Religion in Colonial America Essay -- Religion

Religion was the foundation of the early colonial American Puritan writings. Many of the early settlements were comprised of men and women who fled Europe in the face of persecution to come to a immature land and worship jibe to their own will. Their beliefs were stalwartly rooted in the fact that God should be relate with all facets of their lives and constantly worshiped. These Puritans writings focused on their religious foundations associate to their exodus from Europe and religions role in their life on the new continent. Their literature helped to proselytize the message of God and focused on problematic work and strict adherence to religious principles, thus avoiding eternal damnation. These briny themes are evident in the writings of Jonathan Edwards, Cotton Mathers, and John Winthrop. This composition will explore the writings of these three men and how their religious views wrought their literary works, styles, and their historical and political views. John Wi nthrop 1588-1649John Winthrop was a innovator for religious freedom in America. As 1 of the early settlers sail west on the Arbella, he composed a sermon called A Model for Christian Charity. Winthrops sermon is the framework for creating the spiritual colony that he envisioned and a way to unite the battalion attack to a new land. The people traveling west were not from one group but rather came from many groups and backgrounds. Winthrop knew that in order to gain in the wilderness these individuals would have to give up some of their individuation for the greater good of the colony. Winthrop felt that religion was the ultimate way to effect this and that Christ was the perfect model to follow. In one passage he says For patterns we have that first o... ...p. cccxi). London William Ball Paternoster-Row.Walker, R. (2001). Cotton Mather. Retrieved fromhttp//www2.iath.virginia.edu/salem/people/c_mather.htmlBaym, N. (2008). Cotton mather. In N. Baym (Ed.), The Norton An thology of American literature Volume 1 (p. 143). late York W.W. Norton & Company.Wise, P. M. (2005). Cotton matherss wonders of the invisible world An authoritative edition. (dissertation, Georgia State University)Retrieved fromhttp//digitalarchive.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi? condition=1004&context=english_dissMather, C. (2008). From the Wonders of the Invisible World. In N. Baym (Ed.), The Norton Anthology of American Literature Volume 1 (pp. 147). New York W.W. Norton & Company.Winthrop, J. (2008). A Model for Christian Charity. In N. Baym (Ed.), The Norton Anthology of American Literature Volume 1 (pp. 82). New York W.W. Norton & Company.