Christianity In The New World

During the Lit Circles discussion last week, I chose to read Early American Religious Traditions: Native Visions and Christian Providence. It touched on the influences of Christianity in the Native American culture and the beginning of the separation of church and state. Protestants weren't as adamant to "save souls" like the Catholics because they were more worried about the well-being of their colonies. Trading was usually the only contact they'd make with the Natives but eventually religion would come into the picture. Several Native American tribes adopted ideas of Christianity while keeping their original traditions intact. The Native American Church of North America still uses peyote as a part of their religious practice.

The beginning of the separation of church and state originated when town leaders realized that toleration was necessary to growth within the community. William Penn and the Quakers capitalized on expanding their communities by opening the doors to Jews, Puritans, and many other denominations. America's ideas of religious freedom and separation of church and state originated long before the Founding Fathers.

Rowlandson's Ideas of Faith

It's no wonder why Mary Rowlandson's accounts of her encounters with the Native Americans was a good read during her time. The descriptions and writing style were very similar to John Smith's. Although she was a devout Christian, one of her ideas of faith should cause Christians to throw up a warning flag. That idea: that God punishes those who are unfaithful. Her Biblical references were mainly from the Old Testament which mirror her Puritan ways. Interestingly, she must not have been too familiar with the book of Job. One could argue that God tests his most faithful followers more than those who stray away from Him. Her idea that the Native Americans attacked her because she was disobedient is a dangerous. To her fairness, God punishes the wicked but I find it very difficult to believe that Rowlandson was living wickedly leading up to the attacks.

Altogether, Rowlandson's ideas of faith are deeply grounded in Puritan ways. She, like Bradstreet, had an extremely strong faith despite the many trials she faced.

Bradstreet's Tensions

Anne Bradstreet had a gift to use poetry as a medium to express her inner tensions and conflicts. In her poem, "Prologue," she expresses her frustration with the views of women in society. Since she was a woman, she argued that her poetry wouldn't be published or well-read compared to that of her male colleagues. Her feminist ideas were far ahead of her time and the irony was that many of her poems were the first published works in the New World.

Bradstreet also discussed her faith in "Here Follows Some Versus upon the Burning of Our House." Her inner tension was very similar to the Old Testament story of Job. She revisits the pain and anger of losing her house like any normal human being would but then she explains how she still holds on tightly to her faith and understanding of God's will. It's very powerful and realistic material that helps one understand the difficulties of living in the New World.

John Winthrop and John Smith

When I first began reading Winthrop and Smith it was easy to imagine the uncertainty, anxiousness and excitement that they experienced in the New World. Smith especially liked to interest readers with his detailed descriptions and third person point of view. However, I was quite surprised by the differences in their writings. Smith was more focused on detailed stories (some might argue that they're fabricated) and describing the land while Winthrop stressed the importance of having a nation founded by God. It's easy to see why they chose these different styles because one could make a good sales pitch in either direction. For instance, Winthrop's ideas of being a city on a hill and establishing a godly nation would appeal to Puritans and other Protestants. On the other hand, Smith's ideas that there are plenty of resources to make one rich would appeal to those who want something new and adventurous in their life. Both Smith and Winthrop touched on important subjects that still apply to Americans today.