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The Puritans

The Puritans. American Studies. Without some understanding of Puritanism . . . there is no understanding of America. -- Perry Miller, The American Puritans. I. Historical longview. ? < creation < Mesopotamia and Ancient Near East < Judaism < Jesus Christ < Early Christian church <

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The Puritans

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  1. The Puritans American Studies

  2. Without some understanding of Puritanism . . . there is no understanding of America.-- Perry Miller, The American Puritans

  3. I. Historical longview • ? < • creation < • Mesopotamia and Ancient Near East < • Judaism < • Jesus Christ < • Early Christian church < • Holy Roman Empire (after Constantine) < • Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches <

  4. Historical longview, cont. • Protestant Reformation (Luther) < • Church of England (Anglicanism) < • Puritans < Presbyterians (majority) and Congregationalists (minority) < Separatists (e.g., Pilgrims) and Non-Separatists ...

  5. II. Theology and beliefs: Calvinism (John Calvin, 1509-1564) • Sovereignty of God, innate corruption of humans • Predestination and God’s foreknowledge • Covenant of works and covenant of grace • Doctrine of the elect

  6. Theology and beliefs (Calvinism), cont. • Faith in divine providence • Emphasis on moral behavior • Belief in cosmic struggle between God and Satan • Pilgrim’s Progress from earth (City of Destruction) to heaven (Celestial City) • Educational emphasis on the Bible, the Greeks and Romans

  7. Theology and beliefs (Calvinism), cont. • Pilgrim’s Progress from earth (City of Destruction) to heaven (Celestial City) • Educational emphasis on the Bible, the Greeks and Romans

  8. TULIP • T stands for Total Depravity. That is, nothing human beings do is free from the tinge of evil. Sin permeates every act performed by humans . . . for Calvin, humans are totally depraved. As a New England Puritan said, “Man is lower than a worm!” • U stands for unconditional election. God elects us for salvation, for his own reasons. He is not obligated to do so because of anything that we are or do, but he does so for his own reasons. • L stands for limited atonement. . . . In atonement, Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for our sins, restored our relationship with God. But wait a minute, this “atonement” is “limited.” What does that mean? It means that the sacrifice of Christ was really only for the elect, only for God’s chosen. • I stands for irresistible grace. If God calls, who can fail to hear and follow[?] God’s grace is irresistible. • P stands for perseverance of the saints. That is, our response once called, is to continue constantly in a state of grace. Gerald L. Wilson http://www.dlt.ncssm.edu/lmtm/

  9. Sources • The United States in Literature, Classic Edition ed. by James E. Miller, Jr., Kerry M. Wood, and Carlota Cardenas de Dwyer (Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman, 1989), p. 58. • Salem Puritan scanned from photo by John Alderson (Coastal Colour Products, Danvers, MA)

  10. LINKS Timeline http://guweb2.gonzaga.edu/faculty/campbell/enl310/1651.htm PAL http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/table.html LOC on religious persecutions http://lcweb.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel01.html Puritanism in New England http://guweb2.gonzaga.edu/faculty/campbell/enl310/purdef.htm Five Points of Calvinism (TULIP) http://www.reformed.org/calvinism/

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