The Puritans A Purified Church u The Puritans

The Puritans

A “Purified” Church u The Puritans sought to purify the Church of England from within. u They believed the Anglican Church of England had become too garish and idolatrous in its worship. u They wanted to get back to the basics of Calvinism.

Puritanism u A version of Calvinism u Asserts the basic sinfulness of humankind, but also declares that God has determined that some will be saved despite their sins u Thus, the experience of conversion, in which the soul is touched by the Holy Spirit, is an indication that one is of the elect

Puritanism u Puritanism was a way of life (theocracy) u Puritan spiritual life stressed self- discipline & introspection u Puritans saw their lives as a “divine mission”: God gave them the New World for they were his chosen people u This idea is the precursor to the concept of Manifest Destiny

The Bible u Puritans believed The Bible to be the supreme authority on earth u They used The Bible to justify their occupation of the land their use of force against Native Americans

Basic Tenets of Puritanism u Judgmental God (rewards good/punishes evil) u Predestination/Election (salvation or damnation was predetermined by God) u Original Sin (humans are innately sinful, tainted by the sins of Adam & Eve; good can be accomplished only through hard work & self-discipline) u Providence u God’s Grace

Basic Tenets of Puritanism Grace u The Puritans saw grace as a gift from a kind and loving God; human beings were unworthy to receive salvation because of their depraved natures. u Repentance, like personal salvation, depended on the Grace of God. u Only select individuals could experience this miracle of God’s love.

Am I One of the Elect? u Puritans examined themselves & their lives constantly looking for evidence of their election u Guilt & remorse were signs of God’s grace u Thrift, industry, hard work were viewed as signs of God’s grace u Business success was a sign of God’s grace

The Elect u Unlike Anglican and Catholic churches of the time, Puritan churches did not hold that all parish residents should be full church members. u Exclusive, not inclusive u A true church, they believed, consisted not of everyone but only of the elect

The Elect u Since citizenship was tied to church membership, the motivation for experiencing conversion was secular and civil as well as religious in nature. u As a test of election, many New England churches began to require applicants for church membership to testify to their personal experience of God in the form of autobiographical conversion narratives.

Conversion Narratives u Beyond the usual confession of faith, the applicant was required to give a satisfactory narrative of his experience of grace. u Thomas Hooker: The six essential stages of this morphology of conversion were contrition, humiliation, vocation, implantation, exaltation, and possession

Hard Work & Self-Discipline u To the Puritans, a person by nature was wholly sinful and could achieve good only by severe and unremitting discipline. u Hard work was considered a religious duty and emphasis was laid on constant self-examination and self-discipline.

Hard Work & Self-Discipline u Although profanation of the Sabbath day, blasphemy, fornication, drunkenness, playing games of chance, and participation in theatrical performances were penal offenses, the severity of the code of behavior of the early Puritans is often exaggerated.

Puritans & Education u. Puritans were highly literate people u. Education was highly valued as a way to fight atheism and to instill in children the value of hard work

Puritans & Education u. They held the writing of history in high regard u. They wrote narratives, journals, biographies, hymns, sermons u. Almost all writing was religiously based

u 1636: The Puritans founded Harvard, the first college in America

Puritan Firsts u 1638: the first printing press was brought to the colonies u The Bay Psalm Book (1640): the first published book in the colonies u “The Day of Doom” (1662): popular poem in the colonies (about the end of the world/the Apocalypse)

Puritans are People Too! u The Puritans honored material success; wealth was considered to be the reward of a virtuous life. u They valued family life, community, service, art and literature. u Puritans were known to drink beer and other alcoholic beverages on occasion.

The Decline of Puritanism u By 1700 Puritanism was in decline in New England for various reasons – Indian Wars (Pequots, Narragansets, Nipmuks, Wampanoags) – Urbanization (more non-Puritans joining the colonies) – Age of Reason (rationalists attack religion, focusing on science & reason) – Salem Witch Trials

Puritan Influence on America u After the 17 th century the Puritans as a political entity largely disappeared, but Puritan attitudes and ethics continued to exert an influence on American society.

Puritan Influence on America u They made a virtue of qualities that made for economic success—self-reliance, frugality, self -discipline, industry—and through them influenced modern social and economic life. u Their concern for education was important in the development of the United States, and the idea of congregational democratic church government was carried into the political life of the state as a source of modern democracy

The Salem Witch Trials

The Salem Witch Trials (1690 s) Several young Puritan girls accuse a servant, Tituba, of being a witch u To protect herself, Tituba implicates other members of the community u A chain reaction ensues and 27 people are convicted of practicing witchcraft u 50 others “confess” and 100 others are imprisoned to await trial u In the end 19 people are executed (hanged) for being witches u

1692 Salem u Since Puritans were expected to live by a rigid moral code, they believed that all sins—from sleeping in church to stealing food—should be punished. u They also believed God would punish sinful behavior. u When a neighbor would suffer misfortune, such as a sick child or a failed crop, Puritans saw it as God’s will and did not help.

