Sarah Bacon
History of Christendom
Week 23
History of Christendom
Week 23
The great Puritan vision of an entirely transformed society, a society that was completely marked by the influence of the gospel, was balanced by a kind of realism. The Puritans recognized that there wasn’t a division between the call to personal holiness and the call to social action. There wasn’t a division between being a Christian and being a politician; those things could be wed together, and both done for the glory of God.
Puritanism was a reforming movement. Central to them was their form of worship. There is always a ripple effect to worldviews: how God is seen ripples to the form of worship which ripples out to a cult which ripples out to shape the culture. Puritanism was not one distinct group/movement and it had great influence upon numerous people and religions. So it could be defined as more of a grassroots movement. It had great influence on different religions including the Separatists (mainly pilgrims), Non-Conformists, Congregationalists, Baptists, and Presbyterians.
Some Myths about Puritans:
1) Puritans hated fun – they were serious about doctrine, Christ, and God’s calling in their life and they actually yielded much joy throughout their lives. They called for merriment rather often. Their serious about doctrine often portrayed them as a boring and lacking in fun type of people.
2) The Puritans were drab and unfashionable – they would only wear black and white to church on Sundays as a formality. They would wear the typical fashion of those days on all the weekdays however.
3) The Puritans hated sports and recreation – there was a book written in 1618 called the Declaration (or Book) of Sports. This was to tell what sports can be done on the Sabbath. The Puritans opposed this and said that other than Sunday it was perfectly fine and highly encouraged to be active in sports, excluding games of chance.
4) The Puritans were greedy workaholics – in fact, they discouraged excessive work for money and said that material gain on earth is worth nothing. They did, however, believe that we all need to wisely use God’s generous gifts.
5) The Puritans hated the arts – they did remove the “bells and smells” from their churches in order to get away from Catholicism and return to a Biblical sense of worship. Their lives were filled with music and craftsmanship.
6) The Puritans were a bunch of irrelevant old people – they were definitely not irrelevant and most were not old. On the contrary it was a very budding movement filled with zealous and energetic youth. Because of this they would be accused of being “young and inexperienced.”
7) The Puritans despised the physical world – they promoted God’s vibrant blessings; God gives us everything and we are to appreciate everything. They knew how to have fun and to give praise and glory to God.
8) Puritans were overly strict, intolerant, and legalistic – they weren’t always tolerating to be sure, but given the times they lived in, it was for good reason. They were greatly hated for their attempt at reformation.
1) Puritans hated fun – they were serious about doctrine, Christ, and God’s calling in their life and they actually yielded much joy throughout their lives. They called for merriment rather often. Their serious about doctrine often portrayed them as a boring and lacking in fun type of people.
2) The Puritans were drab and unfashionable – they would only wear black and white to church on Sundays as a formality. They would wear the typical fashion of those days on all the weekdays however.
3) The Puritans hated sports and recreation – there was a book written in 1618 called the Declaration (or Book) of Sports. This was to tell what sports can be done on the Sabbath. The Puritans opposed this and said that other than Sunday it was perfectly fine and highly encouraged to be active in sports, excluding games of chance.
4) The Puritans were greedy workaholics – in fact, they discouraged excessive work for money and said that material gain on earth is worth nothing. They did, however, believe that we all need to wisely use God’s generous gifts.
5) The Puritans hated the arts – they did remove the “bells and smells” from their churches in order to get away from Catholicism and return to a Biblical sense of worship. Their lives were filled with music and craftsmanship.
6) The Puritans were a bunch of irrelevant old people – they were definitely not irrelevant and most were not old. On the contrary it was a very budding movement filled with zealous and energetic youth. Because of this they would be accused of being “young and inexperienced.”
7) The Puritans despised the physical world – they promoted God’s vibrant blessings; God gives us everything and we are to appreciate everything. They knew how to have fun and to give praise and glory to God.
8) Puritans were overly strict, intolerant, and legalistic – they weren’t always tolerating to be sure, but given the times they lived in, it was for good reason. They were greatly hated for their attempt at reformation.
Charles I with his Star Chamber was set into motion for the persecution of the Puritans. It was a place where they would be given no trial or hearing whatsoever and condemned to whatever fate the king decided. The Puritans refused to conform just for peace. Even the Parliament was dismissed and/or ignored just so that the Puritans could be persecuted and weeded out.
Puritan Ideals:
Well-ordered home, peaceful, father = shepherd, mother = caretaker, value of education and discipline, family worship, church attendance, active diligence, value of hard work revolving around Sabbath, serious and practical, and self discipline are all characteristics of a Puritan home.
Well-ordered home, peaceful, father = shepherd, mother = caretaker, value of education and discipline, family worship, church attendance, active diligence, value of hard work revolving around Sabbath, serious and practical, and self discipline are all characteristics of a Puritan home.
