Puritanism: A Very Short Introduction

by Francis J. Bremer

Overview

Written by a leading expert on the Puritans, this brief, informative volume offers a wealth of background on this key religious movement. This book traces the shaping, triumph, and decline of the Puritan world, while also examining the role of religion in the shaping of American society and the role of the Puritan legacy in American history. Francis J. Bremer discusses the rise of Puritanism in the English Reformation, the struggle of the reformers to purge what they viewed as the corruptions of Roman Catholicism from the Elizabethan church, and the struggle with the Stuart monarchs that led to a brief Puritan triumph under Oliver Cromwell. It also examines the effort of Puritans who left England to establish a godly kingdom in America. Bremer examines puritan theology, views on family and community, their beliefs about the proper relationship between religion and public life, the limits of toleration, the balance between individual rights and one's obligation to others, and the extent to which public character should be shaped by private religious belief.

About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195334555
Publisher:	Oxford University Press, USA
Publication date:	08/04/2009
Series:	Very Short Introductions Series
Pages:	136
Product dimensions:	4.40(w) x 6.80(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Francis J. Bremer is Professor of History at Millersville University of Pennsylvania. A leading authority on Puritanism, he is the author of the award-winning biography John Winthrop: America's Forgotten Founding Father.

Editorial Reviews

"A delightfully rich little volume...An engaging read, enlivened with primary quotes and illustrations, this overview of Puritan political history, beliefs, practices, and interpretation demonstrates the flexibility rather than the rigidness of this fascinating religious culture...Bremer's Short Introduction provides an elegant and accessible gateway into this world." —Christian History & Biography

From the Publisher