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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.
By tracing core discontents, the essays restore the anxiety-ridden radical nature of Puritanism, helping to account for its force in the seventeenth century and the popular and scholarly interest that it continues to evoke. Innovative and challenging in scope and argument, the volume should be of interest to scholars of early modern British and American history, literature, culture, and religion."--BOOK JACKET.
“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.
Written by a leading expert on the Puritans, this brief, informative volume offers a wealth of background on this key religious movement. This book traces the shaping, triumph, and decline of the Puritan world, while also examining the role of religion in the shaping of American society and the role of the Puritan legacy in American history. Francis J. Bremer discusses the rise of Puritanism in the English Reformation, the struggle of the reformers to purge what they viewed as the corruptions of Roman Catholicism from the Elizabethan church, and the struggle with the Stuart monarchs that led to a brief Puritan triumph under Oliver Cromwell. It also examines the effort of Puritans who left England to establish a godly kingdom in America. Bremer examines puritan theology, views on family and community, their beliefs about the proper relationship between religion and public life, the limits of toleration, the balance between individual rights and one's obligation to others, and the extent to which public character should be shaped by private religious belief. About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.
Examines the variety of ways in which early Protestants responded to material shapes: icons, acoustic shapes of speech, material objects and the physical shapes of humans. Reveals how reactions to material shapes took violent forms as evidenced in the development of prejudice from Calvin and Luther to the Puritan immigrants of Massachusetts Bay.
Worship is central to the Christian life. But how should the church order its worship to honor God and enrich his people? Gore assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the Puritan regulative principle of worship in light of biblical teaching, the Westminster Standards and Directory, and Calvin's view, with special attention to adiaphora. Gore submits this work, the product of twenty years of research, reflection, worship, and dialogue, ...not as the final word on the regulation of worship, but as a modest attempt to further the discussion. An excellent work....will both stimulate thought and help resolve some current controversies over worship. There is a good balance of appreciation and criticism of the Puritan heritage....A formulation that needs to be considered in our circles. --William S. Barker