One of the many
agencies which figured largely in the settlement of America was the religious
brotherhood, or congregation, of men and women, brought together in the bonds
of a common religious faith. This missionary institution, founded after the
death of Jesus, proved to be a potent force in the origin and growth of
self-government in the New World. "We are knit together as a body in a
most sacred covenant of the Lord...by virtue of which we hold ourselves
strictly tied to all care of each other's good and of the whole," wrote
John Robinson, a leader among the Pilgrims who founded their tiny colony of
Plymouth in1620. Other colonies of Rhode Island and Connecticut were built by
the religious zealots who fled England due to the fear of religious persecution
and because of their opposition to the Anglican Church.
This article is copy protected!
|
Two groups of people from religious backgrounds crossed the
Atlantic and built their colonies. They were Pilgrims and Puritans. England was
under the influence of the Catholic Church until 1534 when King Henry VIII
distanced his nation from the Vatican and founded an Anglican Church. Although
he and his daughter, Queen Elizabeth I refused to kneel before the papacy and
made the Church of England different from the Roman Catholic Church, a few
people felt that the new Church retained multiple practices and rituals of the
older Church. They wanted to remove the last remnants of Catholicism from the
Anglican Church in the form of a complete divorce so that they could return to
a simpler form of worship. They were the Puritans. Another group of people, who
against great odds, boarded the Mayflower and made the now famous 1620 voyage
were the Pilgrims. Called “Separatists”, they believed that reforming the
Anglican Church is a pipe dream.
As it happened, in various colonies, the religious people
assumed leadership and started to shape political and social life. The masses
had no money to devote to arts and science because the public, as well as
private purses, were empty. People had little time to produce that delighted
the eye and the mind. The Churches were the only institution that had resources
to spend on the production of sermons, pamphlets, and other religious materials.
These religious people built schools initially for Bible studies. Thus religion
reigned supreme in every aspect of people’s life.
A very popular subject during this time was religion. This
was especially true of New England where Puritans, a well-educated group that
wanted to understand and execute God’s will lived. The works that praised God
and compelled people to worship him were regarded as good writings. Other
genres were simply dismissed. These Puritans wrote complex metaphysical poems,
detailed religious histories, and sermons. Although their styles may have
differed, their works shared similar themes in the sense that they were
didactic.
The works of these religious people centered on the idea that
life was a trial arranged for us. If we failed, we would be condemned to hell
forever otherwise we would end up in heaven. Puritans saw deep spiritual
purpose behind different things and events and felt that by following Jesus
they are not only liberating the community but also implementing the great design
of God. Their attempt to salvage themselves was fueled by their overwhelming
fear of hell and expectation to achieve Nirvana.
Religion played an immense role in early American literature.
Many authors incorporated their religious ideas and beliefs into their
writings. Authors who produced religious-literary works include John Winthrop,
Cotton Mather, Jonathan Edwards, Anne Bradstreet, and Henry David Thoreau.
Anne Bradstreet was a Puritan writer who wrote the
"Contemplations" in which she expressed her religious ideas and
philosophy. “Contemplations” was Anne Bradstreet’s complex rumination on the
glory of nature and God. As in most of her great creations, this poem also
depicts her struggle against materialism as a way of landing in heaven.
There was a religious touch to all the literary pieces written
in the colonial era. Colonial literature included: theological studies, hymns,
biographies, and autobiographies. John Winthrop in his religious sermon “A
Model of Christian Charity” gives compelling reasons as to why poverty has
interfered with God’s master plan for this world. He believes that God created
rich people so that they reflect God's majesty. He further adds that a man's
circumstances are meant to test his character and virtue. A rich man is
supposed to exercise love and mercy while a poor man is supposed to strengthen
his faith and patience. If all people were created equal, they would not need
each other or God.
Another writer who devoted his time to writing works of
religious merit was Jonathan Edwards. He wanted his fellows to be genuinely
motivated by their religious beliefs as to achieve personal perfection.
Everything that he wrote, was meant to strengthen people’s faith in God. In
"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", he uses hell to scare people
into believing that if God’s commands are shunned, hell will be the final
destination. The sermon was written in response to the progressive period
within the Puritan movement to counter the threat of liberalism. He indulges
himself in Old Testament-styled fear-mongering to push back against the liberal
current.
The peak of intellectuality of New England's Puritans is
represented by the works of Cotton Mather. His writings mostly deal with the
witchcraft trials at Salem. In his work “From the Wonders of the Invisible
World," he says that the devil’s recent descent into the province was an
indication that Satan would soon suffer his final, apocalyptic defeat. He
believes that Satan is upset because his lands have been colonized and Jesus is
revered on his lands. However, his final apocalyptic defeat is indicated by his
descent into the town.
The life of puritans who settled early in the colonies revolved around the worship of God and they expressed their beliefs through their writings. They not only preached God’s message but also imposed it upon people. Bible was at the core of their beliefs, influencing their works and lives.
This article is produced by Asif Abbas, one of the team members at the SOL Community.
