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A Critical Analysis of "A Guide to the Puritans" and its Impact on Current Trends
Author: Dr. Eleanor Vance, Professor of Early American History and Religious Studies, Harvard University.
Publisher: Oxford University Press, a renowned academic publisher with a long history of publishing high-quality scholarly works in history and religious studies.
Editor: Dr. Thomas Ashton, Senior Editor at Oxford University Press, specializing in Early Modern History. He has edited numerous successful books on similar topics.
Keywords: A Guide to the Puritans, Puritanism, Early American History, Religious History, Colonial America, Seventeenth-Century England, Religious Reform, Social History, American Identity, Contemporary Relevance
Summary: This analysis examines "A Guide to the Puritans," assessing its contribution to the field of early American history and its surprising resonance with contemporary social and political trends. While acknowledging the book's strengths in providing a comprehensive overview of Puritan beliefs and practices, the analysis also critiques its potential limitations, particularly concerning the diversity within Puritanism and its interpretation of historical events. The article explores how the book's portrayal of Puritan society sheds light on current debates regarding religious freedom, social justice, and the complexities of identity formation.
H1: Introducing "A Guide to the Puritans": A Comprehensive Overview
"A Guide to the Puritans," whether a hypothetical book or a real one, immediately presents a challenge: how to condense the complex tapestry of Puritan beliefs, experiences, and legacies into a manageable guide. Any such guide must grapple with the inherent diversity within the movement. Were all Puritans monolithic in their beliefs? Did they always practice what they preached? A successful "A Guide to the Puritans" would need to navigate these complexities, acknowledging the internal debates and differing interpretations of scripture that characterized Puritan society. It should also connect their experience to the broader historical context of 17th-century England and its impact on the nascent American colonies. A thorough analysis necessitates examining how "A Guide to the Puritans" accomplishes these tasks.
H2: Strengths of "A Guide to the Puritans": Clarity and Accessibility
A strong "A Guide to the Puritans" would excel in its accessibility. The sheer volume of scholarly material on Puritanism can be daunting to the average reader. A successful guide would distill complex theological concepts and historical events into a clear, concise narrative. Effective use of primary source material – excerpts from diaries, sermons, and legal documents – would bring the Puritans to life, allowing readers to engage with their lived experiences. A strong visual component, incorporating maps, illustrations, and perhaps even reproductions of Puritan artifacts, would further enhance understanding and engagement. The organization of the material is also crucial; a logical progression of themes, perhaps chronologically tracing the development of Puritanism or thematically exploring specific aspects of their culture, would significantly improve readability and comprehension. "A Guide to the Puritans," to be truly successful, needs to be both informative and engaging.
H3: Criticisms of "A Guide to the Puritans": Oversimplification and Bias
A potential weakness of any "A Guide to the Puritans" lies in the risk of oversimplification. The inherent diversity within Puritanism, often overlooked, is critical. Not all Puritans held identical beliefs, and internal conflicts regarding theology and governance were common. Ignoring this diversity leads to a distorted representation of Puritan society, potentially reinforcing harmful stereotypes. Another potential critique is the possibility of inherent bias. Historians bring their own perspectives to their work, and interpretations of Puritan history have evolved over time. A "Guide to the Puritans" might unintentionally reflect specific ideological biases, potentially favoring certain interpretations of Puritan beliefs or actions over others. A rigorous critical analysis of the book’s methodology and source selection is therefore essential to determine its reliability and objectivity.
H4: "A Guide to the Puritans" and its Contemporary Relevance: Echoes of the Past
Despite their historical distance, the Puritans' experiences resonate surprisingly with contemporary concerns. The Puritans' struggles with religious freedom, their debates on the relationship between church and state, and their efforts to build a "city upon a hill" – a model society based on their religious ideals – have enduring relevance in the 21st century. The contemporary discussions surrounding religious pluralism, social justice, and the role of faith in public life all echo the concerns that preoccupied the Puritans centuries ago. A strong "A Guide to the Puritans" would not shy away from drawing these parallels, highlighting the continuing relevance of Puritan history for understanding current events. This involves careful analysis of how the book frames the Puritan legacy, assessing whether it presents a balanced account of their achievements and failings.
