Puritanism by Andrea Giorgi

What is the Puritanism?

sandreagiorgi — 2024-11-11 14:49:57 UTC

The Puritansim was a religious movment born in England in 16^th century. It was composed by extrem Protestants people because their goal was eliminate all forms of Catholic Church in England.

Two types of Puritanism: English Puritnasim and American Puritanism

sandreagiorgi — 2024-11-11 14:58:09 UTC

English Puritanism

sandreagiorgi — 2024-11-11 14:58:36 UTC

The English Puritans were initially known for their harsh criticism of the religious compromises made during the reign of Elizabeth I. Many of them were graduates of Cambridge University and became Anglican priests to bring changes to their local churches. They encouraged a direct and personal religious experience, sincere moral conduct, and simple worship services.

American Puritanism

sandreagiorgi — 2024-11-11 14:59:09 UTC

Early in the 17^th century some Puritan groups separated from the Church of England. Among these were the Pilgrims, who in 1620 founded Plymouth Colony. In 1630, under the auspices of the Massachusetts Bay Company, the first major Puritan migration to New England took place.

James I

sandreagiorgi — 2024-11-11 15:15:25 UTC

When James I ascended to the throne of England in 1603, Puritan leaders (including William Ames) asked him to implement several reforms. However, at the Hampton Court Conference (1604), he rejected most of their proposals, including the abolition of bishops. As time went on, the government became increasingly aggressive towards the Puritans (in particular when there was the archbishop William Laud), to the point of pushing some of them to emigrate.

The Civil War

sandreagiorgi — 2024-11-11 15:28:05 UTC

Those who remained became a powerful component of the parliamentary party that defeated Charles I in the English Civil War.

After the Civil War

sandreagiorgi — 2024-11-11 15:32:35 UTC

After the war, the Puritans remained dominant in England until 1660, but internal divisions led them to become even more intolerant than the old hierarchy. The restoration of the monarchy in 1660 re-established Anglicanism, and the Puritan clergy were expelled from the Church of England following the Act of Uniformity (1662). From then on, the English Puritans were classified as Nonconformists.

Puritanism spread to the new lands starting from the colonies

sandreagiorgi — 2024-11-11 16:36:17 UTC

The Puritans brought strong religious impulses to all the colonies North of Virginia, but New England became their main center, where the established Congregationalist churches were able to perpetuate their vision of a Christian society for over 200 years. Richard Mather and John Cotton provided clerical leadership in the main Puritan colony on the Massachusetts Bay.

Thomas Hooker and Roger Williams

sandreagiorgi — 2024-11-11 16:39:18 UTC

Thomas Hooker was one of the leaders who settled in new areas further West, maintaining traditional Puritan standards. Although he clashed with the authorities of the Massachusetts colony over issues of religious freedom, Roger Williams was also a true Puritan, with a strong zeal for personal and doctrinal purity.

The thought

sandreagiorgi — 2024-11-11 16:45:49 UTC

Most of these men shared Calvinist ideas; in addition to believing in the absolute sovereignty of God, the total depravity of man, and the complete dependence on Divine Grace for salvation, they emphasized the importance of a personal religious experience. These Puritans claimed to be God's elect, with the duty to direct national affairs according to the divine will revealed in the Bible. This union of Church and State to form a holy commonwealth gave Puritanism direct and exclusive control over most colonial activities, until commercial and political changes forced them to relinquish it at the end of the 17^th century.

The decline

sandreagiorgi — 2024-11-11 16:56:52 UTC

Being a widespread stream of thought, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly when Puritanism began to decline in America. Some believe it lost its influence in New England by the early 18^th century, but Jonathan Edwards and his disciple Samuel Hopkins kept Puritan doctrine alive until 1800.