Puritanism Origins & Church Reformation

The Birth of Puritanism

• In 1543, King Henry VIII departed from the Catholic Church
• This led to the establishment of the Church of England, also known as the Anglican Church
• Many English citizens opposed the King's religious authority, due to perceived corruption within the church
• They believed their conflict was with King Henry VIII, rather than the Pope in Rome
• Consequently, they advocated for Scripture (the Bible), rather than the clergy, to be the guiding force in Christian life

Reformation and Purification of the Anglican Church

• Those who sought to reform the Church were called Puritans due to their struggle to reform or purify the Church of England
• Puritans were a branch of the Protestant church, with their movement beginning in the 16th and 17th centuries

Oppression and Settlement in North America

• Puritans experienced various forms of oppression in England, including imprisonment, fines, whipping, mutilation, and burning
• Seeking refuge from mistreatment and a place to practice their faith freely, they initially sailed to Holland and subsequently to North America

Puritan Congregations in America

• The first Puritan congregation, known as Pilgrims, settled in Massachusetts (Plymouth) in 1621, led by William Bradford
• They were separatists who completely severed ties with the Anglican Church which led to founding the Plymouth Colony in 1620
• John Winthrop led the second congregation, who settled in Massachusetts Bay in 1630, who were non-separatists
• This group sought to reform the Anglican Church, without breaking away and founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630
• Puritan communities were also established in Rhode Island in 1644, under the leadership of Roger Williams, who had been banished from Massachusetts
• Other groups established settlements in Connecticut in 1662, led by Thomas Hooker, who came from Massachusetts
• Many Puritans also resided in New Hampshire in 1679, under the leadership of John Mason

Puritan Beliefs and Ideals

• Puritan thought was influenced by Martin Luther (1483-1546) and John Calvin (1509-1564)
• Puritans believed that life was predetermined by God, and history was an enactment of God's plan

Covenant of Works

• Puritans believed in the agreement where God promised eternal life to them and their offspring if they followed moral law
• After Adam broke this covenant, God made a new agreement with Abraham, and Puritans considered themselves direct descendants of Abraham
• Puritans used the Bible as their sole reference for practicing their faith and sought to cleanse themselves of envy, vanity, and lust
• They valued introspection and repentance as signs of redemption and lived a plain life, where simplicity was a religious principle
• They practiced Christianity in its simplest form of worship, rejecting decorations, ornamentations, bishops, and archbishops

Predestination, Grace, and Election

• The core beliefs of Puritanism revolved around Predestination, Grace, and Election

Belief in Predestination

• Predestination was the idea that God determines the salvation of individuals
• God divided humankind into two groups: the "elected" (those chosen to receive His Grace and salvation) and the rest of humanity who would be damned to hell
• God's elects received God's grace, and Election is the choice made by God of individuals destined for salvation that isn't based on individuals’ beliefs or good works, but on God’s irresistible grace

Belief In Grace

• Those who believed in Grace saw it as a gift from a kind and loving God, which humans were unworthy to receive due to their depraved nature
• Only select individuals could experience God's love and Puritans believed they must undergo a conversion experience to receive Grace from God
• God's grace was irresistibly given to the chosen or the elect, who would acknowledge Him and follow His path, demonstrated through personal behaviour
• Only God knew who was saved, but Puritans would constantly examine themselves for signs of Grace

Divine Mission

• The Puritans considered that they were engaged in a "divine mission”: God gave them the New World because they were His chosen people
• Their mission in New England was to plant God's Kingdom and establish a new paradise on earth
• They aimed to fight against Satan and all forms of evil for the triumph of Good and believed they were practicing the true model of Christianity in America
• Puritans were intolerant of those who challenged their practices, such as Roger Williams, Ann Hutchinson, as well as other religious groups like Catholics, Quakers, Memmonites, and Huguenots
• Puritans viewed themselves as an example of the perfect community for the rest of the world, believing God would dwell among them and bless them in all ways
• John Winthrop presented this concept in "A Model of Christian Charity"

Puritan Community Signs

• Thrift, industry, hard work, business, and material success were regarded as external signs of one's God

Puritanism And Its Impacts On American Life

• By 1700, Puritanism was in decline in New England due to Indian Wars, Urbanization, The Age of Reason (rationalist thinkers attacked religion, focusing on science and reason).

Puritan Influences on Modern America

• Despite their disappearance as a political body after the 17th century, the values, attitudes, and ethics of the Puritans continued to influence American society
• Emphasized hard work promoted economic success, self-reliance, frugality, self-discipline, and industry, which is the American Dream.
• The high regard for education contributed to the development of the United States
• The Puritan idea of democratic church government served as a source for modern democracy in the USA
• The Puritan belief in divine mission was a precursor to Manifest Destiny, which drove Westward expansion in the 1840s and American imperialism
• The idea of election and being a model of Christianity is the cement of American exceptionalism

American Beliefs

• Americans believe they have a specific destiny given to them by God.
• Americans consider themselves the best in all domains of life and believe they can serve as models for the rest of the world.