puritan religious belief & culture and you think you have it bad…
TRANSCRIPT
Who were the Puritans?Puritans were a branch of the Protestant church
Their movement began in the 16th and 17th centuries
Although they preferred to be called “the godly,” they were given the name “Puritans” for their struggle to reform or purify the Church of England
Two Types of Puritans:Separatists
Held irreconcilable differences with the Church of England; they thought the church was corrupt and that they must distance themselves from it
Were persecuted under various monarchies in England
First fled from England to Holland
Later, came to found the Plymouth Colony in America in 1620
Non-Separatists
Held less extreme views of the Church of England
Believed in church reform rather than an overthrow of the church
Came to America in 1630 and founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Why did they come here in the first place?
In 1543, King Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church to found the Church of England.
Protestant religious reformers didn’t think the new Anglican church was different enough from the Catholic Church
Puritans thought the Catholic Church was too opulent and focused on wealth and other worldly things; they wanted a church more focused on God.
How are Puritan beliefs different from other Christians?
PREDESTINATION:
The belief that all features of salvation are determined by God’s sovereignty. Including those were to be
savedBelief in Jesus was not
enough!Participation in sacraments
was not enough!
JUSTIFICATION:
The gift of God’s grace to the elect those chosen for salvation.
SANCTIFICATION:
The behavior that resulted in an individual when they had been saved.Evidence of salvation, but
did not cause it!!!!
As a result of their belief in predestination, Puritans:Were always looking for signs
Scrutinized daily events
Thought there was always a reason for everything
Felt that God’s hand was in everything, no matter how insignificant
John CalvinBelieved that the downfall of
mankind was directly related to the corruption resulting from the fall of Adam and Eve.
Believed that God’s forgiveness is limited to a select group of followers (LIMITED ATONEMENT).
Believed that God’s forgiveness could neither be earned nor denied (IRRESTIBLE GRACE).
Felt that God’s chosen remain in a state of grace while on earth and are taken directly to heaven when dead
Tenets of Puritan PhilosophyThe Covenant of Works – God promised his progeny eternal life if they obeyed moral law.
After Adam broke this covenant, God made a new covenant with Abraham.
Puritans believed they were direct descendants of Abraham.
The Covenant of Grace – This requires an active faith and “softens” the doctrine of predestination.
God still chooses the elect but there is now a sort of “contract” or understanding. Punishment for sin is a proper response to disobedience.
The Covenant of Redemption – The pre-existence of the aforementioned covenant.
Christ bound God to accept him as man’s representative. If Christ paid the price for the redemption of believers, his followers would
be washed of their sins.
Puritan Laws & PunishmentsA person was fined, imprisoned, and whipped for non-attendance at church services!People were dealt with more harshly if they spoke against religion or denied the divine origin of any book from the Bible.
Shame was a primary form of punishment. Common punishments included:Stocks and pilloryBrandingPublic whipping
Puritan Laws & PunishmentsWomen were not allowed to wear lace or have clothes that showed skin (but they didn’t necessarily wear all black).
Long hair worn by men, smoking in public, or showing P.D.A. was unacceptable!
Youths were not allowed to court one another in public and needed the consent of the girl’s parents to court at all.
Children were often found crying in fear they would go to hell and not be chosen as the elect.Crying was done privately as children were punished for
doing so in public.
Puritan Beliefs & Values:Puritans believed in a literal interpretation of the Bible
They believed in explicit readings of the Bible, as opposed to church doctrines
They did not believe in excess worship; they wanted no rituals, adornments, no stained glass, no cushioned pews, no singing, and no music
Puritan Beliefs & Values:They wanted to keep things simple so that they could concentrate on God
There is a constant struggle between the forces of God and Satan
God rewards the good and punishes the wicked
Education & Work Ethic: They believed in living a virtuous,
self-examined life They believed in strict discipline
and had a strong work ethic They felt that qualities that led to
economic success were virtuous They valued education and
founded Harvard in 1636 to train ministers
They wanted their children to get far away from the evils of England
Children were not allowed to play games; boys were taught to go hunting and fishing, while girls were taught how to run a household
Women were considered less capable intellectually, physically, theologically, and morally (Eve was the first sinner)
Literature for pleasure was highly censored