Puritan

The Puritans were members of a group of English Protestants seeking further reforms or even separation from the established church during the Reformation.

Controversy

Today, Puritans are subjected to various interpretations and criticisms. One common one is that Puritans were close-minded and fundamentalists. Many pundits posit a Puritan spirit in the United States' political culture, especially in its historical tendency to oppose things such as alcohol and sexuality. This view has been criticized by some authors such as Michael Moore, who in Stupid White Men identifies American prohibitionism and fear of sexuality as having roots in slavery rather than in Puritanism.

Related Topics:
Fundamentalists - Sexuality - Michael Moore - Stupid White Men - Prohibitionism - Slavery

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On the contrary, some critics have credited Puritanism as being the very spirit that founded American democracy. This view first appeared in Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America. According to Tocqueville, Puritans were hard-working, egalitarian and studious.

Related Topics:
Alexis de Tocqueville - Democracy in America

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There are authors who stake out a middle ground, such as John A. Morone, who in his book Hellfire Nation credits opposing tendencies within Puritanism with being the roots of both American democracy, through the desire to improve society and the world as a whole, and on the other hand with paranoia, hate, racism, sexism, and hatred of sexuality and youth.

Related Topics:
John A. Morone - Hellfire Nation - Paranoia - Hate - Racism - Sexism

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