Reflections on God … Man … Life
Thoughts on history and the historical profession. Clio is the muse of history–this category title is a play on that concept.
As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, the second treat of this past week was the opportunity to trek up to the Reagan Ranch. And I do mean “up.” I’m not one for heights, especially when there is a massive dropoff on the edge of a narrow road that twists and turns constantly. But if you survive that harrowing experience, you eventually make it to the top and see this: Doesn’t look like a mansion fit for a president, does it?… Read more »
I’ve been in California this past week, researching at both the Reagan and Nixon libraries as part of one of the projects I’m working on during my sabbatical. I’ve promised to provide updates along the way for those of you who are interested, so here’s another one. The Reagan Library, in particular, is impressive, not only because it’s located on the top of a high hill from where you can see for miles, but also for its beautiful architecture. As… Read more »
Any endeavor for God can start out with the best of motives and still go wrong eventually. I have a prime example from Puritan history. If you’ve been following my posts on the unfolding of American history, you may remember that when the Puritans migrated and set up Massachusetts, they had a rule that only church members could vote. It seemed reasonable at the time, especially since they wanted to maintain the Christian commitment that inspired their journey. Three decades… Read more »
My last few posts about the early Puritans have contained controversy, as they attempted to deal with disagreement in the Massachusetts colony. They had to decide what to do with people like Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson, and the Quakers who showed up later. Some of their decisions may have been just, while others (such as hanging Quakers) clearly were not. Let’s leave most of that controversy behind today and examine the Puritan desire to educate their communities. In a document… Read more »
The Puritans of Massachusetts Bay had their own reasons for setting up their colony. They sought as much uniformity of thought as possible, which is good in itself, but which also led to confrontations with those who disagreed with the leadership. When Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson went astray from the original vision, and their beliefs threatened the existence of the colony, they were banished. As I mentioned in previous posts, that punishment wasn’t all that severe; they simply wanted… Read more »
Last week, I looked at the Roger Williams episode in early Puritan history and came to the conclusion that the Puritan establishment had good reasons to worry about his influence, given their desire not to have their charter taken away. Today, let’s move on to the second major controversy to arise in Massachusetts in the 1630s. It had to do with a movement that historians call “antinomianism.” That’s just a fancy name for people who believe there is no law…. Read more »
Thus far, in my examination of the Puritans’ role in American history, I’ve emphasized their original intent—to be a City on a Hill, an example of a Christian community—and their contributions to American government—the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut and the Massachusetts Body of Liberties. Those are all positive elements of the Puritan heritage. I want to delve now into some of the controversies of the era. It’s one thing to have a beautiful dream of unity, but reality always intrudes…. Read more »