WHO WERE THE PURITANS? The Pilgrims The Pilgrims Name came from wanting to purify the Church of England of its corruptions Name came from wanting to purify.

WHO WERE THE WHO WERE THE PURITANS?PURITANS?

The “Pilgrims”The “Pilgrims” Name came from wanting to Name came from wanting to

“purify” the Church of “purify” the Church of England of its corruptionsEngland of its corruptions

Emphasized the afterlife, Emphasized the afterlife, simple living, and STRICT simple living, and STRICT adherence to the teachings of adherence to the teachings of The BibleThe Bible

Religious extremists who were Religious extremists who were very conservative morally and very conservative morally and seen as religious zealots and seen as religious zealots and potential political potential political revolutionariesrevolutionaries

Were persecuted and harassed Were persecuted and harassed in England as a resultin England as a result

WHY DID THEY COME TO WHY DID THEY COME TO AMERICA?AMERICA?

To escape persecutionTo escape persecution To find religious freedomTo find religious freedom To make money: they were good businessmen To make money: they were good businessmen

and hard workers (a secondary reason)and hard workers (a secondary reason) To establish a “City on a Hill”To establish a “City on a Hill”

An exemplary religious community that all could An exemplary religious community that all could see, admire, and emulatesee, admire, and emulate

Could only do this is an uninhabited, uncivilized, Could only do this is an uninhabited, uncivilized, undeveloped land where they had total freedom undeveloped land where they had total freedom and where they were not overshadowed by other and where they were not overshadowed by other cultures.cultures.

Arrived on the Mayflower at Plymouth Rock, Arrived on the Mayflower at Plymouth Rock, late 1620late 1620

PURITANS WANTED TO PURITANS WANTED TO ESTABLISH A ESTABLISH A THEOCRACYTHEOCRACY

A government based on religious beliefs A government based on religious beliefs and teachingsand teachings

No separation of church and stateNo separation of church and state Leaders of church and state are often Leaders of church and state are often

the samethe same God’s law = man’s lawGod’s law = man’s law Legality = moralityLegality = morality For the Puritans, this meant legislation For the Puritans, this meant legislation

based on The Biblebased on The Bible

STRONG BELIEF IN STRONG BELIEF IN PREDESTINATIONPREDESTINATION

God selects those to be “saved”, taken God selects those to be “saved”, taken to heaven, before they are even bornto heaven, before they are even born

One cannot influence God’s decision One cannot influence God’s decision during life: it can’t be changedduring life: it can’t be changed

One cannot know for sure whether One cannot know for sure whether one is “saved” or “damned”one is “saved” or “damned”

ALL humans deserve damnation; only ALL humans deserve damnation; only through God’s bestowal of grace due through God’s bestowal of grace due to His infinite mercy are a few savedto His infinite mercy are a few saved

THE ELECT VS. THE THE ELECT VS. THE DAMEDDAMED

The Elect are those chosen The Elect are those chosen for heaven. for heaven. They are few compared They are few compared

to the damnedto the damned The Damned are those The Damned are those

going to hellgoing to hell They are manyThey are many

ALL deserve damnation ALL deserve damnation due to our depraved and due to our depraved and evil natureevil nature

It is only through God’s It is only through God’s infinite mercy that even a infinite mercy that even a single person is saved from single person is saved from hellhell

HUMAN NATURE AND HUMAN NATURE AND “THE FALL”“THE FALL”

Human Nature is EVIL: we Human Nature is EVIL: we are born to sin and are are born to sin and are drawn towards it as our drawn towards it as our natural impulsenatural impulse

It is evil due to “Original Sin”It is evil due to “Original Sin” Adam and Eve’s Adam and Eve’s

disobedience in the disobedience in the Garden of Eden: also Garden of Eden: also called “The Fall”called “The Fall”

All humans inherit Adam and All humans inherit Adam and Eve’s sin—so even newborn Eve’s sin—so even newborn babies are not innocent.babies are not innocent.

Thus it is our nature to do Thus it is our nature to do evil, to disobey, to rebel evil, to disobey, to rebel despite God’s great kindness despite God’s great kindness in creating usin creating us

THE NATURE OF GODTHE NATURE OF GOD

Omnipotent and omnicientOmnipotent and omnicient Loving, merciful, and just beyond all Loving, merciful, and just beyond all

measuremeasure Capable of great wrath and anger—Capable of great wrath and anger—

though his wrath is justified alwaysthough his wrath is justified always Never mean of cruelNever mean of cruel When God damns, his wrath is When God damns, his wrath is

righteous: he created us, gave us life, righteous: he created us, gave us life, gave us EVERYTHING, and we repay gave us EVERYTHING, and we repay Him with disobedienceHim with disobedience

PROVIDENCEPROVIDENCE

God acting in God acting in historyhistory

They thought God’s They thought God’s fingerprints were on fingerprints were on every event: could every event: could try to read God’s try to read God’s messages through messages through the events of historythe events of history

This plus This plus predestination = predestination = NO FREE WILLNO FREE WILL

GRACEGRACE

You could feel God’s presence You could feel God’s presence entering you in the form of “Grace.”entering you in the form of “Grace.”

