Who were the Puritans?

For some social behaviors fans (me), Puritanism was an interesting development, a proof that human sometimes wish to go backwards and not forward. Puritans do not only make an excellent example of human behavior and religious views, but also a factor that influenced the birth of United States and the change of England. Puritanism began on the 16th and 17th century, immediately after the middle ages.

They sought to "purification" of the Church of England was due. But not purification towards the old catholic church (which was no more, after the rise and reign of Henry VIII) but removing them from any power. They became known not because of a name, but because of what they believed. Puritans had a strict code of moral and religious earnestness that made up their whole life. They wanted England to fall inside this code, and their longings became civil war in England, leaving them with no choice but to leave to the New World and create colonies.

These colonies, of course, were to follow the Puritan code of life, and not being controlled (or, in any case, too much controlled) by the queen of England, Elizabeth. The primary belief of the Puritans was a intense relationship with God, in order to redeem the spirit of the sinful condition. In other words, they thought that they had sinned to much, for too long, and that the only way to gain God's pardon was to had a very intense relationship.

They also thought that in preaching, one could find God, and personal interpretation of the Bible was good. The Holy Spirit became the energizing instrument of salvation, and the descent to the people was the way in which they could reach it. They prayed and prayed for it to come. All this theories were mainly part of the Calvinist movement (theological movement).

This theological movement stood against the Anglican church and their rites, therefore producing tension between puritans and anglicans. They viewed the Anglican church as a place of idolatry. Therefore, they left to create the land chosen by God. In this land, they preached of images of the bible and personal, daily experience.

They were highly educated humans. They needed to learn to read and write in order to learn how to preach and read the scriptures. There were ministries where men learned about the scriptures and the basic theory of Puritans. This moral combination between Calvinism and the John Foxe's Book of Martyrs (a book which implied that England was the chosen nation by God to complete His Work), Puritanism was born.

Many Puritans, know like this because of their way of dressing (which was composed of black robes, because white was a sign of purity and it could not be reached), established in America, and became obsessed with the religion.

They thought for instance, that God disliked music, and distracted the men into sin. They thought that God was eternally mad at them, and that the Church was the meeting point of the colony. They also thought that no law should be passed over, and therefore, Saturdays were Shabbat, and no work was allowed (a tradition Jews keep modernly). They also thought that prayers should be performed three times in the day for one hour (that means 3 hours per day).

Preaching was usual.

Also, the role of women was really absurd. They were thought to be the bringer of the original sin, the temptation that became the necessity of men. Therefore, they were not allowed to help inside the church because they were dirty. They condemned idolatry and thought that God's wrath was the main principle which moved Him.

I consider this behavior nich one of the most interesting ones. In an era of liberties and progress, of the rebirth of Europe and the rule of women, these people searched for the complete opposite. This only shows that change does not come without resistance.