I think of the Puritans coming to America and the courage it took to cross the sea and try to scratch out a new life in the New England colonies. In that regard, I admire them.
Of course, there are the negative connotations of the word puritanical.
Its a given that any group will have its successes and excesses.
But what did they believe about their faith?
One of my reading goals for the year will be to work my way through this book that excerpts some of their writings. The book also gives a brief sketch of the historical context of the Puritan movement and short biographies of the writers of the excerpts contained in the book.
What I'll do here for blog posts is to share a tidbit here and there.
According to the book, the English Puritans (1560-1710) sought reform of the Church of England. The Westminster Confession and Catechisms (1647) that are still widely respected today was strongly influenced by Puritan theological perspectives. Alas, their drive for reform took a setback with the Act Of Uniformity (1662) that resulted in the expulsion of most Puritan clergy. Nonetheless, their ideas endured even though they lost official status within the church.
Lord help us in the modern world to learn from the best of the past. Taking in what is good and true and beautiful for those things stand the test of time. Amen.
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