How Did Jonathan Edwards Influence The Puritan System?

The New England colonies developed rapidly, largely due to the influence of the Puritans. The Puritans came to the new world seeking religious freedom and helped found most of the colonies in the New England region. The Puritans wanted a United government that will later become the basis for the Unites States, they believed that the overall well being of the people was more important than the well being of the few, and the Puritans believed that religion, church, and community were important aspects of the people’s lives. The Puritans’ religion allowed them to prosper in the political, economical, and social development of the New England Colonies in the 1630-1660’s.

The dichotomy between a Puritan and a Rationalist seems to be very apparent. Despite the differences, the very existence of these two writers showcases the need for dissent to influence, and to always question the status-quo. Anne Bradstreet and Benjamin Franklin give a glimpse of the time period during the creation of their works. Many factors affect their writing: gender and the reason for writing, references to non-Biblical scriptures, and the presence of God.

Like his father before him, Cotton Mather took position as a pastor of the Second Church of Boston where he remained connected with that church from 1685, when he was ordained, until his death forty-three years later. It was mainly by his remorseless writing that he became one of the most notable of all New England Puritan ministers. Today Mather is often thought of as unsympathetic because of his part in the Salem witchcraft trials. Although he did not approve of all the trials, he had helped to stir up the wave of frantic fear by his Memorable Providences Relating to Witchcraft and Possessions. Later he further pursued his inquiries into satanic possession with “Wonders of the Invisible World.”

In the 1630's and the 1640's, the Puritans traveled to the colonies to detach from their opinion of a convoluted Church of England. They set up towns and started new lives that were all based on their idea of a pure religion. The Puritan's definition of a pure religion did not include many of the ideas of the Church of England. They built the colonies and made a system based upon the idea that God was the most important aspect of life. Puritan ideas and values influenced the political, economic, and social development of the New England colonies from 1630 through the 1660’s by spreading their beliefs into every facet of daily life. Politically their ideas regarding what was considered sinful behavior and how power was separated among the

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) is widely recognized as one of America’s most profound Theologians. Some might even consider him the master of Puritan revival, since he was the leader of the Great Awakening. During his time he was a devout Calvinist who had the power of single-handedly keeping the Puritan faith strong for over twenty-five years, by using vivid imagery to provoke his audience. Edward's dialect was exquisitely influential and yet wielded with class and ease. This essay argues that Edwards was a prestigious theologian in his time that helped shape modern religious culture.

Jonathan Edwards's sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is moving and powerful. His effectiveness as an eighteenth century New England religious leader is rooted in his expansive knowledge of the Bible and human nature, as well as a genuine desire to "awaken" and save as many souls as possible. This sermon, delivered in 1741, exhibits Edwards's skillful use of these tools to persuade his congregation to join him in his Christian beliefs.

Cotton Mather was remembered as one of the most influential Puritan ministers of his time. Mather set the moral tone in the colonies and led the charge for 2nd and 3rd generation Puritans to get back to the theological roots of Puritanism that were held by the earlier generation settlers. From an early age much was expected of Mather. He was the son of Increase Mather who had achieved much success as a minister and the President of Harvard. Although Mather didn’t follow in his father’s footsteps as a political leader, or by becoming the president of Harvard, Mather was known for his knack for recording history. By the end of his life he had contributed more than 400 pieces of work on various subjects (Walker,

Above all, Puritans believed that it was their destiny to settle in what was the New World, and set up an example of the ideal community for the rest of the world to emulate. They also believed they were sent by God on a divine mission to escape persecution and spread their religion freely. Since the United States rose to power its people have been convinced that the democratic system, equality, free markets, and its way of life are the most perfected governing methodology to date. The first trace of this was in Monroe Doctrine, then the civil war, followed by the United States? involvement in World Wars I and II, and above all

One can hear a sermon any day of the week, because there are many preachers out there in the world. Many sermons are retold Bible stories from the Old and New Testaments that tell how our ancestors lived, and teach us life applications of how to glorify God while we are living our lives. Some examples from the Bible are: David and Goliath and the lesson of courage, Deuteronomy 32:4 “... a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he” (KJV), and the Roman’s Road of confession, acceptance of Christ, and salvation. For over a thousand years God’s word has been preached by many faithful men who follow Him. However, there were some of those faithful men who used God’s Word and their own improvisation to convict sinners and to put their trust in God. Those times resulted in an era called the Great Awakening of the 18th century and they also put an end to the segregation era of the 20th century. Two of the faithful men during those eras were Jonathan Edwards and Martin Luther King, Jr. . They both preached great sermons on confession and love. But they also had different points of view. When we read the two sermons our lives and actions may never be the same as they were before, because of feeling ashamed and convicted, then we begin to live our lives as Christians.

