PURITANISM

Puritan A general term used for different groups of people who wanted to change and purify society in England and America in the 1600s and early 1700s.

Settling in America The Congregationalists settled Plymouth in the 1620s and Massachusetts Bay, Connecticut, and Rhode Island in the 1630s. The Presbyterians settled many communities in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania during the late 1600s and throughout the 1700s.

Beliefs of the Puritans 1. All of life’s experiences planned and controlled by God 2.Mankind weak, guilty, and dangerously close to falling prey to the Devil 3.One to live life as a proof of his own salvation

Beliefs cont… 4. One to be on guard constantly against sin and the Devil 5. God considered all-powerful and feared on Earth 6. Bible to read and obeyed literally, word for word

Beliefs cont… 7. Salvation is promise of eternal life in heaven 8. Life predestined by God; God knows how one will turn out from the beginning of life

Beliefs cont… 9. Perfect society is a theocracy: a. religious leaders and town leaders the same b. religious laws and town laws the same c. absolute order necessary in society

Beliefs cont… 10. Strict rules against drinking, gambling, sex outside marriage, work on the Sabbath (Sunday) and entertainments of most kinds 11. Hard work owed to God on a daily basis 12. Wealth and earned possessions seen as signs of God’s approval and one’s salvation

Beliefs in the “Worlds of Wonder” Believed in witches, the power of Satan to assume visible form, foretelling of dreams, “monstrous” births, and miraculous deliverances (from evil). Look for this in The Crucible.

Predestination Derived from John Calvin—humans are innately sinful and conceived in sin. God will spare a small number of “elect” from the fate of Hell that we all justly deserve This group would at some point in life experience an inner “assurance” either suddenly or gradually…known as conversion

Calvin continued God decides who is saved or damned before the start of history—this decision not altered by how humans behave during life (good or bad) God does not give “extra credit” or any credit for good works performed No free will

So why Puritanism? If your fate is already decided and cannot be changed, why not enjoy the moment?

Realities of the time Most people wholeheartedly embraced the idea of predestination because it gave them comfort Why would this idea of predestination be a compelling and reassuring belief for so many people?

Historical and Social Context Tons of changes between 1400 and 1800…modern capitalism showed huge profits for merchants and landowners— at the cost of inflation and unemployment=misery for many other (the rich get richer, the poor get poorer) Unemployment leads to beggars and petty criminals

History continued… Protestant Reformation caused violent religious wars leading to tensions between Protestants and Catholics Europeans colonizing new parts of the world

Need for Order All these unsettling events created a need for social order and rules Predestination answers these needs…if God has a plan for all of us, he has a plan for all of human history…everything happens for a reason and leads to the ultimate triumph of good over evil

Context Even though no free will, their lives are still meaningful and important Their suffering will produce a perfect peaceful future…a heaven on earth Lived Puritan life not because they tried to earn salvation, rather because if they could resist sin, they saw that as “evidence” of their being “chosen”

Context continued Living a Godly life was not the cause of a person’s salvation, rather the EFFECT of salvation