Download Puritanism_to_the_Enlightenment_lecture_notes

Puritanism
to the
Enlightenment
1640 - 1780
Questions we’ll answer…
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What factors contributed to the outbreak
of the English Civil War?
What were the features of Puritanism?
What were the goals of the English
Enlightenment?
Historical, Social, & Cultural Forces

Divine Right of Kings

King James I believed that his power was given
directly from God
 He wanted his subjects to follow the practices of the
Church of England
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Puritans couldn’t gather for religious meetings
Catholics couldn’t practice Mass
What might be the problem with this?
 People left England
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Catholics went to European countries
Puritans ended up in North America **Plymouth
Colony, 1620
Historical, Social, & Cultural Forces

Growing Conflict

In 1625, King Charles I came to power and followed his
father’s example.
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In 1629, King Charles dissolved Parliament

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He didn’t call it back into session for ELEVEN years.
Realizing his mistake, he called Parliament back into
session in 1640
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He ignored Parliament’s opinions and forced Anglican rituals
on Puritans and others.
Compromise was out of question
Parliament called for a new Constitution demanding control of
ALL Church, Military, and Judicial matters
King Charles left London for York and the battle lines were
drawn in August ,1642

King Charles vs. Oliver Cromwell
The Civil War
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Fought between
Royalists or Cavaliers
and the Puritan
Roundheads
(Parliamentarians)
Oliver Cromwell’s New
Model Army dominated
and King Charles
surrendered to the
Scots in April, 1646

The Scots gave him to
Parliament for a large
ransom
Parliamentary Power

Charles I was publically beheaded


Parliament abolished the monarchy soon after
Oliver Cromwell named LORD PROTECTOR
of England


1646 - 1658
He imposed strict Puritanical rules on public
behavior and religious worship

No more Fun in England, not even Christmas was
celebrated
The Restoration

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1660 – Parliament invited Charles II (King
Charles I’s son) back to England to take the
Throne
Theaters reopened, festivals were
celebrated, culture and ideas flooded
England from Europe

Intellectual life began to flourish once again,
leading to “The Enlightenment”
The Enlightenment

A European Philosophical and Literary
Movement

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
Began in the late 1600s
The Enlightenment is often called the “AGE OF
REASON”
Characterized by a profound faith in the power of
Human reason and a devotion to clarity of
thought.

Reason became the SUPREME Authority
Neoclassicism

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A “NEW” appreciation for “CLASSIC” works
A related “Literary” movement
Characterized by Poetry, Prose, and Criticism
A conviction that the classical authors
(Greek/Roman authors) perfected the rules
that writing should follow.
Puritanism & the Civil War
The Restoration
English Enlightenment &
Neoclassicism
Puritanism & the Civil War

Puritanism was a radical form of
Protestantism

Acknowledged the “Pure” word of God as
revealed in the Bible

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Central goal was to purify the Church of
England by removing doctrines and rites
retained from Catholicism
Ultimate Authority was from God, not
the King
Puritanism & the Civil War
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Conflict

Who has Authority?

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God or King?
Civil War

Puritans led by Oliver Cromwell
 3.5 years of fighting, ended in January, 1649
 Resulted in King Charles I losing his head

Parliament, controlled by Puritans and Cromwell,
“cleaned house” from 1649 – 1658
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Catholicism was not accepted or tolerated
Little pleasure or entertainment allowed
Economy Prospered
Cromwell died in 1658, Military ruled until 1660
Charles II, heir to the throne, restored in May, 1660.
The Restoration
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“The Good Times”

Charles II, known as the “Merry Monarch”,
enjoyed pleasures of all kinds
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Belief in “Carpe Diem” throughout England
A defiance against the Puritan Rule
 Women allowed to act in new theaters
 Holidays celebrated again
 Those who spoke out against new behavior could be
jailed

Great Fire of London & The Plague
 Punishment from God?
 Plague in 1665 –Great Fire of London, 4 days in 1666
 City rebuilt in fire-resistant Stone by Sir
Christopher Wren
English Enlightenment & Neoclassicism
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Deism
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God manifests himself through the grandeur of
his creation
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Scientific Revolution
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Royal Society of London
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One can know God through the use of reason and
observation to study the laws of the physical universe
Natural philosophers & scientists
Followed Bacon’s inductive approach to knowledge
The Rule of Reason
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“Nature is the sole authority” – Royal Society
of London
Shared learning
Philosophical Transactions

Plain style of writing – great influence of Scientific
writing still today
English Enlightenment & Neoclassicism
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The Rule of the Ancients
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Nature is orderly and rational
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Poetry was governed by natural, not manmade laws.
Purpose of Art is to imitate Nature
Neoclassical writers turned to classical Greek
and Roman texts

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Underlying patterns are harmonious and beautiful
Belief that these texts explain the natural laws that
govern
Belief that Satire, which points out our faults
and flaws, could cause people to live a more
balanced, moderate, and harmonious life