Puritan Young Men in 1650s

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Discussion
Conclusion
Work Cited

Introduction

Culture basically refers to people ways of life. Culture is made up of beliefs, values, attitudes, norms and cognitive mapping which guide people’s life. Various beliefs make up a belief system which forms the basis of religion in a society. Religion in general helps us understand phenomena’s and issues that are beyond our human comprehension. It gives us a path for communicating with the supernatural world. Religion is a critical part of the complex whole and it should be treated with utmost respect because if it fails, the society suffers a lot. Since culture is dynamic it is bound to change in order to enhance the survival of the society. Religion of the people has also to change in tandem with the changes that are taking place in the larger culture. These changes in New England around 1650 brought about a rise of Puritan culture which denotes a religious movement.

A Puritan is a member of a religious group who is advocating for purity in religious matter. In addition, Puritan is derived from the word ‘purity’ meaning that the aspect of pollution is categorically removed. Puritan calls for purity during worship as well as strict adherence to the doctrine. Thus this essay is going to look at young men daily activities in New England around 1650 which revolves around the religious teachings. Various religious teachings will also be highlighted in the discussion in order to bring out the bigger picture of the Puritan’s culture.

Discussion

As I have indicated earlier on Puritans are very religious and since they are Christian their life is dependent on the teachings contained in the bible. Thus it would be in place to point out that the basic premise of Puritanism is that God is supreme and is in control of all human affairs, especially in the church and this control and power is outlined in the bible. Therefore all members of the community must adhere to the teachings of God as they are depicted in the wholly book. (“Context”, 2008, para.9) confirms this by asserting that ‘knowledge of the scriptures and divinity, for the Puritans, was essential. This was a strong attitude that characterized the Puritans’ entry into New England from Europe.

The scriptures dictated Puritan cultural values and norms therefore defining the roles that men and women were supposed to carry out in the society. Since young men have not yet established their families they are supposed to adhere to their parents command. Thus they are mostly engaged in duties which are assigned to them by parents. Family commitment is very vital among the Puritan making it crucial for the parents as well as young men to work hard in the fields as well as in formal employment in order to raise enough resources which enhances the well being of the family at large.

On Sundays young men are expected to be in church worshiping as well as participating in other activities that are taking place in the church. This is in line with the biblical teaching on the Sabbath day. The bible teaches that the Sabbath day should be honored and respected and people should not work on this day. Instead people are expected to go to church where they are expected to be worshipping through prayers and praise songs. The Puritans also put a strong emphasis on the importance of personal study of the bible. Therefore while in the church the young men are expected to have private bible study sessions as well as group bible study in order to build their relationship with God.

One striking thing about the Puritans is that they do not observe the Sabbath day on Saturdays which was traditionally the Sabbath day according to the Jews culture. Instead they observe the Sabbath on Sunday like any other ordinary Christians. They believe that the Sabbath was changed to Sunday but they do not give us a conclusive reason which led to the change of the day. Moreover they do not entertain use of musical instruments inside their places of worship. This makes majority of the outsiders to regard them as very conservative and non conformist Christians. This could be an indicator of change that took place in the society.

In order for the religion to stand firmly on its root interpretation of the bible is important. The bible had to be translated into various languages such as Greek, English and Hebrew and other local languages. This work could not be handled by illiterate people making Puritans to invest a lot in education. Arguing a long the same line (“Context”, 2008, para8) asserts that ‘Puritans considered religion a very complex, subtle, and highly intellectual affair, and its leaders thus were highly trained scholars, whose education tended to translate into positions that were often authoritarian.’

The role of education in religion made it imperative for the young men to spend a lot of time in classrooms. I won’t be mistaken to claim that young men spent the better part of the day in learning institutions acquiring knowledge and skills which could improve their well being and that of the society at large. It is important to note that learning was both formal and informal because while back at home the young men could learn religious matters from their parents especially fathers. However, formal education was more valued. The society at large contributed towards education of the young men through giving donations to support young men in collages and university. “Context” (2008, para8) echoes my point by claiming that ‘while the Puritans emphasis on scholarship did foster such class distinction, it nevertheless encouraged education among the whole of its group, and in fact demanded a level of learning and understanding in terms of salvation.’

Thirst for education and enlightenment forced church leaders to establish schools which could serve the spiritual needs of the student. As the young men furthered their education they were supposed to uphold right and righteous ideas and express them to the masses. In 1667 for instance, Massachusetts Education Act was passed and it required that every town made up of a hundred family or more provide free common and grammar school instructions. In order to implement this act fully Free grammar school had been established in Boston in 1635 (“Context”, 2008, para8). Therefore young men ended up spending most of their time in school.

