The Puritans of late 16th century England could not abide the traditional and passive religious practices of the Church of England as dictated and performed by its clergy and bureaucracy. For them religion was all consuming and demanding not only within churches but in day-to-day lives. As Calvinists they could only hope to atone for the condition of man as deserving of damnation by leading godly-inspired lives. It was in fact such determination and need that led the Puritans to overcome tremendously difficult circumstances to establish hoped-for exemplary religious communities in New England beginning in the early 17th century.
The evolution and subtle religious differences of those New England communities and the greater ramifications of such are the focus of the author. The systems of governance are also closely examined especially in terms of enforcing the religious standards of the communities. The Massachusetts Bay community established in 1630 garners the most attention, although Connecticut, New Haven, Plymouth, and Rhode Island are well covered. The author's narrative continues through the Great Awakening of the 1740s.
Most of the male residents of the colonies participated in selecting government officials, but more so to reinforce legitimacy than as an expression of democracy. Leaders were deferred to, not challenged. The New England Puritans were for the most part Congregationalists which permitted churches much leeway in their religious practice. However, there were core religious tenets of the Puritans which had to be subscribed to, such as the concept of predestination. Initially, persistence in deviant views led to punishments and/or banishment from a colony. Later, more profound challenges to Puritanism, such as that by the Quakers, actually led to executions. Gradually, over the course of the century, Puritan religious practices broadened in response to events and dissenting views - for example, the practice of baptism. The calls for liberty that resounded in revolutionary America seem to have little precedent in Puritan New England.
The author shows in some detail how the political turmoil in 17th century England, especially the restoration of Charles II and the Glorious Revolution of 1688, impacted the Puritan colonies primarily in terms of changes in religious emphasis and the shape of governance including shifts in the standing of colonial charters. The amicable relations that the Puritans had with the natives of the region for several decades completely deteriorated with King Philip's War of 1675-76. Thereafter, racist views began to predominate.
Despite its relative brevity, the book covers a lot of ground concerning the first one hundred years of the history of New England. Many of the leading citizens of the era are identified. Without being a religious tract, the book is strongest in describing the basics of Puritanism, its different strains, and its controversies. The book much like the Puritans starts to run out of steam at the turn of the century, but is nonetheless a very good introduction to Puritanism and the Puritans.
ISBN-13:
978-0874517286
ISBN-10:
0874517281
Why is ISBN important?
ISBN
Scan an ISBN with your phone
Use the Amazon App to scan ISBNs and compare prices.
This bar-code number lets you verify that you're getting exactly the right version or edition of a book. The 13-digit and 10-digit formats both work.
Use the Amazon App to scan ISBNs and compare prices.
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club?
Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
-
Apple
-
Android
-
Windows Phone
-
Android
To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number.
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Customer reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2007
Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2012
Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2011
Verified Purchase
Top reviews from other countries
HistoryBoy
Wide ranging academic history of 17th and 18th century New England
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 13, 2018Verified Purchase
Gee4p
Book Purchase
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 11, 2018Verified Purchase