In the 1600’s the Puritans were the main religious group of that time period and they had very strong ideals on how religion and government should go together. Jonathan Edwards, who shared many of their ideals, preached a sermon called, “ Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” and it had a very big impact on the congregation. Nathaniel Hawthorne, although he was a writer in the 1800’s, he was fascinated with the Puritans and their lifestyles and wrote a short story called, “ The Minister’s Black Veil.” Both authors use specific details, tone, and imagery to convey their meaning and style, Edwards harsh and accusatory style was more effective than Hawthorne’s melancholy and mysterious style because Edwards helps the reader understand the effects sin can have in one’s life.

Ministers praised fathers for their roles in the family and to society. Puritan doctrines taught society that children must obey and honor their Fathers. This influenced the relationship between fathers and sons. Fathers tried to control the lives of their children. Sons were condemned by ministers and fathers as being sinful and allowing Satan into their hearts. They were blamed for the decline in morality in the Puritan society. Sons felt inadequate and lived in fear that they won’t make heaven. These sermons put a lot of pressure on Puritan sons to live a sin free life as commanded by God. Twelve years old, Samuel Mather felt this great pressure. In his letter to his father, he said, “I feel also daily a great unwillingness to good duties, and the great ruling sin of my heart; and that God is angry with me” . He asked his father to intercede for him in prayers. He complained about how stressful it was as a young boy to keep up with the rules and satisfy the expectations his family and society had set for him. The mood of his letter was depressing and

     In Puritan led Massachusetts Bay Colony during the days of Anne Hutchinson was an intriguing place to have lived. It was designed ideally as a holy mission in the New World called the “city upon a hill,” a mission to provide a prime example of how protestant lives should have subsisted of. A key ingredient to the success of the Puritan community was the cohesion of the community as a whole, which was created by a high level of conformity in the colony. Puritan leaders provided leadership for all facets of life; socially, economically, religiously, and even politically. A certain hierarchy was very apparent in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, in which ministers always seemed to

The 17th century Puritans were known to represent a religious group migrating from England to America in order to practice religious freedom. These groups were determined to “purify” churches of England from Catholic practices. Puritans are known for their religious, social, and political influences on early America. Edmund S. Morgan’s novel The Puritan Family highlights a part of history that many would tend to look over upon- that is, the complex structural life of Puritan Families in the 17th century.

Christianity is the sole religion in America and is a model of what the country is based around. Not just with religion, but with the Puritan values of everyday life, how to live your life to better others, and what needs to be done to also better yourself.The Puritan ideals were made to glorify God but also to have a set of rules to be acted upon so the person can be pure with what God wants. Such as America still shows values of hard work like those of who are apart of the Puritan belief show great value in hard work. The importance of family and community is one of the Puritan ideals and that is shown the most all over America today. America is still seen today as a Puritan Nation because the country shares some of the same ideals and values as the Puritan belief.

By the eighteenth century, the once-fierce Puritan fire was facing the end of its reign, releasing its hold on the American mind in favor of the Age of Enlightenment. Rational, “enlightened” thinking blossomed during this period, which saw great changes in the way the world was perceived, as philosophers and scholars began replacing the supernatural with the secular and worldly in their theories and beliefs. This dramatic transition from the harsh Puritan beliefs to a more curious, scientifically centered mindset was spearheaded by some of the most famous names in American History. Amongst these, Benjamin Franklin stands in particular fame as one who shifted the focus of faith in American life. Endowed with a “proud and independent . . . nature”, Franklin’s obsession with accountability and responsibility for one’s own actions had a great effect on his views (Franklin 455). Turning his back on the “dry, uninteresting and unedifying” Presbyterian teachings whose “[a]im