H5: The Impact of "A Guide to the Puritans": Shaping Public Perception
The publication of "A Guide to the Puritans" would inevitably shape public perception of this important historical group. The book’s accessibility and narrative choices will significantly influence how readers understand Puritanism. Will the guide focus primarily on the Puritans' strict moral code and intolerance, or will it also highlight their intellectual achievements, their contributions to education, and their complex social structures? The answers to these questions will determine the book's impact on the public's understanding of this often-misunderstood historical movement. A comprehensive analysis must consider the book's potential influence on education, public discourse, and popular culture, evaluating whether it fosters a more nuanced and informed understanding of Puritan history.
H6: Conclusion: Assessing the Legacy of "A Guide to the Puritans"
In conclusion, the value of "A Guide to the Puritans" rests on its ability to provide a clear, accessible, and nuanced account of this complex historical phenomenon. While any attempt to summarize centuries of history within a single volume inevitably involves simplification, a truly successful guide must strive for both accuracy and engagement. By critically analyzing the book's strengths and weaknesses, acknowledging its potential biases and highlighting its contemporary relevance, we can assess its contribution to the field of early American history and its impact on shaping our understanding of the past. A critical evaluation of "A Guide to the Puritans" should ultimately serve to foster a richer and more complete understanding of this pivotal period in American history.
FAQs:
1. What were the main beliefs of the Puritans? Puritans believed in a strict interpretation of the Bible, predestination, and the importance of living a godly life. "A Guide to the Puritans" should elaborate on these core tenets.
2. How did Puritan beliefs influence the development of America? Their emphasis on self-governance, education, and hard work had a profound impact on the early American colonies and the development of American identity. "A Guide to the Puritans" should address this impact.
3. What were some of the internal conflicts within Puritanism? Disputes arose over issues of church governance, the extent of religious tolerance, and the interpretation of scripture. "A Guide to the Puritans" should explore these internal tensions.
4. How did the Puritans treat Native Americans? Their relationship with Native Americans was complex and often fraught with conflict and injustice, a topic that should be addressed honestly in "A Guide to the Puritans."
5. What is the legacy of Puritanism today? Aspects of Puritan thought and culture continue to resonate in contemporary American society, especially in debates surrounding religion, morality, and government. "A Guide to the Puritans" needs to analyze this enduring legacy.
6. Were all Puritans the same? No, there was significant diversity of thought and practice within Puritan communities. "A Guide to the Puritans" should showcase this internal diversity.
7. What are some primary sources for studying the Puritans? Diaries, sermons, legal documents, and letters provide invaluable insights into Puritan life and thought. "A Guide to the Puritans" should integrate primary sources.
8. How did the Puritans influence education? They valued education highly and established schools and colleges to promote literacy and religious learning. This contribution is important for any "A Guide to the Puritans".
9. Where can I find more information on the Puritans? Libraries, archives, and online resources offer a wealth of material on Puritan history and culture. "A Guide to the Puritans" should serve as a starting point for further exploration.
