Customer Reviews

The Puritans: A Sourcebook of Their Writings

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Considering the only other review for this book currently available, I felt compelled to write a review that is actually about the book, not the subject of the book. A Harvard professor deserves at least that. Perry Miller's classic introduction to the New England Puritans remains an essential text for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of a much maligned and often misunderstood religious movement. An understanding of the New England Puritans is absolutely essential to an understanding of American History and American society. Miller does not espouse the doctrines of Puritanism; he provides a concise and helpful historical background and then guides the reader through some representative samples of their writing. This is not a book designed to convert someone to Puritanism. A sidenote: The Puritans referred to in this book have not existed for centuries, so I assure you no reviewer of this book actually left the Puritanism described in this book.

I would certainly disagree with Mr. Richard's assessment that the Puritanism of this book no longer exists today. The very reason why Puritan literature and its history is so prevalent today is because so many Christians are reading and following the writings of the Puritans of three centuries ago. That is just not a proper assessment of "modern puritanism". Yes, much has changed in three hundred years, but not the faith of the Believers who are Reformed in their theology and life. And yes, the Puritans in this book have been dead for a long time, but their writings and the Faith that they passed on is not dead but living strong today.