Puritan+beliefs-AS+2011

Nicole Andreu, Kaitlin MacIver, Mel Andreu, and Ashlee O'Doherty

Puritanism started in the sixteenth century as amovement to reform the Church of England. Puritanism accepted the interpretations of John Calvin on the nature of man, free will and predestination, and other basic concepts. After the restoration of Charles IIas king in 1660, Puritanism became nonconformity and split into three major denominations. The three major denominations that Puritanism was split into arethe Presbyterian, Congregational, and Baptist sects. The Puritans saw God as the awesome Father-God of the Old Testament. They emphasized His majesty,righteousness, and control of the universe to achieve His just ends. God's Providenceis maintaining and directing everything in the universe.
 * Background Information **

- Puritans first began as a taunt or insult applied by traditional Anglicans to those who criticized or wished to “purify” the church of England - Two distinct groups, separating puritans such as the Plymouth colonists who believed that the Church of England was corrupt and that true Christians must separate from it - Non-separating Puritans, such as the colonists who settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, who believed in reform but not separation. - Puritans believed in the belief in Jesus and participation in the sacraments could not alone effect one’s salvation

- create a “holy” community in New England; couldn’t practice religion freely - non-materialistic - overly concerned with the attainment of His Holy Grace - beliefs developed from the teachings of religious reformers: John Wycliffe and John Calvin - considered the Bible as the law of God - provided guidelines for church government - stressed grace, devotion, prayer, and self-examination to achieve religious virtue - emphasized Bible reading, prayer, and preaching in worship services - believed that all Christian churches should be organized through church courts rather than under bishops (Church of England) - believed that each congregation was a complete church in itself and should have total control of its own affairs - Puritans- were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries - Puritanism is fanaticism related to a person’s or a group’s, devotion to a religion. - found by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1559, as an activist movement within the Church of England - Puritan’s usually based on the assumption that hedonism and Puritanism areantonyms but the word is really used to characterize the Protestant group asextremists similar to the Cathari of France. Hedonism is a school of thought which argues that pleasure is the only natural good. - Puritans were mainly concerned with religious matters, rather than politicsor social matters
 * Puritan Faith and Beliefs **

[] [] [|http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/purdef.htm] http://americancreation.blogspot.com/2008/11/puritan-belief-and-political-ideaology.html
 * Websites **