The Puritans/Puritanism in One Sentence
- Thread starter Parmenas
- Start date
- Status
It is a complicated area of research so one risks oversimplifying the issue by reducing it to one sentace. But here is my attempt.
The Puritans were godly pastors in the Church of England who wanted to bring true reform to the church, just like they had seen their brethren on the Continent do in the churches there.
The Puritans were godly pastors in the Church of England who wanted to bring true reform to the church, just like they had seen their brethren on the Continent do in the churches there.
Parmenas
Puritan Board Freshman
I did not intend this to be a scholastic exercise, but it can be useful to have a concise definition of the Puritans (but that is not the purpose of this thread either).
I don't know about scholastic, but this is pretty good a summary given scholars even call the whole label into question nowadays as far as the ability to tie it down.
Ask Mr. Religion
Flatly Unflappable
Puritanism must be understood as a movement that sought further reformation of the Church of England in conformity with the Word of God.
...
In understanding the Puritans, we should note what Tom Webster says about the three distinctives of a Puritan. He says, first, Puritans had a dynamic fellowship with God that shaped their minds, affected their emotions, and penetrated their souls. They were grounded in something and someone outside of themselves: the triune God of the Scriptures. Second, Puritans embraced a shared system of beliefs grounded in the Scriptures. Today we refer to this system as Reformed orthodoxy. Third, on the basis of their common spiritual experience and unity in the faith, the Puritans established a network of relationships among believers and ministers. This fellowship of cooperative brotherhood was born in sixteenth-century Elizabethan England, and developed in seventeenth-century England and New England. The distinctive character of Puritanism was its quest for a life reformed by the Word of God. The Puritans were committed to search the Scriptures, organize and analyze their findings, and then apply them to all areas of life. They had a confessional, theological, and trinitarian approach that urged conversion and communion with God in personal, family, church, and national life.
...
J. I. Packer says it well: “Puritanism was an evangelical holiness movement seeking to implement its vision of spiritual renewal, national and personal, in the church, the state, and the home; in education, evangelism, and economics; in individual discipleship and devotion, and in pastoral care and competence.” (J. I. Packer, “An Anglican to Remember—William Perkins: Puritan Popularizer,” St. Antholin’s Lectureship Charity Lecture, 1996, 1–2.)
...
In understanding the Puritans, we should note what Tom Webster says about the three distinctives of a Puritan. He says, first, Puritans had a dynamic fellowship with God that shaped their minds, affected their emotions, and penetrated their souls. They were grounded in something and someone outside of themselves: the triune God of the Scriptures. Second, Puritans embraced a shared system of beliefs grounded in the Scriptures. Today we refer to this system as Reformed orthodoxy. Third, on the basis of their common spiritual experience and unity in the faith, the Puritans established a network of relationships among believers and ministers. This fellowship of cooperative brotherhood was born in sixteenth-century Elizabethan England, and developed in seventeenth-century England and New England. The distinctive character of Puritanism was its quest for a life reformed by the Word of God. The Puritans were committed to search the Scriptures, organize and analyze their findings, and then apply them to all areas of life. They had a confessional, theological, and trinitarian approach that urged conversion and communion with God in personal, family, church, and national life.
...
J. I. Packer says it well: “Puritanism was an evangelical holiness movement seeking to implement its vision of spiritual renewal, national and personal, in the church, the state, and the home; in education, evangelism, and economics; in individual discipleship and devotion, and in pastoral care and competence.” (J. I. Packer, “An Anglican to Remember—William Perkins: Puritan Popularizer,” St. Antholin’s Lectureship Charity Lecture, 1996, 1–2.)
- Beeke, Joel R.; Jones, Mark. A Puritan Theology: Doctrine for Life
hammondjones
Puritan Board Junior
I have taken the above comments and put them into one sentence for you. After all, who said a sentence should be short.
The Puritans, also called "precisionists" by their opponents (because they sought such whole-hearted conformity to God's Word) were godly pastors in the Church of England who wanted to bring true reform to the church (just as they had seen their brethren on the Continent do in the churches there), desired spiritual renewal (national and personal), embraced a shared system of beliefs grounded in the Scriptures (which we refer to today as Reformed orthodoxy), and had a dynamic fellowship with God that shaped their minds, affected their emotions, and penetrated their souls.
The Puritans, also called "precisionists" by their opponents (because they sought such whole-hearted conformity to God's Word) were godly pastors in the Church of England who wanted to bring true reform to the church (just as they had seen their brethren on the Continent do in the churches there), desired spiritual renewal (national and personal), embraced a shared system of beliefs grounded in the Scriptures (which we refer to today as Reformed orthodoxy), and had a dynamic fellowship with God that shaped their minds, affected their emotions, and penetrated their souls.
Alan D. Strange
Puritan Board Senior
Here's a historian's rather more objective (some might say "bloodless"!) definition:
"Puritan" is an epithet applied to a wide-ranging group, both within and dissenters from the Anglican Church, who wanted further reformation than the via media of Elizabeth I permitted.
Peace,
Alan
"Puritan" is an epithet applied to a wide-ranging group, both within and dissenters from the Anglican Church, who wanted further reformation than the via media of Elizabeth I permitted.
Peace,
Alan
greenbaggins
Puritan Board Doctor
I like Alan's definition very much. Not in competition with, but very much correlative with it, I would use this as a more theological definition of the Puritans:
A group of 16th and 17th century (and a few later) British Reformers who desired to live redeemed lives entirely for the glory of God.
A group of 16th and 17th century (and a few later) British Reformers who desired to live redeemed lives entirely for the glory of God.
Scott Bushey
Puritanboard Commissioner
The term Puritan initially, was more of a charge than a compliment.
Alan D. Strange
Puritan Board Senior
Scott:
Almost all such terms were epithets concocted by opponents as derisive. This is true for Calvinist and Calvinism as well as Methodist and Methodism. Examples abound and it remains fascinating to me how that what was originally meant as invective becomes used by the targeted group itself and worn as a badge of honor!
Peace,
Alan
Almost all such terms were epithets concocted by opponents as derisive. This is true for Calvinist and Calvinism as well as Methodist and Methodism. Examples abound and it remains fascinating to me how that what was originally meant as invective becomes used by the targeted group itself and worn as a badge of honor!
Peace,
Alan
Scott Bushey
Puritanboard Commissioner
The Character of an Old English Puritan, or Non-Conformist, by John Geree (1601–1649)
Clark-Tillian
Puritan Board Freshman
That pretty much gets to the heart of the matter.
- Status
