An Introduction to Puritanism

Puritanism was a religious  reformation movement  that began in England in the late 1500s. Its initial goal was removing any remaining links to Catholicism within the  Church of England after its separation from the Catholic Church. To do this, Puritans sought to change the structure and ceremonies of the church. They also wanted broader lifestyle changes in England to align with their strong moral beliefs. Some Puritans emigrated to the New World and established colonies built around churches that fit those beliefs.  Puritanism had a broad impact on England’s religious laws and the founding and development of the colonies in America. Beliefs Some Puritans believed in total separation from the Anglican Church, while others simply sought reform and wished to remain a part of the church. The belief that the church should not have any rituals or ceremonies not found in the Bible united the two factions. They believed that the government should enforce morals and punish behavior such as drunkenness and swearing. However, Puritans did believe in religious freedom and generally respected the differences in belief systems of those outside the Church of England.   Some of the major disputes between the Puritans and the Anglican Church regarded the beliefs that priests should not wear vestments (clerical clothing), that ministers should actively spread the word of God, and that the church hierarchy (of bishops, archbishops, etc.) should be replaced with a committee of elders.   Regarding their relationships with God, Puritans believed that salvation was entirely up to God and that God had chosen only a select few to be saved, yet no one could know if they were among this group. They also believed that each person should have a personal covenant with God. The Puritans were influenced by  Calvinism and adopted its beliefs in predestination and the sinful nature of man. Puritans believed that all people must live by the Bible and should have a deep familiarity with the text. To achieve this, Puritans placed a strong emphasis on literacy and education.   Puritans in England Puritanism first emerged in the 16th and 17th centuries in England as a movement to remove all vestiges of Catholicism from the Anglican Church. The Anglican Church first separated from Catholicism in 1534, but when Queen Mary took the throne in 1553, she reverted it to Catholicism. Under Mary, many Puritans faced exile. This threat and the increasing prevalence of Calvinism—which provided support for their viewpoint—further strengthened Puritan beliefs. In 1558, Queen Elizabeth took the throne and reestablished the separation from Catholicism, but not thoroughly enough for the Puritans. The group rebelled and, as a result, were prosecuted for refusing to abide by laws that required specific religious practices. This factor contributed to the eruption of the English civil war between the Parliamentarians and the Royalists, who fought in part over religious freedom in 1642.   Puritans in America   In 1608, some Puritans moved from England to Holland. In 1620, they boarded the Mayflower to Massachusetts, where they established Plymouth Colony. In 1628, another group of Puritans founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Puritans eventually spread throughout New England, establishing new self-governing churches. To become a full member of the church, seekers had to testify of their personal relationship with God. Only those who could demonstrate a godly lifestyle were permitted to join.   The witch trials of the late 1600s in places like Salem were run by the Puritans religious and moral beliefs. But as the 17th century wore on, the cultural strength of the Puritans gradually waned. As the first generation of immigrants died out, their children and grandchildren became less connected with the church. By 1689, the majority of New Englanders thought of themselves as Protestants rather than Puritans, though many of them were just as sharply opposed to Catholicism. As the religious movement in America eventually fractured into many groups (such as Quakers, Baptists, Methodists, and more), Puritanism became more of an underlying philosophy than a religion. It evolved into a way of life focused on self-reliance, moral sturdiness, tenacity, political isolationism, and austere living. These beliefs gradually evolved into a secular lifestyle that was (and sometimes is) thought of as a distinctly New England mentality.

