God in America - Puritans

Linda F.
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  1. Massachusetts Bay Colony
    one of the British colonies that formed the United States
    Arriving in New England, the Puritans established the Massachusetts Bay Colony in a town they named Boston.
  2. Puritan
    a member of a group of English Protestants who in the 16th and 17th centuries thought that the Protestant Reformation under Elizabeth was incomplete and advocated the simplification and regulation of forms of worship
    Like the Pilgrims, the Puritans were English Protestants who believed that the reforms of the Church of England did not go far enough.
  3. a cappella
    without musical accompaniment
    Puritans sang psalms a cappella.
  4. Massachusetts Bay
    an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean off of eastern Massachusetts extending from Cape Ann on the north to Cape Cod on the south
    Arriving in New England, the Puritans established the Massachusetts Bay Colony in a town they named Boston.
  5. Israelite
    a person belonging to the worldwide group claiming descent from Jacob (or converted to it) and connected by cultural or religious ties
    Like the ancient Israelites, they were liberated by God from oppression and bound to him by a covenant; like the Israelites, they were chosen by God to fulfill a special role in human history: to establish a new, pure Christian commonwealth.
  6. malaise
    a feeling of mild sickness or depression
    In 1679, a Puritan synod met to deliberate the causes of widespread spiritual malaise.
  7. liturgy
    a rite or body of rites prescribed for public worship
    In their view, the liturgy was still too Catholic.
  8. Pilgrim
    one of the colonists from England who sailed to America on the Mayflower and founded the colony of Plymouth in New England in 1620
    Like the Pilgrims, the Puritans were English Protestants who believed that the reforms of the Church of England did not go far enough.
  9. Exodus
    the second book of the Old Testament: tells of the departure of the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt led by Moses; God gave them the Ten Commandments and the rest of Mosaic law on Mount Sinai during the Exodus
    Seeking comfort and reassurance in the Bible, they imagined themselves re-enacting the story of the Exodus.
  10. Calvinist
    an adherent of the theological doctrines of John Calvin
    The Puritans were strict Calvinists, or followers of the reformer John Calvin.
  11. covenant
    an agreement between a god and the people
    Like the ancient Israelites, they were liberated by God from oppression and bound to him by a covenant; like the Israelites, they were chosen by God to fulfill a special role in human history: to establish a new, pure Christian commonwealth.
  12. Church of England
    the national church of England
    Like the Pilgrims, the Puritans were English Protestants who believed that the reforms of the Church of England did not go far enough.
  13. liberate
    grant freedom to; free from confinement
    Like the ancient Israelites, they were liberated by God from oppression and bound to him by a covenant; like the Israelites, they were chosen by God to fulfill a special role in human history: to establish a new, pure Christian commonwealth.
  14. flagship
    the ship that carries the commander of a fleet and flies his flag
    Onboard the flagship Arbella, their leader John Winthrop reminded them of their duties and obligations under the covenant.
  15. salvation
    rescuing or protecting someone or something from harm
    God had chosen a few people, "the elect," for salvation.
  16. undermine
    weaken or impair, especially gradually
    But he also recognized that if dissent were not kept within bounds, it would undermine the community.
  17. conversion
    the act of changing from one use or function to another
    The experience of conversion was considered an important sign that an individual had been saved.
  18. commonwealth
    a political system in which power lies in a body of citizens
    Like the ancient Israelites, they were liberated by God from oppression and bound to him by a covenant; like the Israelites, they were chosen by God to fulfill a special role in human history: to establish a new, pure Christian commonwealth.
  19. conformity
    correspondence in form, type, or appearance
    The integrity of the community demanded religious conformity.
  20. community
    a group of people living in a particular local area
    But it was not only individual salvation that mattered; the spiritual health and welfare of the community as a whole was paramount as well, for it was the community that honored and kept the covenant.
  21. sinner
    a person who sins (without repenting)
    Human beings were depraved sinners.
  22. spiritual
    lacking material body or form or substance
    But no one really knew if he or she was saved or damned; Puritans lived in a constant state of spiritual anxiety, searching for signs of God's favor or anger.
  23. corrupt
    dishonest or immoral or evasive
    Ecclesiastical courts were corrupt.
  24. colony
    a group of organisms of the same type living together
    The colony survived, but over time its religious fervor diminished.
  25. ecclesiastical
    of or associated with a church
    Ecclesiastical courts were corrupt.
  26. radical
    far beyond the norm
    Salvation did not depend on outward behavior, but on a radical undertaking that demanded each individual to plumb the very depths of his heart and soul.
  27. Protestant
    an adherent of Protestantism
    Like the Pilgrims, the Puritans were English Protestants who believed that the reforms of the Church of England did not go far enough.
  28. New England
    a region of northeastern United States comprising Maine and New Hampshire and Vermont and Massachusetts and Rhode Island and Connecticut
    Arriving in New England, the Puritans established the Massachusetts Bay Colony in a town they named Boston.
  29. Boston
    state capital and largest city of Massachusetts
    Arriving in New England, the Puritans established the Massachusetts Bay Colony in a town they named Boston.
  30. civil
    of or occurring between or among citizens of the state
    Because the king of England was head of both church and state, the Puritans' opposition to religious authority meant they also defied the civil authority of the state.
Created on Sat Aug 10 14:01:11 EDT 2013

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