Puritan
The political thought and views of CHURCH AND STATEof
the Puritans: English Calvinist CHRISTIANS especially
prominent in the 1600s in England and America. Their
identity as “Puritans” came from their Protestant urge
to purify the corrupt Anglican and CATHOLICchurches
and return to the simple, devout faith of the early
Christian church. In theology, this meant a rejection of
elaborate rituals and traditions and of highly intellec-
tual doctrine (as in St. Thomas AQUINAS), and a
reliance on DEMOCRATICchurch governance and teach-
ing from the Bible.
Politically, the Puritans adopted a COVENANTview of
government, seeing humanity’s relationship to God,
the Christians’ relationship to the church, and the citi-
zens’ relationship to the STATEin terms of covenant
commitments and mutual promises. The New England
MAYFLOWER COMPACTis an example of this political the-
ory. In both Puritan England (under Oliver CROMWELL)
and Puritan America (under John WINTHROP), this
covenant view of politics meant that the individual
Christian and the “Christian commonwealth” received
great blessings (of LIBERTYand prosperity) from God
and were responsible to God to use those blessings for
God’s glory by following his COMMANDMENTSand living
godly lives.
Both church governance (in PRESBYTERIAN, Congre-
gationalist, and BAPTIST churches) and state rule
(Boston, London, New Haven) were operated on a
REPUBLICANmodel with EQUALITYamong believers and
representative, democratic institutions. An example of
this Christian republic was the Massachusetts govern-
ment that rested on cooperation of “godly ministers”
and “godly magistrates.” An effect of this ideology is
seen in Winthrop’s view of liberty and AUTHORITY.He
divides liberty into (1) natural liberty (of self-interest
of sinful human nature) and (2) moral liberty (to do
good by those regenerated by Christ in whom the Holy
Spirit acts). The state is to support only moral liberty,
and its authority comes from God. CITIZENSmay elect
their rulers, but the magistrates then rule in the name
of God and are accountable to Christ for their actions.
Natural human liberty leads to selfishness and crime
and should be suppressed by the state; the sinful
human nature resists all authority; only the “new man
in Christ” acknowledges the need for moral and politi-
cal authority.
The Puritan ideals continue in U.S. EVANGELICAL
Christianity, most notably in the CHRISTIANchurches’
public opposition to legalized “sin” (ABORTION, pornog-
raphy, HOMOSEXUALITY, gambling) and support of reli-
gious education, reverence, and prayer in school. As
part of the United States’s CIVIL RELIGION(as in Ben-
jamin FRANKLIN), Puritanism emphasizes America’s
unique place in the world (a “City on a Hill”) and its
divine mission to preserve human liberty and dignity
and to spread God’s truth. Emphasizing the work
ethic, honesty, sobriety, and reverence for the Lord,
this Puritan ethic is still expressed by U.S. political
leaders and movements (such as the CHRISTIAN RIGHT
and the REPUBLICAN PARTY).248 Puritan