Puritanism; Religion of the Salem colony

Puritans holding a woman on trial for witchery.

Looking into the religion of the inhabitants of Salem, Massachusetts, provides us with a greater understanding of why these preposterous events were made possible. Over time, I have became aware of many intense religions that people choose to follow. Did you know that there is a group of Christian believers that handle snakes? I’ve also discovered a Muslim religion in India that practices the tradition of throwing newborn babies off the side of a temple. The babies are caught in a sheet, and believed to be strengthened and blessed with good luck. So you see, the extremity of such religions can give acceptance to bizarre actions. Perry Miller, in his documentary about Puritans and Puritanism, explains the religion and how it came about. Miller writes,” Puritans were men of intense piety who took literally and seriously the doctrines of original sin and salvation by faith" (Miller 1). Needless to say the name of their religion defines them well. Miller reveals that the Puritans considered themselves as the godly, and this they took to extreme. The trials will show, Puritans in the 1600’s were very influential, and quick to make accusations. Without much contact to people outside the Salem colony, who was to tell them that their accusations were wrong? In Laurie Carlson’s book, “A fever in Salem”, she points out, “People of all cultures and ages create explanations for phenomena they do not understand” (Ainsworth 1). I find Carlson’s accusation to be true, and this will be revealed when we take a look at the cause of the trials in my next blog post.

 

Scholarly Journal:

Ainsworth, Matthew F. "WITCH FEVER (book)." Skeptic 9.3 (2002): 91. Religion and Philosophy Collection. EBSCO. Web. 15 Apr. 2011.

 

Electronic Source:

Miller, Perry. "Puritans and Puritanism." Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 6. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 555-557. Gale U.S. History In Context. Web. 15 Apr. 2011.

 

Image: 

"The Duckingstool by Charles Stanley Reinhart." History in Context: U.S. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale U.S. History In Context. Web. 15 Apr. 2011.