English Puritanism, 1603-1689 (Social History in Perspective (St Martins Hardcover)) [Hardcover]

John Spurr (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 031221426X | ISBN-13: 978-0312214265 | Publication Date: October 15, 1998

The Puritans of seventeenth-century England have been blamed for everything from the English civil war to the rise of capitalism. But who were the Puritans of Stuart England? How did their neighbors identify them, and how did they recognize one another? Were they apostles of liberty who fled from persecution to the New World? Or were they intolerant fanatics, intent on bringing godliness to Stuart England? This study provides a clear narrative of the rise and fall of the Puritans across the troubled seventeenth century. Their story is placed in context by analytical chapters which describe what the Puritans believed and how they organized their religious and social life. Quoting many contemporary sources, including diaries, plays, and sermons, this is a vivid and comprehensible account, drawing on the most recent scholarship.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'...both a useful introduction to novices and a thought-provoking analysis for those already familiar with much of the literature.' - J.A.I. Champion, Journal of Ecclesiastical History 'This study is a splendid addition to the reading list. It is written for intelligent undergraduates treading the unfamiliar ground of religious history and admirably performs this duty. Having had the pleasure of employing this text as primary reading for such a course I can say, without reservation, that Dr Spurr has plugged an historiographical gap splendidly and has seriously enhanced the literature on Puritanism.' - History, the Journal of the Historical Association 'Well-chosen quotations from contemporary sources bring out clearly the flavour of the period.' - R.C. Richardson, Times Higher Education Supplement --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

John Spurr is Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Wales, Swansea.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 257 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (October 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031221426X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312214265
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,957,558 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Sympathetic Portrayal, June 22, 2009

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Quentin D. Stewart - See all my reviews
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This review is from: English Puritanism, 1603-1689 (Social History in Perspective (Palgrave Paperback)) (Paperback)

From the Conclusion of the book:

This book initially suggested that Puritanism might be defined as that which Puritans recognized in each other. In its circular manner, such a defintion stresses the interaction of the spiritual and the social among the puritans; it asserts the mediation of individual spiritual experience through social exchange. It also allows for an emphasis on the puritans' common qualities of character, mind and imagination. The puritan impulse - that drive to show in their lives their strong sense of their own personal salvation - made it possible to recognize others who were also visibly worthy of election to salvation. The puritans knew who they were, ... in 1689 a puritan was still recognizably what he or she had been in 1603."

Spurr gives an interesting analysis of the Puritans as viewed by others, and a sufficient discussion of the role in the civil wars and their rise to power between 1649 and 1660. Spurr concludes that the Puritans ultimately chose personal integrity rather than political power as they suffered the Great Ejection of 1662. Spurr also provides an interesting discussion of how Puritans would reconcile the contradictory notions of predestination and the need for a personal conversion. Ultimately these men and women were more concerned with entering the kingdom of God rather than worldy affairs despite their constant interference in all things political and ecclesiastical. Spurr's work is not altogether unlike Ryken's portrayal of the Puritans in "Worldly Saints."