Puritans were Calvinist in their theology and worldview. This colored everything that they did. Calvinism can be understood through five points.
1. Total depravity - all people are born sinful.
2. Unconditional election - since people are sinful, only God can save them and he does so freely on account of his grace.
3. Limited atonement - this idea basically states the God died for his people.
4. Irresistable grace - when people realize what God has done, they will follow him.
5. Perseverance of the saints - through hard work, the people of God will make it to the end.
This theological mix, created a culture of hard work, and there was an emphasis on morality. The government was democratic in terms of state, but in the church is was mostly congregationalist.
No comments:
Post a Comment