While at school and college young men engage themselves in various sporting activities. Sports are seen by Puritans as part of social life which keeps the young and energetic members of the society from engaging in adulterous activity. Morality is valued very much and people are only supposed to have sex only in a marital setting. This morality was shared by all other social groups in the society. Freeman (1975, p.164) echoes this argument when he points out that ‘the Puritan morals, so characteristic of middle class, found their way into the upper and lower social strata, and they influenced life in its many phases, recreation as well as work.’

This in turn made schools and college team sports to be very popular in New Zealand. This is due to the fact that they provided a good avenue for outlets to young men. Various competitions attracted large number of spectators and by the end of the day every one was tired and very exhausted to think of an affair. Self denial around this time was the order of the day and this had to be observed by every young man. Thus young men rarely spent time chasing girls in their neighborhood. It is important to note that women and girls/young women did not have a lot of duties in the church and this could also have a radiation effect in their school attendance. Since men were the religious leaders this could imply that women were not given equal opportunities as men to attend school although this assertion calls for more investigation.

Apart from exercising self denial young men were also expected to ‘exercise vigilant self discipline as competitors in the market place, (Cohen1991, p.248). This is not an easy task because the market place is well known for providing numerous temptations which can make a person self indulge. The resulting conflict between the Puritan teachings and the arousal was challenged through voluntary abstinence. Cohen (1991, p.249) takes the argument a notch higher by pointing out that ‘the resulting tension between romantic indulgence and sexual restraint created vast market for literary representations of criminal sexuality.’ The literary representation was a way of communicating to the young men that there are dire consequences to be faced if any one of them ate the forbidden fruit. These literal presentations give a room for examining how the Puritans culture expressed frustrations and ambivalence.

When the young men are not in school or are not working at home they are supposed to be preaching to the masses. This gives majority a room to move up and down in the neighborhood preaching. They preach as evangelist, brothers or deacons. They also assist the senior church leaders to organize church services and this is a very important assignment because it gives young men a chance to learn how to handle religious affairs. We have to keep in mind that they are being prepared to be the religious leaders in the future but they have to learn first. Therefore by sitting next to the leaders and leading various preaching missions young men acquire vital leadership skills.

In the evenings and after a hard day work young men could join up in groups in order to have fun together. Entertainment was in various forms which included dancing, drinking and story telling. Although Puritans’ were very religious, responsible drinking was not prohibited. It was acceptable as a way of relaxing. Morison (2008) arguing a long the same line asserts that ‘Puritans liked their liquor! Hard liquor was consumed by the men and “smaller beer” and “hard cinder” by a large portion of the populace, including young children.’ Beer also had medicinal value which was good for the young blood. The process of fermentation was strong enough to destroy the viruses and other impurities that were contained in the well water. Having said that, it is important to note that drunkenness was not tolerated at all. This can be attributed to the fact that the Puritans valued hard work as one of their virtues.

Conclusion

In conclusion the Puritans are a very religious society. They defected from the mainstream Anglican Church because they felt that the Christians doctrines were not being followed strictly. They believe in existence of one God who is in control of the whole world. God communicates with them through the bible and thus personal bible study sessions are a must among the Puritans. The young men have a lot to do from morning till evening when they retire to bed.

They have to assist their parents during the days in the field. Majority of them are expected to be in school during the day where they learn and acquire formal education which is believed to be of paramount importance in interpreting religious teachings. Establishment of schools and colleges and universities in this era (in 1600) made the Puritans to be among the most literate group in the country. Therefore they provided a good foundation of building America and modern world which is entirely dependent on the literacy of the masses.

Work Cited

Cohen, D. A., Pillars of Salt, monuments of Grace, Liverpool: Liverpool university press, 1991. pp 245-256
Context and Developments. Web.
Freeman, R. R: Repentance and revolt: A psychological approach to history. Fairleign Dickson university press, 1975.pp 160-165
Miller, P. and Johnson, T. H., The Puritans: A source of their writings, New York: courier Dover Publications, 2001
Morison, S. E., Those misunderstood Puritans, Web.
Morgan, E. S., The Puritan family: Religion & Domestic Relations in seventeenth-century, London: Greenwood Press
Schroeder, F. E. H., 5000 Years of Popular culture: Popular culture Before printing, New York: Popular Press, 1980

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Puritan Young Men in 1650s

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