PURITANISM

Puritan Beliefs The Puritan belief is based around God’s supreme power over all human affairs. Puritanism refers to “purifying” the Church of England. Puritans wanted to simplify the ways of worship and organization in the Church.

Puritans Beliefs cont. Puritans fought against the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. They considered the way of Catholic worship and rituals idolatry. They thought that worship should go to God and not the church. Puritans did not believe there should be an intermediary between a person and God.

Puritan Beliefs cont. Saint John Chrysostom spoke against drama and other worldly endeavors. The Puritans adopted his views against the arts.

Puritan Beliefs cont. Much emphasis was placed on reading and understanding the Bible. Education was extremely important. They thought the Pope comparable to the Antichrist. Some Puritans were less strict than others, but most wanted to completely absolve the Catholic Church and its teachings.

Puritans at the Church Level Puritans believed the Bible to be the literal word of God. Their belief was based around whether a person was “saved” and going to heaven or “damned” and going to hell. Most Puritans believed that the worship and teachings of the church should be strictly regulated to what is commanded in the Bible.

Puritan Foundations in America The Pilgrims, and many of our founding fathers, were puritans. The Pilgrims on the extremist side emigrated from England to create a more pure society. Puritans came to America in hopes of religious freedom. Our founding fathers were moderate puritans; they seeked to put religious principals into the constitution.

Puritan Life The church, the family, and the state were the basis of each Puritan colony. Each colony was governed by a governor and “elect” group consisting mostly of ministers. Ministers were the most respected people in society. Puritan government was not complex due to the fact that Puritan religion/beliefs structured most of the people’s actions. (Puritans believed in doing good to others, working diligently, etc.) Each household functioned as a small government of its own. The male was considered the head of the house. Puritans placed an emphasis on education. Harvard College was originally founded to train Puritan ministers. It was a requirement to read the Bible.

Puritan Punishments   1. Benefit of clergy - the convicted may plead benefit of clergy, in which case, if they can read a passage from the Bible without one mistake, their sentence will be reduced. 2. Stocks - the convicted will have his head and hands placed in a locked stockade for the remainder of the day, and the community will be invited to pelt him with food. The convicted must clean up anything he is pelted with. 3. Wearing a sign - the convicted must make their own sign to hang around their neck, which indicates their crime. 4. Branding - the convicted is marked with letters that stand for their crime - HT for hog thief, A for adulterer. The branding can be on the cheek, forehead, or more mildly on the hand or finger. 5. Ducking stool - for women only, usually used in the case of gossip. The woman shall be confined in a chair and dunked in water. 6. Whipping - for men only, a common punishment. A number of "lashes" is administered to the convicted's back. Lashes usually number from 5 to 20. 7. Public shaming - a milder form of punishment, the convicted is pulled on a rope through the town, while the community is invited to point fingers at him, tell him he is naughty, and pelt him with small objects. Source: http://en.allexperts.com/q/U-S-History-672/2009/5/Puritan-law-punishment-laws.htm

Puritan Punishments Cont. Hanged Burnt Put in Stockades Burn hole in tongue Chop off fingers Tied up while crowd throws fruit Exiled

Salem Witchcraft Trials Ministers believed witches were putting spells on people. Everyone went into hysteria. People searched for witches in order to eliminate and severely punish them. 19 were hanged 1 was crushed by a pile of stones *The Salem Witch Trials are the subject of the famous play The Crucible.

Puritan Literature The Bible served as an archetype. Diaries and histories were the most common writings. Puritans favored a plain writing style. Used clear expressions Avoided complicated speech

Puritan Literature Cont. Most Puritan literature had a religious background. Other Puritan literature related to settling or discovering something new in America. Examples Include: Curiosa Americana Cases of Conscience Thoughts on Church Government Magnalia Christi Americana Catechism Duty of Pastors and People Distinguished

Famous People Benjamin Franklin Franklin was born into a religious Puritan family. He was expected to become a minister but could not afford the necessary education. While Franklin was not very religious, all of his diligent work ethics and morals were based on Puritan beliefs. Franklin was very influential in the founding of America as an independent country.

Famous People Cont. Anne Hutchinson Hutchinson was the wife of a prominent Puritan businessman. She taught Bible classes out of her home. At first only women attended these classes, but as time passed, men began attending too. Her teaching opposed the Puritan belief that males were the head of the family and community. Charges brought against her included playing the part of 'a Husband than a Wife, and a preacher than a Hearer, and a Magistrate than a subject ‘. Hutchinson was exiled from the Puritan community.

Famous People Cont. Cotton Mather Puritan Minister His main purpose in life was to do good. He was very influential in the Salem Trials. He worked hard to make sure that all witches were found and punished. Mather was an excellent writer and produced over 400 works.

End to the Puritans Puritan beliefs were challenged by the Age of Reason (the Enlightenment). Puritanism ended around 1734 with the start of the Great Awakening. While Puritan Beliefs still exist today, most of the strict practices of the Puritans have come to an end.

(Not everyone who thinks like this is Puritan.) The Modern Puritan A modern Puritan is someone who has overly strict views on sexual morality, follows closely the literal meaning of the Bible, and wishes to impose these beliefs on others. (Not everyone who thinks like this is Puritan.)

Sources http://www.graceonlinelibrary.org/articles/full.asp?id=49|57|781 http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081001135301AA3DqHz http://www.usahistory.info/NewEngland/Puritans.html http://en.allexperts.com/q/U-S-History-672/2009/5/Puritan-law-punishment-laws.htm http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/puritan http://www.mb-soft.com/believ/txc/puritani.htm www.hyperhistory.net/puritan http://www.compulsiveeder.com http://www.happinessonline.org/MoralCode/LiveWithTruth/p10.htm http://www.puritansermons.com/bio/biomathe.htm Elements of Literature – 5th Course