“She was a woman loved, and therefore lovely, and therefore loving” (Beyond Stateliest Marble, p. 108).
Affliction as the Touchstone of Theology
“‘Calvinism’ is often mocked as an austere faith, fit only for ideologues. But in the instructed heart of Anne Bradstreet, and through her pen, we see the loveliness of her Calvinism, which is just a different way of saying the ‘loveliness of her Christian contentment'” (Beyond Stateliest Marble, p. 97).
First Order Confusion
“Put bluntly, a woman can exercise her gifts fully without seeking to compete with men. The feminist error assumes that women can only lead if they do what men do” (Beyond Stateliest Marble, p. 86).
When Anything Goes on the Other Side of That Wall
“In reality [Roger] Williams was an obnoxious scrapper. He was far more concerned for ‘truth’ at any cost than were his Puritan opponents. In virtually every respect, and at every stage of the controversy, the Puritans were characterized by a biblical charity and Williams was not. But in the eyes of moderns these personal failings …
The Right Kind of Sustainability
“The Puritans recovered the biblical teaching that the marriage bed was to be honored and not just tolerated. They gave themselves to the married state with a strong commitment, and one of their great contributions to our culture was the establishment of the view that romantic and erotic devotion was sustainable within the covenant of …
Scarlet Letters, Inc.
“The question of law is another area where the Puritans are greatly misunderstood. The modern mind has a vision of Massachusetts Bay as haven for wannabe ayatollahs and manufacturers of scarlet letters” (Beyond Stateliest Marble, p. 29).
Like Jesse James Robbing a Train
“And, of course, New England also had her head cases, and some of them made their mark on posterity. One man, a pastor, was called ‘Handkerchief Moody.’ He thought he had sinned greatly and would not appear in public without a handkerchief over his face. He would preach with his his back to the congregation, …
Winsome Puritanism
“Misunderstanding the Puritans is a popular indoor sport for many amateur historians and not a few professionals . . . Anne Bradstreet was a representative figure, but she is frequently presented as a Puritan anomaly. She had such a winsome personality, and, since everyone knows that the Puritans were cranks, she is treated as something …
TransAtlantic Transplant
“As the Puritans came to America, certain changes were inevitable. It was not possible to build a new ‘nation’ without building a new national identity as well . . . The character exhibitied by intrepid explorers and hardy settlers is a type of character that cannot be content with mere duplication of old forms in …
Walls and Bridges
“But this is a time for building walls, wall that will keep this error out of our churches. Bridges are good when you want to cross. Walls are good when you want to keep the freezing rain out of your living room” (“Sola Scriptura, Creeds, and Ecclesiastical Authority” in When Shall These Things Be? p. …