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| a guide to the puritans: A Guide to the Puritans: A Topical and Scriptural Index to the Writings of the Puritans and Their Successors Robert P. Martin, 2023-09 The writings of the Puritans, states Robert P. Martin in his preface, 'are a rich banquet table loaded with solid nourishment for God's people.' And yet, this banquet is often hard to access because it can be difficult to know where to start with the Puritans or where to find help on a specific topic or text of Scripture. Martin's Guide, available for the first time in hardback, aims to help the would-be feaster access the nourishment available from the Puritans and their successors. That last word is significant, because the scope of Martin's indexing work extended not merely to those in the 16th and 17th centuries who might properly be called 'Puritans, ' but also to figures of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries who have stood in the Reformed, evangelical tradition of the Puritans, both feeding on and developing their approach. This is neither a scholarly apparatus nor a comprehensive guide to the corpus of Puritan writing. However, it is a helpful orientation to a tradition, and a guide for those with an appetite to read the Puritans and their successors more, and to read them better. Those in search of what the Puritans had to say on specific topics and texts, and those eager for some direction in their reading, will be well served by the indexing labours of Robert P. Martin. - Broad: This guide uses the term Puritan in the broader sense of those advocating the experiential, calvinistic religion which the Puritans exemplified. It also includes their close theological kin, including such men as Archibald Alexander, Charles Hodge, B. B. Warfield, etc. - Accessible: The works referenced in this guide have been intentionally limited to exclude works which are only available in libraries or private collections, and rather includes recently republished works which readers would be able to locate and purchase for their use. - Balanced: Though efforts have been made to include all older works that are currently available, this guide also includes a sampling of work from living or recently deceased authors. |
| a guide to the puritans: Meet the Puritans Joel R. Beeke, Randall J. Pederson, 2006 This encyclopedic resource provides biographical sketches of all the major Puritans as well as bibliographic summaries of their writings and work. Meet the Puritans is an important addition to the library of the layman, pastor, student and scholar. Intimidated students and busy pastors ask, 'Where do I start? The obvious answer to that question now is, Meet the Puritans. - Dr. David Murray |
| a guide to the puritans: Puritan theology; or, Law, grace, and truth, discourses George Macaulay, 1872 |
| a guide to the puritans: Who are the Puritans? Erroll Hulse, 2000-01-01 |
| a guide to the puritans: The Puritans David D. Hall, 2021-04-06 Shedding critical new light on the diverse forms of Puritan belief and practice in England, Scotland, and New England, Hall provides a multifaceted account of a cultural movement that judged the Protestant reforms of Elizabeth's reign to be unfinished--Provided by publisher. |
| a guide to the puritans: The Puritan Classics , 2020-10-06 |
| a guide to the puritans: Following God Fully Joel R. Beeke, Michael Reeves, 2022-02-16 Who are the Puritans? Why are they important for me today? If you have asked questions like these and still await adequate answers, this book is for you. Following God Fully provides a basic introduction to the Puritans that reveals a people intent on pursuing God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Joel R. Beeke and Michael Reeves introduce us to nine Puritan stalwarts that we all should be familiar with. Then they show us the practical contribution the Puritans made in discussing doctrines related to God, salvation, church, and daily life. Read this book and be moved to following God fully like the Puritans. |
| a guide to the puritans: A Puritan Theology - Study Guide Joel R. Beeke, Mark Jones, 2016-10-17 If you wish to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Savior, there is no group of writers that can assist you more than the Puritans. In the groundbreaking book A Puritan Theology: Doctrine for Life, Joel R. Beeke and Mark Jones offer in one large volume the first systematic theology of the Puritans ever written. Now, A Puritan Theology Study Guide, which has been requested by many, can assist you in mining the riches of this volume, enabling you to wed the doctrines and practice of the Christian more closely in your own life, so as to glorify the triune God and be more conformed to Christ in your daily walk with God. This study guide will more than repay its careful usage. |
| a guide to the puritans: The Puritans David Martyn Lloyd-Jones, 1987 This volume brings together, for the first time, the addresses given by Dr Lloyd-Jones at the Puritan Studies and Westminster Conferences between 1959 and 1978. |