Henriette Delille New Orleans Religious Order Founder

Known for:  founding an African American religious order in New Orleans; the order provided education for free and enslaved black people, contrary to Louisiana law Dates:  1812 - 1862 About Henriette Delille: Henriette Delille was born in New Orleans between 1810 and 1813, most sources agree on 1812. Her father was a white man and her mother a free person of color, of mixed race. Both were Roman Catholics. Her parents could not be married under Louisiana law, but the arrangement was common in Creole society.   Her great great grandmother was among slaves brought from Africa, and she became free when her owner died.   She was able to earn enough to free her daughter and two grandchildren by payment for their freedom. Henriette Delille was influenced by Sister Marthe Fontier, who opened a school in New Orleans for girls of color. Henriette Delille herself refused to follow the practice of her mother and two siblings and identify as white. Another sister was in a relationship much like their mother had been, living with but not able to marry a white man, and having his children.   Henriette Delille also defied her mother to work with slaves, nonwhites, and whites among the poor of New Orleans. Henriette Delille worked within church institutions, but when she tried to become a postulant, she was refused by both Ursuline and Carmelite orders because of her color. If shed passed for white, she most likely would have been admitted. With a friend Juliette Gaudin, also a free person of color, Henriette Delille established a home for the elderly and bought a house to teach religion, both serving nonwhites. In teaching nonwhites, she defied the law against educating nonwhites. With Juliette Gaudin and another free person of color, Josephine Charles, Henriette Delille gathered interested women together, and they founded a sisterhood, Sisters of the Holy Family. They provided nursing care and a home for orphans. They took vows before Pere Rousselon, a white French immigrant, in 1842, and adopted a plain religious habit and a rule (regulations for living) written primarily by Delille. The sisters were noted for their nursing care during two yellow fever epidemics in New Orleans, in 1853 and 1897. Henriette Delille lived until 1862.    Her will gave freedom to a woman named Betsy who had been a slave owned by Delille until her death. After her death, the order grew from the 12 members it included at the end of her lifetime to a peak of 400 in the 1950s. As with many Roman Catholic orders, the number of sisters dwindled after that and the average age increased significantly, as fewer young women entered. Canonization Process In the 1960s, the Sisters of the Holy Family began exploring canonization  of Henriette Delille. They formally opened their cause with the Vatican in 1988, at which time Pope John Paul II recognized her as Servant of God, a first phase that can culminate in sainthood (the subsequent steps are venerable, blessed, then saint).   Reports of favors and possible miracles were reported, and investigations on a possible miracle were wrapped up in 2005. In 2006, after the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints at the Vatican received the documentation, they declared a miracle. The second of the four phases towards sainthood has been completed, with a declaration of Henriette Delille as venerable in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI.   Beatification would follow once the proper Vatican authorities determine that a second miracle can be attributed to her intercession. Popular Culture In 2001, Lifetime cable premiered a movie about Henriette Delille, The Courage to Love. The project was promoted by and starred Vanessa Williams.   In 2004, a biography by Rev. Cyprian Davis was published.

Challenge in My Life How I Dealt with It Free Essays

I Just decided to take some medicine and went to bed. The pains still continue to happen the next day. So I went to the emergency room. We will write a custom essay sample on Challenge in My Life: How I Dealt with It or any similar topic only for you Order Now I told the doctor my situation. I had taken some x-rays. About thirty minutes later the results were back. The doctor had discovered a large mass In my stomach and wasn’t for certain. So I was recommended to the Broody School of Medicine. That place Is thirty minutes from where I live. The doctors there looked at my x-rays and did some more tests on me. The BOB-GUN had found an ovarian tumor on my ovaries. Then I was explained to that I was going to have immediate surgery. I never had a surgery before I was scared for my life. The doctors also mention that my being overweight that puts a risk with the surgery. The first thing I thought with that being stated I knew I was going to die. As the days went by I had to go the doctor every two weeks. It was like if I was having a baby. Matter of fact I look like I was pregnant with twins. I guess that was nothing but all that the fluid from the tumor. I would cry everyday and I became depressed. I began to get weak each and everyday. So I had to get a blood transfusion. I remember staying In the hospital the entire weekend. I did not want to all because it was holiday. It was Labor Day weekend. I wanted to stay home and enjoy my family. Once I had received the blood in my body I felt much stronger. Then it was time for my surgery. I remember my surgery was September 7, 2005. I was nervous, shaky and scared. My family was by my side. I remember waking up the next day after surgery. When I woke up I thought it was still Wednesday the day I had surgery. Scary right! I had all types of tubes and things I was hooked up to. I was in the trauma center in the intensive care unit. I felt awesome. God is so good. There was no pain my body. Everyday I still think about what I went through with the sickness that was In my DOD. There was so much pressure and pain all on the Inside In my body. The only thing I can’t do now Is to have kids. That still bother me but I am learning to overcome. I want to adopt children very soon. My plan Is to begin the adoption process when I am 30 years old. Has changed my life dramatically. Because if I didn’t have faith in me and God on my side I might be lying in my grave or my body will still be with pain. Challenges happen for a reason. It can be for good or bad. People are put to a test to overcome challenges. Most of all we deal the challenges and overcome it with a success. How to cite Challenge in My Life: How I Dealt with It, Papers

