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• The definition of Puritanism

• The creeds of Puritanism

• The characteristics of Puritanism

A Summary of PuritanismA Summary of Puritanism

The definition of Puritanism

• Puritanism was a religious reform movement that arose within the Church of England in the late sixteenth century. Under the siege from

church and crown, it sent an offshoot(分支 ) in the third and fourth decades of the seventeenth century to the northern English colonies in the New World.

The definition of Puritanism

• Puritanism was not only a historically specific phenomenon coincident with the founding of New England; it was also a way of being in the world, a style of response to lived experience.

The creeds of Puritanism

• unconditional election( 无条件拣选）

• limited atonement( 有限救赎 ) • total depravity( 完全堕落 )

• irresistible grace( 不可抗拒的恩典 )

• perseverance of the saints( 圣徒的坚守 )

The characteristics of Puritanism

Original sin and predestination

Limited atonement and hardworking

Individualism and pioneering spirit

Original sin and predestination

Human beings should honor and obey the God.

Human beings had an inherent evil from generation to generation.

Original sin and predestination

Before the matter happening, the God can determine who should be persevered and who should leave.

Limited atonement and hardworking

• Every ordinary people can testify himself for being a choice of the God.

• They were obligated to manage the affairs of state.

Limited atonement and hardworking

• They followed saints and did their utmost to restrain themselves with highly moral standards.

• So when the earliest immigrants saw the land and open country, they firmly believe that the God held a certain purpose to put them in there.

Individualism and pioneering spirit

• They must be the pioneers with great tenacity and boldness.

• They must explore and conquer the miraculous world.

• They must spread the blessing of the God to everywhere in the world.

Individualism and pioneering spirit

• They were full of sense of mission and desire for success.

• Pioneering sprit should perform the arrangements of God, with devotion and responsibility.

Harvard University

Yale UniversityYale University

Puritanism’s impact on American literaturePuritanism’s impact on American literature

• Attitude —— optimistic individualism

• Theme——contradiction

• Writing still——symbol

Attitude —— optimistic individualism

• When facing dangers and difficulties, they were optimistic with the holy and pure mission.

• Optimistic spirit of Puritanism endowed Americans, which render American optimistic toward life and whole world.

Attitude —— optimistic individualism

• The Autobiography written by Benjamin Franklin

Attitude —— optimistic individualism

• He told a story about a man who was born in a poor family, but eventually he succeeded by working hard. He realized the American dream. So he expressed the strong desire and optimistic attitude of American.

Theme——contradiction

• In puritans’ opinion, the God owned absolute power to save human beings. And also human beings can get favor from God.

• They were afraid that they had got liberation from the Old World, and they fell into another trap that refers to the New World.

Theme——contradiction

•

• The Pioneers written by James Fennimore Cooper

Theme——contradiction

• In his book, there are two main characters, one is a free man and the other is a judge. Free man represents nature, and judge represents development of society and the rule of the society.

Writing style——symbol

• Symbolism is an essential part between religion and art. In fact, many writers use symbolism in their works. And also symbolism is a central part in figure of speech.

Writing style——symbol

• The earliest puritans are good symbols. They are working hard to build their Garden of Eden with unflinching courage. The physical world is a symbol of God.

Writing style——symbol

• the Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Writing style——symbol

• The letter A is a symbol. In different situation, the letter A has different meanings. A refers to adultery, angel or able, and so on.