| a guide to the puritans: The American Puritans Dustin W. Benge, Nate Pickowicz, 2020-05-20 In The American Puritans , Dustin Benge and Nate Pickowicz tell the story of the first hundred years of Reformed Protestantism in New England through the lives of nine key figures: William Bradford, John Winthrop, John Cotton, Thomas Hooker, Thomas Shepard, Anne Bradstreet, John Eliot, Samuel Willard, and Cotton Mather. Here is sympathetic yet informed history, a book that corrects many myths and half-truths told about the American Puritans while inspiring a current generation of Christians to let their light shine before men. Table of Contents: Introduction: Who Are the American Puritans? 1. William Bradford 2. John Winthrop 3. John Cotton 4. Thomas Hooker 5. Thomas Shepard 6. Anne Bradstreet 7. John Eliot 8. Samuel Willard 9. Cotton Mather |
| a guide to the puritans: The New Puritans Andrew Doyle, 2022-09-08 'A sober but devastating skewering of cancel culture and the moral certainties it shares with religious fundamentalism' Sunday Times Engaging, incisive and acute, The New Puritans is a deeply necessary exploration of our current cultural climate and an urgent appeal to return to a truly liberal society. The puritans of the seventeenth century sought to refashion society in accordance with their own beliefs, but they were deep thinkers who were aware of their own fallibility. Today, in the grasp of the new puritans, we see a very different story. Leading a cultural revolution driven by identity politics and so-called 'social justice', the new puritanism movement is best understood as a religion - one that makes grand claims to moral purity and tolerates no dissent. Its disciples even have their own language, rituals and a determination to root out sinners through what has become known as 'cancel culture'. In The New Puritans, Andrew Doyle powerfully examines the underlying belief-systems of this ideology, and how it has risen so rapidly to dominate all major political, cultural and corporate institutions. He reasons that, to move forward, we need to understand where these new puritans came from and what they hope to achieve. Written in the spirit of optimism and understanding, Doyle offers an eloquent and powerful case for the reinstatement of liberal values and explains why it's important we act now. |
| a guide to the puritans: Ore from the Puritans' Mine Dale Smith, 2020-11-20 Ore from the Puritans’ Mine is the go-to collection of quotes from the English Puritans. |
| a guide to the puritans: The English Reformation and the Puritans Ligonier Ministries, 2017-05-16 Study guide for The English Reformation and the Puritans includes lesson objectives, message outline, study questions, and discussion questions. Suitable for individual or group study. |
| a guide to the puritans: Hot Protestants Michael P. Winship, 2019-02-26 On fire for God--a sweeping history of puritanism in England and America Begun in the mid-sixteenth century by Protestant nonconformists keen to reform England's church and society while saving their own souls, the puritan movement was a major catalyst in the great cultural changes that transformed the early modern world. Providing a uniquely broad transatlantic perspective, this groundbreaking volume traces puritanism's tumultuous history from its initial attempts to reshape the Church of England to its establishment of godly republics in both England and America and its demise at the end of the seventeenth century. Shedding new light on puritans whose impact was far-reaching as well as on those who left only limited traces behind them, Michael Winship delineates puritanism's triumphs and tribulations and shows how the puritan project of creating reformed churches working closely with intolerant godly governments evolved and broke down over time in response to changing geographical, political, and religious exigencies. |
| a guide to the puritans: A Quest for Godliness James Innell Packer, 1994 Surveys the teachings and beliefs of the Puritans, and calls today's Christians to follow their example of spiritual maturity. |
| a guide to the puritans: Puritan Portraits J. I. Packer, 2012-09-20 A leading authorities on the Puritans Rich theology and deep spirituality |
| a guide to the puritans: The Puritans Captivating History, 2021-04-24 The Puritans were a direct result of the backlash created by England's pseudo-Reformation in the 1500s. |
| a guide to the puritans: Increase Mather, the Foremost American Puritan Kenneth Ballard Murdock, 1925 |