Challenge in My Life How I Dealt with It Free Essays

I Just decided to take some medicine and went to bed. The pains still continue to happen the next day. So I went to the emergency room. We will write a custom essay sample on Challenge in My Life: How I Dealt with It or any similar topic only for you Order Now I told the doctor my situation. I had taken some x-rays. About thirty minutes later the results were back. The doctor had discovered a large mass In my stomach and wasn’t for certain. So I was recommended to the Broody School of Medicine. That place Is thirty minutes from where I live. The doctors there looked at my x-rays and did some more tests on me. The BOB-GUN had found an ovarian tumor on my ovaries. Then I was explained to that I was going to have immediate surgery. I never had a surgery before I was scared for my life. The doctors also mention that my being overweight that puts a risk with the surgery. The first thing I thought with that being stated I knew I was going to die. As the days went by I had to go the doctor every two weeks. It was like if I was having a baby. Matter of fact I look like I was pregnant with twins. I guess that was nothing but all that the fluid from the tumor. I would cry everyday and I became depressed. I began to get weak each and everyday. So I had to get a blood transfusion. I remember staying In the hospital the entire weekend. I did not want to all because it was holiday. It was Labor Day weekend. I wanted to stay home and enjoy my family. Once I had received the blood in my body I felt much stronger. Then it was time for my surgery. I remember my surgery was September 7, 2005. I was nervous, shaky and scared. My family was by my side. I remember waking up the next day after surgery. When I woke up I thought it was still Wednesday the day I had surgery. Scary right! I had all types of tubes and things I was hooked up to. I was in the trauma center in the intensive care unit. I felt awesome. God is so good. There was no pain my body. Everyday I still think about what I went through with the sickness that was In my DOD. There was so much pressure and pain all on the Inside In my body. The only thing I can’t do now Is to have kids. That still bother me but I am learning to overcome. I want to adopt children very soon. My plan Is to begin the adoption process when I am 30 years old. Has changed my life dramatically. Because if I didn’t have faith in me and God on my side I might be lying in my grave or my body will still be with pain. Challenges happen for a reason. It can be for good or bad. People are put to a test to overcome challenges. Most of all we deal the challenges and overcome it with a success. How to cite Challenge in My Life: How I Dealt with It, Papers

Harry Potter and the Sorcerers stone Essay Example For Students

Harry Potter and the Sorcerers stone Essay The purpose of reading, once you get the hang of it, is not merely to follow the action of a plot, but to learn about the characters, explore different ideas and enter other minds. (Besotted with Potter, pg. 1) For many parents, witchcraft is dangerous and demonic. There is Good and Evil in the world. Times are changing and some believe children are now more vulnerable to deception than children of earlier times. This is clearly due to different times and culture, such as social activities influencing outcomes of many issues. Secondly, different types of fantasy, computer games, television and the media, movies and Books are all the birth of different imagination. Depending on the source of the childs imagination, specific bias, morals and values are reflected upon the childs feelings and imagery. Thirdly, different kind of classroom and education system where multicultural education and the global community call for a common set of values disclosing traditional beliefs and narrow minded opinions. There is much good in childrens books, capturing a world where strength, courage, hope, wisdom, and love strongly exist. Children seek affirmation of the goodness of life through the books they read. Children are simply different in their exploration for they lack experience and they carry a high overwhelming self-interest. Their basic ability to logic assumes the child must ultimately rely on his own understanding of this world. Fear of failure in certain circumstances may arise and thus he makes the storys action crucially important. Fiction, particularly fantasy creates these circumstances for his consideration. In a society adults and children must work together for the safety and self-realization of all. No individual can find self-realization at a cost of others, or a hierarchical system for society will fail. This is where realistic fiction differs from fantasy fiction; realistic fiction promises child self-realization within boundaries; whereas fantasy creates limitless possibilities for adventure and creativity. Books have magic in them, whether its magic of Shakespeare and Coelho or Lewis Carroll and Harry Potter. Whether its the bible or the Quraan, one may find magic in his own way of life through fantasy or realism. Show preview only