What Was the Influence of the Puritan Movement on Family Life, Church, and Politics?

Puritanism was a reform movement that was championed by the crusaders of purity of the England church from the Roman Catholic influence. The movement was predominant in the 16th and the 17th century. As such, it was they claimed the England Church had retained some of the influences such as popery among others which were presumably unfit for their practice. Tentatively, in the 17th century, Puritans were acknowledged for their moral and spiritual uprightness that defined their entire lives. In this regard, they pursued a channel through the church to offer their reforms to impart their lifestyle to be the way of life for the entire nation. In their attempt to restore the England church from Roman Catholic implications, the Puritan movement is responsible for imperative development and sustainability of churches and politics through the shaping of peoples attitude and way of life.

Firstly, the influence of Puritan movement on the family was evident in the way people lived their lives. Right before the major changes in peoples lives, there was civil strife that was instigated by the struggle to control the resources. Take, for instance; the Puritans declared war on the Pequot tribe that was responsible for the death of Americans (Early Settlers the Era of Colonization.). In this regard, there was a fight over land.

The Puritans acknowledged the life of man and its nature, that it is the way of sin and that human kind always falls short in glory. As such, they had their way of life in an intensive manner to avert the evil nature of others. In light of this, this way of life led them to thoroughly examine their hearts so that they could lead by example through avoiding sinful acts and living simple lives. In the long run, their lives were simple, and they could also influence the congregations to be pure easily as compared to the Church of England.

The Puritan movement also influenced the church. Many of them presumed that the Church of England was beyond reform. They focused on the teaching of the Bible as it was the only true law of God. The movement strengthened the unity of the churches. They held their church in high regards and in so doing those who opposed theological views were extradited from the community. Each church was to be responsible to Gods teachings just like the way it was for each. The church learned to interpret the Bible strictly. Correspondingly, they emphasized the way of converting an individual rather than limiting one from the church. The movement influenced the church to help one reject sinful acts and stern adherence to the teachings of the Bible.

The puritan movement also was manifest in politics. In England, they intended to influence and reform lives but extensively establish the fundamental concern over the improvements of religious and secular politics. It was evident how the theological aspect was manifested in the political power. Through this movements, church leaders doubled as the political leaders. As such, violation of church guidelines was considered to be an infraction of social norms. This movement was a monumental stepping stone in the fight for liberty in the American Revolutionary Era. Theology played a dominant role in the shaped the structures of legal institutions. (Shipps 71) Their efforts have been evident in the contemporary world as well as just after the 17th century. The ethics and attitudes have influenced American society through economic empowerment and self-reliant.

Summarily, the Puritan movement was quite a fundamental institution that shaped the way of life, influenced churches as well as political aspect. However, it led to the loss of lives when it was opposed and also through the contest for resources. In the contemporary world, the Americans values still conform to some of the values propelled by the Puritans in as much as the dominance of Puritanism is long gone.

Works Cited

Shipps, Kenneth. "The Political Puritan." Church History, vol. 45, no. 02, 2000, p. 196. Cambridge University Press (CUP), doi:10.2307/3163717.

Early Settlers the Era of Colonization. YouTube, uploaded by Angie Robey-Stream, 10March 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-2d0_Rd1b4.