Puritan Literature Who Were the Puritans w Puritan
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Puritan Literature
Who Were the Puritans? w Puritan – refers to a number of Prostestant groups that sought to “purify” the church of England (circa de 1560). w Puritans wished to turn to simpler forms of worship and church organization described in the New Testament. w Many suffered persecution, so they set sail…
The First Puritans w In 1620, the first and most famous group of English Puritans landed at the tip of Cape Cod. w By 1640, there were 20, 000 Puritans in New England.
Manifest Destiny w “But we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword through the world. . ” -- John Winthrop sermon, 1630 w Puritans believed they must carry on God’s mission and set a shining example for the rest of the world.
Basic Puritan Beliefs w Total Depravity – Through Adam and Eve’s fall, every person is born sinful w Unconditional Election – God’s grace cannot be earned; only a few are selected for salvation. w Limited Atonement – Jesus only died for the elect. w Irresistible Grace –God extends his call to the elect through an internal emotional experience that can’t be refused. w Perseverance of the Elect – The chosen prove their salvation by continuing to live godly, upright lives.
Backsliding w Puritans believed that even the “saved, ” those with visible signs of grace, could fall into temptation and become sinners. To prevent this believers were expected to do constant soul-searching and pray constantly. w They were to put their trust in God rather than rely on earthly possessions.
Reading and Writing w The Puritans emphasized education so that people could read and understand the Bible and follow religious debates. w Diaries and histories were important forms of Puritan literature.
Characteristics of Puritan Writing The Bible provided a model for Puritan writing: Puritans saw direct connections between Biblical events and their own spiritual pilgrimage. Diaries and histories were the most common forms of expression in Puritan society; in them writers described the workings of God. Puritans used personal writing to explore their thoughts and actions for signs of God at work in their lives. Puritans favored a plain style, similar to that of the Geneva Bible. They stressed clarity of expression and avoided complicated figures of speech.
