Verified Document

Puritan Dilemma, As Edmund Morgan Term Paper

Another manifestation of the paradox is the confrontation with Anne Hutchinson. She promoted the ideals of Arminianism and Antinomianism. Arminianism was the specific paradigm that Winthrop was to deal with in this reagard. Arminianism entailed the belief that God could be influenced in order to secure salvation by preparing oneself for its receipt. Antinomianism is nearly the opposite of the above, entailing the belief that God's predetermined salvation grants permission to be however sinful one wishes. Goodness or sinfulness have no meaning in the yes of God. Thus the one philosophy holds that one group of persons should feel superior to another, while the latter is a form of nihilism. Both extremes however is not good for any society.

Finally, Winthrop's dilemma relates to the position of his established city towards to foreign states, perceived as more corrupt than the Puritan "City on the Hill" founded by Winthrop. Winthrop showed uncommon wisdom in his understanding that foreing policy had to incorporate at least some evils in terms of the corrupt world in order to suppress even worse ones. This understanding is closely related to Winthrop's understanding that the more extreme philosophies, such as separationism, could not function practically within the world. Thus Winthrop did not join the magistrates and deputies against all outlanders. He could thus not entirely support he separationism promoted by the more extreme forms of Puritanism promoted by...

The definition of democratic America for example is the core of American politics. Winthrop struggled to find a definition for his newly founded state, and how this should be governed. Separationism is also a prominent theme, as this is what led to the revolution and finally the war that was the separation of the United States from Great Britain. Finally this is the aspect that would lead to the Civil War.
Arminianism refers to the Elititism (or Arminianism) that is one of the core aspects of America's relations with and at times antagonism against immigrants. This is the aspect of the country's history that would lead to racism and the paradigm of the xenophobic anti-immigration.

The interesting thing about the Puritan dilemma is that it affecst all ages and walks of life, and that it is applicable to religious philosophy even today. Questions of how to live and work in society in order to carry out the ideals of religion has been one to plague people in every age. The main question is the one of what persons of principle owe to society. And this is what can be learned from Winthrop's life.

Winthrop's New England, despite the main dilemmas that went with it, was to be a testimony to the world of what a community was to be when both church and state followed the laws of God.

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Puritan Dilemma
Words: 1640 Length: 6 Document Type: Term Paper

Puritan Dilemma Morgan, Edmund S. The Puritan Dilemma: The Story of John Winthrop. USA: Pearson Education, 1999. H]e which would have suer peace and joye in Christianitye, must not ayme at a condition retyred from the world and free from temptations, but to knowe that the life which is most exercised with tryalls and temptations is the sweetest, and will prove the safeste. For such tryalls as fall within compasse of our callinges,

Puritan Dilemma
Words: 610 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Puritan Dilemma A democracy is a system of government wherein the governed have a voice. In the simplest terms, it is a government by and for the people. In the present, the United States government is based upon the idea of representational democracy. Every citizen has a voice which is expressed through election of representatives who then vote on items and legislation. This is not how things have always been.

John Winthrop, Founder of Puritanism
Words: 1737 Length: 6 Document Type: Term Paper

These conditions were evident in a letter to his wife, where Winthrop described wintertime as "weather being cold and the waters perilous," and the difficulty of finding logs to burn for warmth. The Puritan colonies survived, due in large part to Winthrop's efforts at both instilling this culture of discipline, and in addressing any growing factionalism within the ranks. Such actions have indeed been a double-edged sword, for they planted

Social and Economic Circumstances Leading
Words: 1241 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Salem and the surrounding Essex County (the witch hunt itself went beyond merely Salem) (Norton; Linder) viewed the results of the First, and now the Second Indian War, and their own loss of material prosperity from these wars, as God's punishment for their sins (Norton). It was at about this time that several of Salem's teenage girls began having fits on which they (and their parents and others) blamed the

Illegal Immigration Amnesty for Illegal
Words: 1751 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Many peoples' lives, destinies, and hopes for the future, and not only American ones, depend and will depend in the future on this taking place sooner rather than later, and now more than ever before in America's history. Works Cited Illegal Immigration." Wikipedia. 4 May 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_immigration.html>. Espenshade, Thomas J. "Unauthorized Immigration to the United States" Annual Review of Sociology. 21 (1995). 195-200. Flores, William V. "New Citizens, New Rights: Undocumented Immigrants and Latino

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now