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Reveals a much neglected strand of puritan theology which emphasised the importance of inner happiness and personal piety.
This thesis proposes to make an intervention in two scholarly debates in respect of puritanism: firstly, that concerning puritan identity; and secondly, that on the nature of the puritan experience and inner life. In this thesis the importance of the pursuit of happiness in puritan pastoral theology will be explored, particularly as it is illustrated in the thought of Ralph Venning. Venning's ministry is investigated in its social, cultural, political, economic and religious context in order to explore his puritan identity and it will be proposed that he is defined, not by his opposition but by irenicism. Influences upon Venning's thought are identified and it is noted that he illustrates elements of continuity as well as discontinuity with Medieval theology, particularly that of Thomas Aquinas and Thomas à Kempis; as well as Reformation and Post-Reformation sources: both puritan and anti-puritan. The significance of humanism in his University education at Emmanuel College, Cambridge is likewise identified including the influence of Cambridge Platonism. Ultimately, it is argued that Venning's pastoral theology, having been shaped by each of these formative influences, is defined not by an agonised interiority but by the pursuit - and temporal enjoyment - of happiness. Indeed, this theme constitutes the unifying principle of Venning's pastoral theology shaping as it does its three key elements which are in respect of the nature of sin, godliness and spiritual growth.
In The Call to Happiness, Nathaniel A. Warne examines how sixteenth-and seventeenth-century Puritans adopted a eudaimonistic conception of ethics in their writings. He shows how classical eudaimonism within the Puritan context is related to other areas of theology, ethics, and politics, and that the idea of divine calling or vocation fits within Puritan eudaimonism. Warne further shows how work can also be understood as an aspect of human flourishing when illuminated from within this tradition of Christian eudaimonism alongside the doctrine of calling.
Puritanism has a reputation for being emotionally dry, but seventeenth-century Puritans did not only have rich and complex emotional lives, they also found meaning in and drew spiritual strength from emotion. From theology to lived experience and from joy to affliction, this volume surveys the wealth and depth of the Puritans' passions.
“Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.” -H.L. Mencken The Left used to be the party of the hippies and the free spirits. Now it’s home to woke scolds and humorless idealogues. The New Puritans can judge a person’s moral character by their clothes, Netflix queue, fast food favorites, the sports they watch, and the company they keep. No choice is neutral, no sphere is private. Not since the Puritans has a political movement wanted so much power over your thoughts, hobbies, and preferences every minute of your day. In the process, they are sucking the joy out of life. In The Rise of the New Puritans, Noah Rothman explains how, in pursuit of a better world, progressives are ruining the very things which make life worth living. They’ve created a society full of verbal trip wires and digital witch hunts. Football? Too violent. Fusion food? Appropriation. The nuclear family? Oppressive. Witty, deeply researched, and thorough, The Rise of the New Puritans encourages us to spurn a movement whose primary goal has become limiting happiness. It uncovers the historical roots of the left’s war on fun and reminds us of the freedom and personal fulfillment at the heart of the American experiment.
"The Way to True Happiness" by Joseph Alleine delves into the pursuit of genuine happiness through the lens of devout spirituality. We have updated this timeless work into modern, updated English so you can understand exactly what Alleine wrote hundreds of years ago. Alleine emphasizes the importance of faith and righteousness in achieving true fulfillment in life. Through his religious teachings, he guides readers on a journey towards inner peace and contentment, highlighting the significance of spiritual transformation and a deep connection with God. Alleine's work serves as a beacon for those seeking meaning and purpose, offering timeless wisdom on how to navigate life's challenges and find lasting joy through a life devoted to faith. Joseph Alleine (1634-1668) was a prominent Puritan minister and author known for his devout spirituality and fervent preaching. He lived during a time of religious turmoil in England and dedicated his life to promoting the ideals of Puritanism. Alleine's writings, including "The Way to True Happiness," continue to inspire readers with their profound insights into faith and the pursuit of spiritual fulfillment.
In this book, Jack Greene reinterprets the meaning of American social development. Synthesizing literature of the previous two decades on the process of social development and the formation of American culture, he challenges the central assumptions that have traditionally been used to analyze colonial British American history. Greene argues that the New England declension model traditionally employed by historians is inappropriate for describing social change in all the other early modern British colonies. The settler societies established in Ireland, the Atlantic island colonies of Bermuda and the Bahamas, the West Indies, the Middle Colonies, and the Lower South followed instead a pattern first exhibited in America in the Chesapeake. That pattern involved a process in which these new societies slowly developed into more elaborate cultural entities, each of which had its own distinctive features. Greene also stresses the social and cultural convergence between New England and the other regions of colonial British America after 1710 and argues that by the eve of the American Revolution Britain's North American colonies were both more alike and more like the parent society than ever before. He contends as well that the salient features of an emerging American culture during these years are to be found not primarily in New England puritanism but in widely manifest configurations of sociocultural behavior exhibited throughout British North America, including New England, and he emphasized the centrality of slavery to that culture.
This encyclopedic resource provides biographical sketches of all the major Puritans as well as bibliographic summaries of their writings and work. Meet the Puritans is an important addition to the library of the layman, pastor, student and scholar. "Intimidated students and busy pastors ask, 'Where do I start?" The obvious answer to that question now is, Meet the Puritans." - Dr. David Murray
“Hart’s argument that we need to drastically revise our current view of illegal drugs is both powerful and timely . . . when it comes to the legacy of this country’s war on drugs, we should all share his outrage.” —The New York Times Book Review From one of the world's foremost experts on the subject, a powerful argument that the greatest damage from drugs flows from their being illegal, and a hopeful reckoning with the possibility of their use as part of a responsible and happy life Dr. Carl L. Hart, Ziff Professor at Columbia University and former chair of the Department of Psychology, is one of the world's preeminent experts on the effects of so-called recreational drugs on the human mind and body. Dr. Hart is open about the fact that he uses drugs himself, in a happy balance with the rest of his full and productive life as a researcher and professor, husband, father, and friend. In Drug Use for Grown-Ups, he draws on decades of research and his own personal experience to argue definitively that the criminalization and demonization of drug use--not drugs themselves--have been a tremendous scourge on America, not least in reinforcing this country's enduring structural racism. Dr. Hart did not always have this view. He came of age in one of Miami's most troubled neighborhoods at a time when many ills were being laid at the door of crack cocaine. His initial work as a researcher was aimed at proving that drug use caused bad outcomes. But one problem kept cropping up: the evidence from his research did not support his hypothesis. From inside the massively well-funded research arm of the American war on drugs, he saw how the facts did not support the ideology. The truth was dismissed and distorted in order to keep fear and outrage stoked, the funds rolling in, and Black and brown bodies behind bars. Drug Use for Grown-Ups will be controversial, to be sure: the propaganda war, Dr. Hart argues, has been tremendously effective. Imagine if the only subject of any discussion about driving automobiles was fatal car crashes. Drug Use for Grown-Ups offers a radically different vision: when used responsibly, drugs can enrich and enhance our lives. We have a long way to go, but the vital conversation this book will generate is an extraordinarily important step.