1692 Salem u Puritans also believed the Devil was as real as God. u Everyone was faced with the struggle between the powers of good and evil, but Satan would select the weakest individuals—women, children, the insane—to carry out his work. u Those who followed Satan were considered witches. u Witchcraft was one of the greatest crimes a person could commit, punishable by death.

1692 Salem u In keeping with the Puritan code of conformity, the first women to be accused of witchcraft in Salem were seen as different and as social outcasts: Tituba, a slave; Sarah Good, a homeless beggar; and Sarah Osborne, a sickly old woman who married her servant.

1692 Salem u Fear of magic and witchcraft was common in New England, as it had been in Europe for centuries. u Over 100 alleged witches had been tried and hanged in New England during the 1600 s. u But the hangings in 1692 Salem would be the last ones in America

Witches or Not? u To “prove” that someone was a witch, church officials sometimes poked him or her with pins, searching for a so-called devil’s mark, a spot where no pain was felt. u Another test involved tying together the hands and feet of the accused and throwing him or her into water. Those who floated were declared witches; those who drowned were declared innocent.

Spectral Evidence u In the Salem witch trials, spectral evidence – the testimony of a church member who claimed to have seen a person’s spirit performing witchcraft – was enough to sentence the accused to death.

The Examination of Sarah Good u 1692: The Massachusetts Bay Colony of Salem was gripped by panic after a group of adolescent girls suffered mysterious symptoms such as convulsive fits, hallucinations, loss of appetite, and the temporary loss of hearing, sight & speech. u Diagnosed as being victims of witchcraft, the girls denounced certain townspeople for this crime, including a woman named Sarah Good.

The Examination of Sarah Good u Sarah Good was one of the first to be accused of witchcraft by the circle of young girls in Salem. u She was a likely witch in the eyes of many townspeople—an odd homeless woman who did not fit the Puritan mold.

u The people of Salem were very familiar with Sarah Good. u She often begged door-to-door with her children. u If she were refused, she would walk away mumbling. u Many claimed these “curses” were responsible for failed crops and death of livestock.

u Then on March 24, Ann Putnam accused Sarah’s five-year-old daughter, Dorcas, of witchcraft. u When examined, the imaginative young child confessed that she and her mother were witches. u She showed the magistrates a red spot on her finger—most likely a flea bite—claiming it was from a snake her mother had given her. u Little Dorcas was put in prison, chained to a wall.

u On March 1, 1692, Sarah Good faced examination with two other accused witches, Sarah Osburne and Tituba, Reverend Parris’s Caribbean slave. u During the questioning, Ann Putnam, Betty Parris, and Abigail Williams shrieked and fell into fits. u Sarah Good pleaded, “I am falsely accused, ” but then Tituba named her as a witch. Several villagers—including her own husband—also testified against her, and Sarah was put in prison.

u Sarah Good was tried on June 30. u Despite no evidence other than the claims of the afflicted girls, she was found guilty. u She was one of five women to be hanged on July 19, 1692. u Just before the hanging, the other women prayed and asked God to forgive the accusers, but Sarah Good showed no sign of forgiveness.

u Local minister Reverend Nicholas Noyes urged her to confess, announcing that she was indeed a witch. Sarah Good replied: “I am no more a witch than you are a wizard, and if you take away my life, God will give you blood to drink. ” u Twenty-five years later, Reverend Noyes died of internal bleeding, choking on his own blood.

Another Explanation? u Convulsive ergotism may have been a physiological basis for the Salem witchcraft crisis. u Ergot, a parasitic fungus, grows on a large variety of cereal grains, especially rye. u Ergotism (ergot poisoning) was once a common condition resulting from eating contaminated rye bread.

Another Explanation? u The growing conditions and the pattern of agricultural practices fit the timing of the 1692 crisis. u Convulsive ergotism is characterized by crawling sensations in the skin, tingling in the fingers, vertigo, headaches, hallucination, convulsions, and vomiting. u The Puritans seized upon witchcraft for the best explanation for the phenomena.

The Crucible

The Crucible u Arthur Milller’s play, The Crucible draws a direct parallel between Mc. Carthyism in 1950 s America and the hysteria & paranoia in Salem. u This paranoia and “witch hunt” mentality was present in 1950 s Hollywood where many Americans were suspected of being members of the Communist party and “blacklisted. ”

The Crucible u In the 1950 s Miller was subjected to a scrutiny by a committee of the United States Congress investigating Communist influence in the arts. u The Crucible was an allegory for the Mc. Carthy era and mass hysteria

The Crucible u In 1956 Miller was called before the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC). u Miller admitted that he had attended certain meetings, but denied that he was a Communist.