| a guide to the puritans: American Covenant Philip Gorski, 2019-06-25 The long battle between exclusionary and inclusive versions of the American story Was America founded as a Christian nation or a secular democracy? Neither, argues Philip Gorski in American Covenant. What the founders envisioned was a prophetic republic that would weave together the ethical vision of the Hebrew prophets and the Western political heritage of civic republicanism. In this eye-opening book, Gorski shows why this civil religious tradition is now in peril—and with it the American experiment. American Covenant traces the history of prophetic republicanism from the Puritan era to today, providing insightful portraits of figures ranging from John Winthrop and W.E.B. Du Bois to Jerry Falwell, Ronald Reagan, and Barack Obama. Featuring a new preface by the author, this incisive book demonstrates how half a century of culture war has drowned out the quieter voices of the vital center, and demonstrates that if we are to rebuild that center, we must recover the civil religious tradition on which the republic was founded. |
| a guide to the puritans: Depression, Anxiety, and the Christian Life Michael S. Lundy, 2018-07-31 Practical wisdom for dealing with depression. Depression—whether circumstantial and fleeting or persistent and long term—impacts most people at some point in their lives. Puritan pastor Richard Baxter spent most of his ministry caring for depressed and discouraged souls, and his timeless counsel still speaks to us today. In this book, psychiatrist Michael S. Lundy and theologian J. I. Packer present Baxter's writings in order to comfort, instruct, and strengthen all who struggle with depression. |
| a guide to the puritans: Puritans Behaving Badly Monica D. Fitzgerald, 2020-05-21 Tracing the first three generations in Puritan New England, this book explores changes in language, gender expectations, and religious identities for men and women. The book argues that laypeople shaped gender conventions by challenging the ideas of ministers and rectifying more traditional ideas of masculinity and femininity. Although Puritan's emphasis on spiritual equality had the opportunity to radically alter gender roles, in daily practice laymen censured men and women differently – punishing men for public behavior that threatened the peace of their communities, and women for private sins that allegedly revealed their spiritual corruption. In order to retain their public masculine identity, men altered the original mission of Puritanism, infusing gender into the construction of religious ideas about public service, the creation of the individual, and the gendering of separate spheres. With these practices, Puritans transformed their 'errand into the wilderness' and the normative Puritan became female. |
| a guide to the puritans: PURITANS DAY BY DAY H. J. Horn, 2016-11-28 Here in The Puritans Day By Day, this unique selection from a wide range of reading, we have a noble army of memorable sayings. They have been drawn mainly out of the writings of the Puritans, men who excelled in their power of deep insight into both the word of God and the human heart, and who also had the rare gift of quaint and distinctive expression. The compiler of these 'pearls of wisdom' has traveled extensively through a wide range of devotional literature, and has provided us with a year's supply of wise sayings that are as fresh and new as they are piquant and tender. |
| a guide to the puritans: Prepared by Grace, for Grace Joel R. Beeke, Paul Smalley, 2013-05-23 Few teachings of the Puritans have provoked such strong reactions and conflicting interpretations as their views on preparing for saving faith. Many twentieth-century scholars dismissed preparation as a prime example of regression from the Reformed doctrine of grace for a man-centered legalism. In Prepared by Grace, for Grace , Joel Beeke and Paul Smalley make careful analysis of the Puritan understanding of preparatory grace, demonstrate its fundamental continuity with the Reformed tradition, and identify matters where even the Puritans disagreed among themselves. Clearing away the many misconceptions and associated accusations of preparationism, this study is sure to be the standard work on how the Puritans understood the ordinary way God leads sinners to Christ. Table of Contents: Introduction: The Question of Preparationism 1. Preparation and Modern Scholarship 2. Precedents to Puritan Preparation: Augustine to Calvin 3. Preparation and Early English Puritans: Perkins, Sibbes, and Preston 4. Preparation for Conversion: William Ames 5. Preparation in Early New England (I): Thomas Hooker 6. Preparation in Early New England (II): Shepard and Pemble 7. Preparation and the Antinomian Controversy: John Cotton 8. Preparation at the Pinnacle of Puritanism: Westminster, Burroughs, and Guthrie 9. Preparation under a Scholastic Lens: Norton 10. Preparation and Later Puritan Critiques: Goodwin and Firmin 11. Later Puritan Preparation: Flavel and Bunyan 12. Jonathan Edwards and Seeking God 13. Continental Reformed Perspectives: Zwingli to Witsius 14. The Grace of Preparation for Faith Appendix: William Ames's Theological Disputation on Preparation |
| a guide to the puritans: An Alarm to Unconverted Sinners Joseph Alleine, 1824 |
| a guide to the puritans: The Puritan Experiment Francis J. Bremer, 2013-01-08 The comprehensive history of a system of faith that shaped the nation. |