Puritan Fruits:
They had a boom of productivity because they were hard-working. Cultures grew and they saw their destiny in light of God’s will for them. Puritans became the economic leaders in England and America. There was a huge emphasis on community life centered around parish life. Decentralized authority and a building on a series of covenantal relationships like guilds, school, family etc., was key for them. They valued accountability in an unofficial way within a natural boundary of the spheres.
They were future-oriented, looking ahead to how they could influence the generations to come. They were very rooted and grounded. They held a long-term commitment to any and all family members. Home life was the cornerstone and hub for the community.
They had a boom of productivity because they were hard-working. Cultures grew and they saw their destiny in light of God’s will for them. Puritans became the economic leaders in England and America. There was a huge emphasis on community life centered around parish life. Decentralized authority and a building on a series of covenantal relationships like guilds, school, family etc., was key for them. They valued accountability in an unofficial way within a natural boundary of the spheres.
They were future-oriented, looking ahead to how they could influence the generations to come. They were very rooted and grounded. They held a long-term commitment to any and all family members. Home life was the cornerstone and hub for the community.
Personal Piety:
Self-control and stability were great qualities of the Puritans. They balanced theory and practice well, but they were not overly pious to the point of seeking attention for their actions. They balanced the abstract and concrete, having both orthodoxy and orthopraxy. They didn’t just think, they also did…Puritans connected the inner and outer life and had a context for everything.
Self-control and stability were great qualities of the Puritans. They balanced theory and practice well, but they were not overly pious to the point of seeking attention for their actions. They balanced the abstract and concrete, having both orthodoxy and orthopraxy. They didn’t just think, they also did…Puritans connected the inner and outer life and had a context for everything.
Education:
Puritans had extremely high expectations for learning and education. They built up libraries, publishing houses, and colleges. They would place the bar for learning too high so that students were continually seeking more education until they could achieve anything. In fact, Puritans were the ones who originally started Harvard.
Puritans had extremely high expectations for learning and education. They built up libraries, publishing houses, and colleges. They would place the bar for learning too high so that students were continually seeking more education until they could achieve anything. In fact, Puritans were the ones who originally started Harvard.
Literature:
Puritans would study and listen to sermons the way we watch movies. They would saturate themselves completely in them, studying and focusing completely on them. This helped show them how grounded they were…they wouldn’t spend their extra time wasting it on frivolous things, but use it to study the character of God more thoroughly.
Puritans would study and listen to sermons the way we watch movies. They would saturate themselves completely in them, studying and focusing completely on them. This helped show them how grounded they were…they wouldn’t spend their extra time wasting it on frivolous things, but use it to study the character of God more thoroughly.
The Puritan movement was a very religious movement. Right doctrine was key in their lives and they had strong moral convictions. Continual reform was very normal in their eyes, and it needs to happen regularly because of the Fall.
You are always going to have an infallible god of some type. Puritans were visionary, protesting, and international. Puritans were always a minority which greatly fueled their zeal; to take on the world together even though they were constantly persecuted. It was a full body movement, with no leaders to pick off. If you wanted it to stop you would need to take them all out individually. Scripture was central and the question of authority was key. Education was very important to them, the correct schooling of their children for the future generations. Puritanism was a movement of politics and economics as they believed that God touched upon and ruled all areas of life.
They knew they each had specific rights and duties. They knew they were balanced, not that you “deserved” everything. It was their duty to follow and submit to Christ. It could be argued man has no rights, only God does and if God were to give rights it could only be found in Scripture.
Puritanism was balanced by a vision of realism and idealism.
Worldview notes
Cosmic Humanism:
Everything is spiritual or supernatural. But, if everything is spiritual then material is spiritual; if everything is material then spiritual is material. Being “green” is seen as there is a sense of “godness” in everything. Pantheism is everything is God. Panentheism is God is in everything. We are told to look within for who we really are. Reincarnation is promised and they push a mystic psychology. Horoscopes, tarot cards, and fortune tellers are all part of the mysticism. Animism, Gnosticism, Spiritism, Christian science, but especially Hinduism and Buddhism are all carriers of this Cosmic Humanism. The roots of this movement are thought to have started in the East with India, China, and Japan.
Everything is spiritual or supernatural. But, if everything is spiritual then material is spiritual; if everything is material then spiritual is material. Being “green” is seen as there is a sense of “godness” in everything. Pantheism is everything is God. Panentheism is God is in everything. We are told to look within for who we really are. Reincarnation is promised and they push a mystic psychology. Horoscopes, tarot cards, and fortune tellers are all part of the mysticism. Animism, Gnosticism, Spiritism, Christian science, but especially Hinduism and Buddhism are all carriers of this Cosmic Humanism. The roots of this movement are thought to have started in the East with India, China, and Japan.
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