Puritan Beliefs & Ideas

The Puritans were heavily influenced by theologian John Calvin

In the 17th century, a band of Protestant reformers settled the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Referred to as the Puritans by their critics, they were known for their strong morality and austere lifestyle. Their work ethic and devotion to democracy were early positive influences on American life. However, today the name Puritan is synonymous with strict, intolerant beliefs.

Origin

Puritanism began as a reform movement within the Church of England, also called the Anglican Church, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The Puritans, heavily influenced by reformer John Calvin, wanted to "purify" the Church of corrupt practices and Catholic influences. The term "Puritan" was originally coined as an insult by traditional Anglicans who thought they were going too far.

Predestination

John Calvin's ideas about predestination were central to Puritan theology. Predestination is the belief that believing in Jesus and practicing the sacraments doesn't guarantee salvation. Instead, predestination argues that God has already determined who will attain salvation and who will be damned. According to the Puritans, "sanctification" or holy behavior such as participating in worship service was an outward sign of "justification" or salvation through God's grace rather than a path to salvation.

Mainstream Puritanism

One branch of Puritanism held views in common with mainstream English Christians such as the belief that salvation depended on both faith and God's power and the idea that human history was shaped through divinely ordained events. These Puritans wanted to unite the Protestant movement and supported a learned ministry, setting hymns and psalms to popular tunes and teaching the catechism created by the Calvinist tradition. They emphasized God's grace, anti-Catholicism and the idea that the English were collectively predestined for salvation.

Ascetic Puritanism

The second, more ascetic form of Puritanism rejected entertainments such as songs, dances and sports and replaced them with Bible-study, prayer, sermons, proselytization and actively pushing the English to give-up "ungodly" behavior. Adherents made predestination the central element of their worship and focused on finding worldly signs that they were saved. Unlike the Church of England, the Puritans were not allied with the state so they created the concept of "voluntary religion" that sought conversion through persuasion rather than compulsion.

The Covenants

The Puritans saw God's relationship with man as a divine contract called a covenant. The Covenant of Works promised Adam and his descendants eternal life if they followed God's moral laws. Adam and Eve broke this covenant by eating from the Tree of Knowledge. The Covenant of Grace was established with Abraham. Under this covenant, God chose some for salvation and punished others for their sins. The Covenant of Redemption held that Christ's self-sacrifice for mankind bound God to carry out the Covenant of Grace.

Church Membership

Full Church membership was only open to those predestined for salvation. Many colonial Puritan churches required potential members to give personal accounts called conversion narratives. Since colonial citizenship was linked with Church membership, the motivation for conversion was both religious and secular. Created in 1662, the Half-Way Covenant granted children of first generation Puritans partial Church membership on the basis that they would eventually have a conversion experience and become full members, although this didn't always occur.

References

• Encyclopedia.com: Europe, 1450 to 1789; Puritanism; Paul S. Seaver; 2004
• Encyclopedia. com; New Dictionary of the History of Ideas; Puritanism; David Randall; 2005
• Encyclopedia.com; Oxford Companion to U.S. History; Puritanism; Paul S. Boyer; 2001
• Encyclopedia.com; The Columbia Encyclopedia; Puritanism; 2008
• National Humanities Center: Puritanism and Predestination
• Washington State University: Puritanism in New England