Puritans

What comes to mind when you think of Puritans?

Black hats…shoe buckles…Thanksgiving…Squanto...

Expulsion of heretics…intolerance…patriarchy…gravity…

“city on a hill”…faith…hardship…glory to God…

I’ve heard quite a few opinions about this intriguing community. It’s not fair to judge people, though, until you have let them speak. My hope is to move beyond stereotypes to gain a truer understanding of the American Puritan community, based on their own words.

What was most important to the Puritans? What was the nature of community and family interactions? How did the Puritans integrate spiritual values with the demands of day-to-day life? Why did some go to extremes? On the other hand, who achieved a balance…and how? What was the role of words—written and oral, prose and poetry—in their culture? What did they mean by calling their enterprise “an errand into the wilderness”?

This semester, I am doing a reading project to answer for myself—and for you—these and other questions.

First, I will examine a few sermons—what was the religious heart of the colonists’ mission? Next, I’ll move to Cotton Mather’s tremendous account, Magnalia Christi Americana. Along the way, I will incorporate modern commentary, e.g. Perry Miller. After a few delightful weeks of poetry, I’ll wrap up with personal journals (I am ever impressed by people who were faithful to write each day’s occurrences!). As I read, specific themes will emerge and I’ll have a clearer idea of which to pursue.

The exciting thing is that this is a project of discovery...

Or, perhaps, rediscovery….of those visionary pioneers who first settled the land we now call home…America.

As the Puritans carve out their haven in the wilderness, my “errand” is to explore the wonderful wilderness of texts they leave behind.