The Profane, the Civil, & the Godly: The Reformation of Manners in Orthodox New England, 1679-1749 [Paperback]

Richard P. Gildrie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1994

In this study of the sacred and profane in Puritan New England, the author seeks to understand not only the fears, aspirations and moral theories of Puritan reformers, but also the customs and attitudes they sought to transform. Topics include tavern mores, family order and witchcraft.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Pennsylvania State Univ Pr (Txt) (February 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0271010681
• ISBN-13: 978-0271010687
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 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: #1,452,569 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4.0 out of 5 stars The Profane, the Civil, & the Godly, May 4, 2000

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This review is from: The Profane, the Civil, & the Godly: The Reformation of Manners in Orthodox New England, 1679-1749 (Paperback)

Gildrie argues that interactions between the profane (self-centered people indifferent to God and society), the civil (people who behaved in an orderly, decent manner due to self-seeking motives), and the godly (people who lived life to honor God and serve humanity) during the time period from the Reforming Synod of 1679 to the Great Awakening shaped New England's popular political and religious thought and led to a linking of freedom with religious and social order within Whig political theory.

As part of the Reformation of Manners that was taking place during this time, Puritan clergy attempted to eradicate English folk customs being practiced in New England. However, Puritan theology encouraged people to be independent thinkers, so the people took the parts of English folk tradition that were useful and discarded the rest. The clergy, recognizing the peoples' independence, influenced popular behavior by seeking a moderation of the folk traditions. For instance, realizing that they could not eliminate Christmas celebrations in New England, the clergy sought to tame them by discouraging the more rowdy elements of the celebrations. The clergy allowed popular beliefs about witchcraft to influence them during trials, while the popular beliefs of witchcraft were influenced by the clergy. Both the clergy and the people were influenced by each other.

While the crisis of the Dominion of New England eliminated church-run government, it brought Puritan clergy popular respect because many clergy refused to pay taxes to the Dominion arguing that the taxes had not been set by an elected assembly. By 1692, even Cotton Mather agreed that "spiritual sins" were not a matter of government. Both the clergy and the people believed that government's duty was to protect the individual's liberty and property. Puritan clergy incorporated Whig conceptions of liberty and linked freedom with religion and social order. This created the political and religious thought that led to the American Revolution.