“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. …
Scriptural Authority Incarnate
“The Scriptures are the final and infallible authority in this fallen world, but the carrier of this Word is the church. As we add our witness to his, we are doing what he has called us to do in those Scriptures. As we preach sermons, compose confessions of faith, examine ministerial candidates in terms of …
The Romance of Orthodoxy
“Another problem that people have with creeds is the problem of ‘stifling orthodoxy,’ what I call orthdusty . . . At the same time, the truths contained in the great creeds can be compared to theological prerequisites. A student is not going to get on very well in fifth grade if he has to restudy …
Ultimate Truth Has Hair on His Arms
“Another common objection to the early creeds is their supposed ‘Hellenism.’ The early church was limited by its Greek cultural surroundings, so the argument goes, and so of course it is understandable that they unwittingly imported Hellenistic concepts into the Hebrew world of Scripture. This objection is tiresome because of the ignorance manifested by it, …