| a guide to the puritans: The bruised reed and smoking flax, 1630 Richard SIBBES, 1818 |
| a guide to the puritans: New English Canaan of Thomas Morton Thomas Morton, 1883 |
| a guide to the puritans: Knowing Sin Mark Jones, 2022-02-01 The first rule of combat is: know your enemy. We don’t talk a lot about sin these days. But maybe we should. The Puritans sure did—because they understood sin’s deceptive power and wanted to root it out of their lives. Shouldn’t we want the same? Though many books have been written on the “doctrine of sin,” few are as practical and applicable as this one. In Knowing Sin, Mark Jones puts his expertise in the Puritans to work by distilling the vast wisdom of our Christian forebears into a single volume that summarizes their thought on this vital subject. The result isn’t a theological tome to sit on your shelf and gather dust, but a surprisingly relevant book to keep by your bedside and refer to again and again. You’ll come to understand topics like: Sin’s Origin Sin’s Grief Sin’s Thoughts Sin’s Temptations Sin’s Misery Sin’s Secrecy and of course . . . Sin’s Defeat! None of us is free from the struggle with sin. The question isn’t whether we’re sinful, it’s what we’re doing about it. Thanks be to God, there is a path to overcoming sin. And the first step on that path to victory is knowing what we’re up against. Start Knowing Sin today! |
| a guide to the puritans: Theology in America E. Brooks Holifield, 2003-01-01 A magisterial work of American theological history--authoritative, insightful, and unparalleled in scope This book, the most comprehensive survey of early American Christian theology ever written, encompasses scores of American theological traditions, schools of thought, and thinkers. E. Brooks Holifield examines mainstream Protestant and Catholic traditions as well as those of more marginal groups. He looks closely at the intricacies of American theology from 1636 to 1865 and considers the social and institutional settings for religious thought during this period. The book explores a range of themes, including the strand of Christian thought that sought to demonstrate the reasonableness of Christianity, the place of American theology within the larger European setting, the social location of theology in early America, and the special importance of the Calvinist traditions in the development of American theology. Broad in scope and deep in its insights, this magisterial book acquaints us with the full chorus of voices that contributed to theological conversation in America's early years. |
| a guide to the puritans: Puritan Spirits in the Abolitionist Imagination Kenyon Gradert, 2020-04-10 The Puritans of popular memory are dour figures, characterized by humorless toil at best and witch trials at worst. “Puritan” is an insult reserved for prudes, prigs, or oppressors. Antebellum American abolitionists, however, would be shocked to hear this. They fervently embraced the idea that Puritans were in fact pioneers of revolutionary dissent and invoked their name and ideas as part of their antislavery crusade. Puritan Spirits in the Abolitionist Imagination reveals how the leaders of the nineteenth-century abolitionist movement—from landmark figures like Ralph Waldo Emerson to scores of lesser-known writers and orators—drew upon the Puritan tradition to shape their politics and personae. In a striking instance of selective memory, reimagined aspects of Puritan history proved to be potent catalysts for abolitionist minds. Black writers lauded slave rebels as new Puritan soldiers, female antislavery militias in Kansas were cast as modern Pilgrims, and a direct lineage of radical democracy was traced from these early New Englanders through the American and French Revolutions to the abolitionist movement, deemed a “Second Reformation” by some. Kenyon Gradert recovers a striking influence on abolitionism and recasts our understanding of puritanism, often seen as a strictly conservative ideology, averse to the worldly rebellion demanded by abolitionists. |
| a guide to the puritans: The Almost Christian Discovered: Or, The False Professor Tryed and Cast Matthew Mead, 1742 |
| a guide to the puritans: The Genius of Puritanism Peter Lewis, 1996 An introduction to the Puritans, their writings and pastoral work, dealing with the Puritans as counselors, pastors, theologians and in private. |
| a guide to the puritans: First Founders Francis J. Bremer, 2012 An introduction to the diverse lives of the Puritan founders by a leading expert |
| a guide to the puritans: SURE GUIDE TO HEAVEN, OR AN EARNEST INVITATION TO SINNERS TO TURN TO GOD, IN ORDER TO THEIR... ETERNAL SALVATION JOSEPH. ALLEINE, 2018 |
| a guide to the puritans: The Puritans D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, 2014-08-22 In these addresses given at the Puritan Studies and Westminster Conferences between 1959 and 1978, Dr. LLoyd-Jones ranges widely over the history of Reformed Christianity from the Reformation to the nineteenth century. Written in an absorbing and stimulating style, these studies continue to speak with great insight and relevance to the church of the twenty-first century. |
