The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum Puritans in their theology

I have some questions.

What was the precisely Puritan thology?

Were their different strands of it being practice?

How soon after coming to the new country, did some begin to tinker with the theology and how prevalent was it?

There is no one "Puritan theology", which is what it appears you are assuming. "Puritan" is a generic term that includes various groups from different denominations during different times. But I'm curious why you are asking this question? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/scratch1.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Can you give an example of someone/group that allegedly began "tinkering" with the theology; whatever that was? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/giggle.gif" alt="" />

In His Grace,

What is the correct definition or understanding of Puritan? I never really thought about it before, but
I guess I always understood it as an adherence to reformation theology by groups or individuals in ways that were displayed in both their writings and the way they lived their lives. In that way, Bunyan, Edwards, Spurgeon, and Lloyd-Jones could be called Puritans.

Is that close to the mark?

I'm treading in areas that I don't know much about, so disregard if I'm totally off base.

It appears as if their is a vocal minority in Reformed circles that alledges that the Reformed have lost it moorings from its heritage, and cites the need to go back to the Puritans and/or Calvin. I see this with the AA4 crowd and the Theonomists. They do not cite anyone from the 1700s through mid 1900s.

So, if this is true (which I doubt), then someone must have tinkered with the Puritan theology or their were different strands of Puritan thought as it applied to theology.

PURITAN, PURITANISM. The nickname Puritan was coined about 1564 to denote members of the Church of England who desired a more radical reformation of its worship and order than was prescribed by the Act of Uniformity (1559). These Puritans attacked allegedly superstitious ceremonies and diocesan organization, and campaigned for parity of ministers, parochial discipline, better preaching and more energetic recruitment for the ministry. Elizabethan Puritans were not separatists, nor were Elizabethan separatists called Puritans. In the seventeenth century, however, the name was used loosely and comprehensively for all, episcopalian, presbyterian or independent, who held a Calvinistic creed and practiced serious piety. Puritanism in this broader sense developed a rich, if austere, culture and a noble tradition of moral and pastoral theology, which inspired eighteenth-century Evangelicalism in both Britain and New England. Puritan theology was characteristically Reformed and of a federal cast (witness the Westminster Confession). Two distinctive features were its elaborate treatment of the work of the Holy Spirit and its conception of Sunday as the Christian Sabbath. Notable Puritan theologians were J. Owen, R. Baxter, T. Goodwin, J. Howe, R. Sibbes.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
M.M. Knappen, Tudor Puritanism; W. Hailer, The Rise of Puritanism; H. Martin, Puritanism and Richard Baxter. - JAMES I. PACKER

http://www.apuritansmind.com this should help.

blade