What Is Puritanical?
The word "puritanical" refers to the belief system of a splinter group from the Church of England that came to America. As they had very strong, conservative religious beliefs, this word is used today to indicate that someone has retrograde beliefs.
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Roots
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The Puritans arose in response to reforms in the Church of England brought about the Protestant Reformation. According to a researcher at the University of Virginia, they were first given the name Puritans as a derisive term in the 1560s.
Conflict
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The Puritans felt, in effect, that the reforms were not sweeping enough and that the Church of England still closely resembled the Catholic Church. They criticized the Book of Common Prayer and were persecuted for speaking out against this and other points.
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Emigration
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According to Kay Kizer, the Puritans came to America, specifically New England during and after the English Civil War, which was sparked in 1642. Although the Puritan leadership tightly controlled the actions of its followers, one of the great achievements of the group is the introduction of free education.
Beliefs
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The Puritans were strict Calvinists who believed in predestination, the idea that God had already selected who would go to Heaven or Hell. They also banned many forms of amusement, including religious music, according to Kay Kizer.
Witchcraft
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The Puritan belief system helped foster the persecutions of the Salem witch trials. However, it should be noted that many people at the time believed in witchcraft and that some Puritans were not in favor of the trials.
Significance
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Today, the word puritanical continues to be used to refer to people with rigid, harsh or conservative religious beliefs.
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