Religious Beliefs

Above is a Picture of John Calvin

-Puritans in 1500s got many beliefs from a man & writer John Calvin
-Protestant Reformer

-also effected another religious group of people similar to the Puritans called the Huguenots who were French Protestants

-John Calvin's idea was that God had already decided who would go to heaven and who would not (called Predestination)

-Puritans had to firmly believe they would be saved and were taught to look for signs of God's disfavor in daily events of their lives

-For example, a poet, Anne Bradstreet thought God was sending her a message to be stronger in her beliefs when her house burned down

-Puritans depended on three books called The New England Primer, The Bay Psalm Book, and the Bible

-these books guided them in their religion

-The New England Primer: taught lessons and alphabet

-The Bay Psalm Book- gave English English translations of the Psalms so that they could be sung in church

-Puritans listened to sermons two times a week in order for them to understand and decode the bible

-ministers spent undreds of hours explaining how writings could be used
-Ex. as a guide to daily living or a way to predict the future

-Puritans thought the simple way was a better path to God

-ministers wrote sermons in plain stye
-wrote with no complicated words, did not refer to unknown books, and did not use quotations
in different languages

-Puritans also preferred plain and black clothing not fancy and colorful robes the Catholic Church wore

-services were held in small, white chapels not elaborate and decorative churches