying to restore his listeners to their original commitment to Puritanism He delivered this six-hour sermon at Enfield, CT on July 8, 1741

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” The sermon was very effective: the audience literally shrieked and swooned The fact that Edwards spoke in a reserved manner speaks to the effectiveness of the language he uses in the sermon.

“I think it is a reasonable thing to fright persons away from hell. They stand upon its brink, and are just ready to fall into it, and are senseless of their danger. Is it not a reasonable thing to fright a person out of a house on fire?” – Jonathon Edwards

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” The sermon contains vivid tropes (figurative language) and vivid images The sermon contains vivid tropes (figurative language) and vivid images Edwards uses mainly emotional appeal (pathos) to impact his audience Edwards uses mainly emotional appeal (pathos) to impact his audience Repeated images (motifs) in the sermon: Repeated images (motifs) in the sermon:  Hell as a fiery pit  God holding sinners over that pit in his hand  God as angry

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” “We find it easy to tread on and crush a worm that we see crawling on the earth; so it is easy for us to cut or singe a slender thread that any thing hangs by; thus easy is it for God when he pleases to cast his enemies down into hell…” “We find it easy to tread on and crush a worm that we see crawling on the earth; so it is easy for us to cut or singe a slender thread that any thing hangs by; thus easy is it for God when he pleases to cast his enemies down into hell…” “Yea, God is a great deal more angry with great numbers that are now on earth; yea, doubtless, with many that are now in this congregation…” “Yea, God is a great deal more angry with great numbers that are now on earth; yea, doubtless, with many that are now in this congregation…” Analogy

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” “The bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with your blood.” “The bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with your blood.” Extended Metaphor Personification

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” “The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you…his wrath toward you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire.” “The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you…his wrath toward you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire.” “You are ten thousand times more abominable in his eyes, than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours.” “You are ten thousand times more abominable in his eyes, than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours.” Simile

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” “O sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in: it is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath, that you are held over in the hand of that God, whose wrath is provoked and incensed as much against you, as against many of the damned in hell.” “O sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in: it is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath, that you are held over in the hand of that God, whose wrath is provoked and incensed as much against you, as against many of the damned in hell.” “And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open, and stands in the door calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners…” “And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open, and stands in the door calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners…” Metaphor