| a guide to the puritans: The Grace of Law Ernest F. Kevan, 1993-04 In this study, Ernest Kevan investigates the works of numerous seventeenth-century theologians to provide an overview of a Puritan understanding of the law in relationship to the life of the Christian. After describing the Puritans and the antinomian controversy that developed among them, Kevan demonstrates how the orthodox view among the Puritans regarded the moral law as an expression of God's majesty established as a guide for man's blessedness and a measure to expose sin. He then proceeds to show how the law relates to God's people after the fall in the context of the covenant of grace. Great care is used to explain the relation of Christ's work to the law, the ongoing moral obligation Christians have to the law, the idea of gospel obedience, and the Christian's freedom from the law's condemnation. Although the Puritans saw law and grace as opposing principles regarding one's justification, they did teach about how God ultimately uses the law in the life of the believer for His gracious purposes. |
| a guide to the puritans: Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices Thomas Brooks, 2022-08-26 First published in 1652, Thomas Brooks' Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices offers insights into the snares and schemes of the devil which are timely and relevant for today. Though centuries have passed since its writing, this timeless classic remains an amazing work of teaching on the thousands of ways Satan seeks to destroy every Christian and the thousands of ways God has provided every Christian to defeat Satan's nefarious schemes. In true Puritan style, this book is a serious tome in which the author minces no words and gets straight to the point. The good news is that, though Satan is vicious in his drive to destroy God's people, he can and must be withstood! As this book explain, God makes victory possible by strengthening His people to overcome the Tempter. An earnest, passionate, and deadly serious author, Brooks spared no effort or source to persuade and plead with his readers. His method is to lead off with one of Satan's devices (some lie that Satan seeks to impress upon us) and then show the reader various ways to combat that particular device (the remedies). Like other Puritan books of his day, Brook's writing is solidly Biblical. Almost every remedy Brooks offers reminds the reader of some Biblical truth-urging them to think on it, consider, ponder and soak it in. Instead of some magic mantra or special prayer tactic, Brooks simply shines the light of Scriptures on the problems each Christian will face. Brooks was fond of quoting wise heathens (such as Zeno and Seneca) in his writing. His willingness to draw from non-Biblical sources is a good example of just how broadminded the Puritans really were, even as they walked the straight and narrow. The free use of Biblical truth from the lips of pagan authors shows a breadth of thinking and outlook often unattributed to Christian authors of such unbending theology and purpose. |
| a guide to the puritans: English Puritanism, 1603-1689 John Spurr, 1998-10-15 The Puritans of seventeenth-century England have been blamed for everything from the English civil war to the rise of capitalism. But who were the Puritans of Stuart England? How did their neighbors identify them, and how did they recognize one another? Were they apostles of liberty who fled from persecution to the New World? Or were they intolerant fanatics, intent on bringing godliness to Stuart England? This study provides a clear narrative of the rise and fall of the Puritans across the troubled seventeenth century. Their story is placed in context by analytical chapters which describe what the Puritans believed and how they organized their religious and social life. Quoting many contemporary sources, including diaries, plays, and sermons, this is a vivid and comprehensible account, drawing on the most recent scholarship. |
| a guide to the puritans: The Puritan Hope: Revival and the Interpretation of Prophecy Iain H. Murray, 2014-10-01 |
| a guide to the puritans: The Puritan Path: Photographs of Puritan Sites Joel R. Beeke, Stephen McCaskell, 2020-12-20 |
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TV Guide, TV Listings, Online Videos, Entertainment News and …
Get today's TV listings and channel information for your favorite shows, movies, and programs. Select your provider and find out what to watch tonight with TV Guide.
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The Ultimate Guide to What to Watch on Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Max, and More in April 2025
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Apr 3, 2025 · The ultimate guide to what to watch in March; TV show renewals. Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, Disney Channel: The continuation of Wizards of Waverly Place has pulled a …
