Puritanism

This week brought:

Volleyball games,
Maya Angelou poems,
Latin quizzes,
a beautiful moon,
and some good reads from Josh (he periodically sends me some of his writing for school and newspaper articles, per my request.)

I asked his permission to post one of his class essays on my blog. Here it is.

Joshua Jones

Dr. Johnson

HIST 4983 -- “Puritanism”

Sept. 7, 2005

There is no doubt in my mind, both from the week's reading and my own encounters with Puritan works, that Puritanism represents more than early 17^th century piety, as the opening line of the Miller reading suggests (64). It is an intellectual system. Though it is nearly always steeped in religious language, Puritan intellectual ideals are common elements both in formal treatises and books, in addition to some preaching.

Miller certainly records a valuable history of argumentation both within and without the ranks of Puritan divines. However, the continuing prevalent misconception about Puritan intellectualism merits a different focus for today's educational needs. Perhaps Miller addresses this issue elsewhere in his book, but on a chapter about the intellectual mind and debates of Puritans, it is vital to include the significance of Puritan thought – their contributions to the American mind and its development (notably in the strong reaction to Puritanism, as other more secular influences came from England.)

Puritanism affected the American mind, first, by providing an intellectual, yet religious tone we still feel today. Though America is devoted to ideals of religious freedom, one cannot deny the specifically Christian overtones present in many of our national documents, including the Declaration of Independence. I find it likely that this respect for ultimate truth in non-religious documents must in part stem from this Puritan precedent: their abundant writing and esteem of higher education.

In addition, Puritanism brought a certain respect and inquisitiveness to the pursuit of philosophy, science and art. Though many people today do not characterize the Puritans as being concerned with these, a simple scan at their widely varied writings will prove Puritanism spawned investigations into numerous fields. These writings often comprise the first American intellectual forays into their fields.

The case is very strong that many Puritans were intellectuals and openly encouraged rationality, argumentation and an open search for truth. Their strong religious beliefs were both a springboard and a justification for what Hofstadter called intellectual “playfulness,” since they heeded a biblical call to know God's creation, as well as acknowledging a beginning and end in the search for truth: God. As John Norton said on page 67, “The end of the Gospel is to be known, the duty and disposition of the Beleever, is to know.” On the other hand, the Puritans' intellectual “piety” was subservient to their religious piety, which would in secular minds limit their respect for truth by making some areas “off-limits” for human investigation.

Simply put, I think a specifically Puritan brand of intellectualism differentiates itself from other movements with its foremost starting point in religion. Unlike other intellectual movements based on a political or educated elite, Puritanism birthed a new and far-reaching intellectualism in America. Other religious movements simply did not encourage intellectual thought and discussion in the way Puritanism did. For over a thousand years, the Catholic church generally frowned upon an open reasoning into metaphysics, though it did preserve much intellectual history, especially in Ireland. The English church also stressed the preeminence of orthodoxy in a different and, I think, more anti-intellectual way than the Puritans. Though the American Puritans did not leave England for intellectual reasons, their very different attitude towards the investigation of ideas made them a distinct and powerful start to intellectualism in America.

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I commented to him.

"Your article on Puritanism was right on the money from my observations. The Puritan mindset opened many more intellectual doors than it shut."

And further ... I think that the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is the most mind broadening stance from which to learn and think (and just think of what He can do for your soul!)