This was an overwhelming feeling of This was an overwhelming feeling of joy and exhilarationjoy and exhilaration

They searched their lives and hearts They searched their lives and hearts and souls for signs of grace: this, and souls for signs of grace: this, they felt, was proof that God had they felt, was proof that God had chosen them as one of the Electchosen them as one of the Elect

WHY DO GOOD INSTEAD WHY DO GOOD INSTEAD OF EVIL?OF EVIL?

If your action on earth do not influence If your action on earth do not influence whether you go to heaven or hell, why do good?whether you go to heaven or hell, why do good?

Typical twisted, irrational Puritan logic:Typical twisted, irrational Puritan logic: God wouldn’t choose someone to go to heaven who God wouldn’t choose someone to go to heaven who

was evil or corruptwas evil or corrupt So, you act holy to try to convince yourself that you So, you act holy to try to convince yourself that you

would be good enough for God to have chosen youwould be good enough for God to have chosen you Grace is the only “proof” you might haveGrace is the only “proof” you might have

However, we are imperfect and we have an evil However, we are imperfect and we have an evil nature, so we will naturally always revert to sin nature, so we will naturally always revert to sin . . .. . .

NATURE VS. THE NATURE VS. THE COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY

Nature was seen as frightening, Nature was seen as frightening, potentially a place of evil, and potentially a place of evil, and always a place of temptationalways a place of temptation You fear what you don’t You fear what you don’t

understand: this is pre-science understand: this is pre-science so didn’t understand nature; so didn’t understand nature; thus, they feared itthus, they feared it

Without the strict rules of the Without the strict rules of the community, harsh punishments community, harsh punishments for sin, and the authorities to for sin, and the authorities to enforce punishments, our evil enforce punishments, our evil nature would take overnature would take over

You don’t have these restrictions You don’t have these restrictions in Nature to keep you on the in Nature to keep you on the straight and narrow—thus we straight and narrow—thus we would were more likely to sin in would were more likely to sin in naturenature than in the community than in the community

CRIMES IN PURITAN CRIMES IN PURITAN SOCIETYSOCIETY

Sinning = crimeSinning = crime Ex.: Adultery was a sin, and Ex.: Adultery was a sin, and

also a crime: could be also a crime: could be punished in court for it.punished in court for it.

The Bible was literal word of The Bible was literal word of GodGod So, any deviance from the So, any deviance from the

teaching therein was a sin, teaching therein was a sin, and thus a crimeand thus a crime

Extremely strict morally:Extremely strict morally: Dancing, showing any skin, Dancing, showing any skin,

playing cards, wearing playing cards, wearing ostentatious clothing, any ostentatious clothing, any sort of sexual misconduct, sort of sexual misconduct, were all sins. Having fun were all sins. Having fun was a SIN! (at least it was a SIN! (at least it seemed like it)seemed like it)

PURITAN VIRTUESPURITAN VIRTUES SobrietySobriety TemperanceTemperance IndustriousnessIndustriousness

““Idle hands are the Devil’s workshop.”Idle hands are the Devil’s workshop.” SimplicitySimplicity

In dress, lifestyle, worshipIn dress, lifestyle, worship Self-RelianceSelf-Reliance ***Just by chance, these are EXACTLY the ***Just by chance, these are EXACTLY the

characteristics it would take to survive in characteristics it would take to survive in the New Worldthe New World

THE MEDIEVAL THE MEDIEVAL PARADIGM: THE GREAT PARADIGM: THE GREAT

CHAIN OF BEINGCHAIN OF BEING

GOD

ANGELS

MANKIND

ANIMALS

PLANTS

INANIMATE OBJECTS

A hierarchy; each level is subordinate to the one above it

A hierarchy; each level is subordinate to the one above it

Each level, other than God, has sublevels

Each level, other than God, has sublevels

No concept of democracy or equality in this worldview; a clear order of superiority/inferiority and absolute obedience to those above

No concept of democracy or equality in this worldview; a clear order of superiority/inferiority and absolute obedience to those above

This carried over to the way they organized politically and socially

This carried over to the way they organized politically and socially

PURITAN LITERATUREPURITAN LITERATURE

SermonsSermons HistoriesHistories JournalsJournals Some poetrySome poetry

Very little creative literatureVery little creative literature Little concern for beautyLittle concern for beauty Total focus is on God, following God’s Total focus is on God, following God’s

will as outlined in the Bible, and the will as outlined in the Bible, and the afterlifeafterlife

THE DIFFICULTY OF THE THE DIFFICULTY OF THE PURITAN EXISTENCEPURITAN EXISTENCE

They were a very serious, dour people under They were a very serious, dour people under enormous stress constantlyenormous stress constantly Everything is a sinEverything is a sin We are by nature evil so we have no real chance of We are by nature evil so we have no real chance of

avoiding sin for longavoiding sin for long God damns most people—and we all deserve itGod damns most people—and we all deserve it We can’t change God’s decision (predestination)We can’t change God’s decision (predestination) We can’t even KNOW if we are saved or notWe can’t even KNOW if we are saved or not Everyone watching over you constantly to control your Everyone watching over you constantly to control your

behavior and keep you from sinning (or to tell on you)behavior and keep you from sinning (or to tell on you) No way to really confess sins due to the harsh No way to really confess sins due to the harsh

judgments of the community: so no way to expiate guiltjudgments of the community: so no way to expiate guilt Purely human impulses are harshly punished and never Purely human impulses are harshly punished and never

forgotten or forgivenforgotten or forgiven