The Crucible u Miller had attended among others four or five writer's meetings sponsored by the Communist Party in 1947, supported a Peace Conference, and signed many appeals and protests. u Refusing to offer other people's names, who had associated with leftist or suspected Communist groups, Miller was cited for contempt of Congress, but the ruling was reversed by the courts in 1958. u He was blacklisted, which meant that he could not get a job anywhere in Hollywood.

Miller before HUAC

Puritan Poetry The Poems of Anne Bradstreet

Puritan Poetry u Poetry in 17 th century New England was almost exclusively devotional in nature and, as such, was highly recommended reading for the Puritan community.

Anne Bradstreet u Like any conscientious Puritan, Anne Bradstreet always viewed her life within a spiritual context; every event, no matter how trivial, bore a divine message; every misfortune served to remind her of God’s will and the path to salvation.

Anne Bradstreet u. The first notable American poet u. What sets her poems apart from other Puritan verse is their personal subject matter: her family, her children, her home.

Anne Bradstreet u The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America: the first volume of poems published by an American

Anne Bradstreet u. Bradstreet’s poems are important because they provide an insight into the daily lives of Puritans u. Her poems also show a more human side of the stereotypical stern Puritans

“To My Dear and Loving Husband” u Reflects a happy marriage/domestic life u Written during one of the frequent absences of her husband, Simon u Expresses her love for her husband u Written in iambic pentameter; contains heroic couplets

“Upon the Burning of Our House” “Yea, so it was, and so ‘twas just. ” (God’s providence) u “Then straight I ‘gin my heart to chide/And did they wealth on earth abide? . . . Raise up thy thoughts above the sky…” (rhetorical question; chides herself) u “A price so vast as is unknown/Yet by His gift is made thine own; /There’s wealth enough, I need no more…The world no longer let me love, /My hope and treasure lies above. ” (metaphor) u “Thou hast an house on high erect/Framed by that mighty Architect. . ” (metaphor) u

“Upon the Burning of Our House” u Stresses the idea that worldly goods/material possessions should not be loved too dearly, for these things are a distraction from God u In the poem, she chides herself for expressing sadness at the loss of her home and its contents u Written in iambic tetrameter; contains couplets

The Great Awakening Jonathon Edwards “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

The Great Awakening u One hundred years after a group of Puritans came to colonial America for religious freedom, some Puritans felt that their congregations had grown too complacent, or self-satisfied. u To rekindle the fervor that the early settlers had, Jonathon Edwards and other Puritan ministers led the Great Awakening.

Jonathon Edwards u A forceful preacher & speaker u Founded the College of New Jersey (later became Princeton) u Leader of “The Great Awakening, ” a religious revival that swept through New England from 1734 -1750.

Jonathan Edwards u He believed that he had experienced grace as one of God’s elect and refused to serve communion to the non-elect; this upset many in his congregation u In 1750 he was dismissed as a minister after he publicly named those who had lapsed in their devotion, including influential members of the community

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” u Edwards’ sermon is a classic statement of the Puritan’s literal version of Heaven and Hell u In his sermon, he is trying to restore his listeners to their original commitment to Puritanism u He delivered this six-hour sermon at Enfield, CT on July 8, 1741

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” u The sermon was very effective: the audience literally shrieked and swooned u The fact that Edwards spoke in a reserved manner speaks to the effectiveness of the language he uses in the sermon.

“I think it is a reasonable thing to fright persons away from hell. They stand upon its brink, and are just ready to fall into it, and are senseless of their danger. Is it not a reasonable thing to fright a person out of a house on fire? ” – Jonathon Edwards

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” The sermon contains vivid tropes (figurative language) and vivid images u Edwards uses mainly emotional appeal (pathos) to impact his audience u Repeated images (motifs) in the sermon: – Hell as a fiery pit – God holding sinners over that pit in his hand – God as angry u

An al og y “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” u “We find it easy to tread on and crush a worm that we see crawling on the earth; so it is easy for us to cut or singe a slender thread that any thing hangs by; thus easy is it for God when he pleases to cast his enemies down into hell…” u “Yea, God is a great deal more angry with great numbers that are now on earth; yea, doubtless, with many that are now in this congregation…”

Ex te nd ed u M et ap ho r “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” “The bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with your blood. ” Pe rso nif ica t io n

Si “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” m ile “The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you…his wrath toward you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire. ” u “You are ten thousand times more abominable in his eyes, than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours. ” u Si m ile

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” “O sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in: it is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath, that you are held over in the hand of that God, whose wrath is provoked and incensed as much against you, as against many of the damned in hell. ” u “And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open, and stands in the door calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners…” u Metaphor