Puritans, Revolutionaries, &

Transcendentalists

Theists – A person who believes in an all powerful God as a creator and ruler

Deists – A person who believes in a God, based on reason, who created the universe, but has assumed no control over life, exerted no influence on nature, and given no supernatural revelation

Pantheists – A person who believes in the worship of all gods, identifies gods with nature

Came to America to escape persecutiono However, believed that their way of life was

absolutely righto This lead to persecution of otherso No person could remain in the community without

being a member in good standing of the Church Doctrine of the Elect

o Only God could grant the gift of Salvationo If not chosen, could not enter Heaveno Arbitrary – no amount of good work, righteous living

or moral behavior could help anyone become Elect

Theocracyo Government totally controlled by the Churcho A person must be a member of the Church to voteo Without Church membership, loss of property was possible

Basic Beliefso As sinners, all must be punished – All humans are inherently

evilo God decided the fate of all people before they were born –

Nothing they did could change destinyo Each person, regardless of fate, was responsible for own

behavioro All Puritans had to carefully watch their own behavior & that of

their neighborso God required everyone to be busy & work hardo Bible is the supreme authority on earth

View of God: God is omnipotent and wrathful (Theists)

View of Man: Man is basically Evil without Godo Work and Worldly success are the paths to God’s grace

View of Society: Emphasis on success of society and authority

View of Truth: Faith and religion Values: morality, religion, Bible, & God MISC:

o Education was religiouso Pessimistic view of life

Believed in God -- Did not believe God controlled lifeo God is benevolento God judges, but doesn’t control

Reason and logic was an integral part of life

Optimistic about life – saw the goodness in man

Individual rights and liberty were supreme Success can be achieved through work

View of God: Believed in a higher power who was benevolent (Deists)

View of Man: Man is perfectible and basically goodo All men can achieve success through work

View of Society: Emphasis on the individual View of Truth: Science and reason Values: usefulness, success, reason MISC:

o God judges but doesn’t controlo Importance of libertyo Education is practical and vocationalo Optimistic view of life

“To go beyond” To go above reason and beyond the material world Ralph Waldo Emerson lionized as the great thinker of

the time Emerson’s optimism was tailored to the era Social Reform Movement

o Anti-Slaveryo For Women’s Rightso Use intelligence to rescue mankind from poverty, ignorance,

and social injusticeo When inconsistencies were pointed out, Emerson accused

critics of not being morally capable of understanding

Generation of well educated that struggled to define spirituality and religion

Individuals had it within themselves to be perfect – the capacity to be happy

Self-reliance and self-discipline Pantheism- belief that nature is divinity – nature over

civilization Based on feelings rather than reason, Personality over

laws Universe ruled by all-pervasive intelligence known as

the Over-Soulo As an intelligent being man was divine – salvation from withino Man in the process of realizing own divinityo God gave humankind the gifts of intuition, insight, & inspiration

– Why waste such a gift?

View of God: Believed in many gods (Pantheists) View of Man: Man is divine and shares divinity with

all lifeo Success is measured by man’s correct relationship to his

work View of Society: Emphasis on the individual as

superior to society View of Truth: Intuition and instinct Values: Nature and instinct MISC:

o Self Knowledge was importanto Education aimed at self-knowledgeo Idealistic view of life