Stern Men in Drab Clothing
John Calvin (1509-1564)
- God is omnipotent
- Humans have very limited free will
- You either have God's grace, or you don't; if you don't, there's nothing you can do about it and you're going to hell
Total Depravity
-
You are part of the elect if God chooses you
- You can do nothing to influence God's choice
- You still have to live like a Christian
More Dour Dudes
William Bradford (1590-1657)
-
Wrote Of Plymouth Plantation
-
Known for writing in the Puritan "Plain Style"
-
Linguist (learned Hebrew in old age, but was not interested in Native American languages)
Much Mather, Little Fun
Cotton Mather (1663-1728)
-
Minister
-
Wrote over 450 books and pamphlets
-
Witch Trials and "Spectral Evidence"
hairdo similar to
Sin, Sin, Sin
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)
-
Yale at 13
- Great Awakening (1735-1742)
- Wrote Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
- You are one step away from eternal damnation; God's grace is the ONLY thing keeping you from the flames of hell
The Puritan Ideal
(Best Case Scenarios for Plain Folk)
- Grace (God changing the self's sinful nature)
- Plainness (In all things, no frills)
- Divine Mission (The Puritans believed they were in the New World for a reason: to start a new, pure, and holy society)
Puritanism!
(In a really small, plain-looking, and bland nutshell)
- Total Depravity
- Unconditional Election
- Limited Atonement
- Irresistible Grace
- Perseverance of the Saints
-
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God