Comments on: But who were the “Puritans”?

By: Danny Hyde

Danny Hyde — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:40:08 +0000

Just read a helpful definition of “Puritan” in John Brown, The English Puritans (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1912), 1:

“For puritanism was not such much an organised system as a religious temper and a moral force, and being uch it could enter into combinations and alliances of varied kind.”

http://books.google.com/books?id=kZAAAAAAMAAJ&dq=john%20brown%20english%20puritans&client=safari&pg=PP7#v=onepage&q=john%20brown%20english%20puritans&f=false

By: Mark Jones

Mark Jones — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:08:15 +0000

I don’t want to sound my own horn too much – I will a little – but Michael Haykin and I are editing a volume that looks at about 15 theological debates that took place in the 17thC among the Reformed orthodox, with a special reference to the Westminster Divines. I hope to have all the essays in by the end of the year, so some time mid-2010 seems likely. And we’re going with the publisher of my PhD thesis, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht!

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:03:02 +0000

I am looking more for historical overview that discusses some of the theological debates. It seems that the secular historical writers on the period focus on the Puritans mostly as a political phenomenon, while the conservative Reformed writers like Packer mostly focus on the theological and devotional aspects, while seeming to assume that we know the historical background.

By: Mark Jones

Mark Jones — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:00:17 +0000

It depends on what you are looking for. Devotional? Historical? Theological? Specific to a thinker? The post-Restoration years (1662) need a lot of work.

Academic works are growing in Puritan studies. I would commend Patrick Collinson’s “The Elizabethan Puritan Movement” as a good place to start.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:00:58 +0000

What are the best books about the Puritans (besides Packer, Ryken, and the symposium edited by Kapic and Gleason)? I have had a hard time finding a good narrative history of the Puritans from 1558 to 1689. Most books about the Puritans seem to focus on a very short time period or on some particular theme.

By: Danny Hyde

Danny Hyde — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:36:49 +0000

Thank you, Angus. I’ll add the link.

By: Jacob Stevens

Jacob Stevens — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:17:30 +0000

Very interesting post. Very informative. You have helped to clarify a lot of things for me. The Reformed Puritans are of particular interest to me. I will be following this blog. Thank you for posting.

By: Angus

Angus — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:57:08 +0000

You may also want to link Dr Pcker’s 16 lecture series at ITunes:

http://deimos3.apple.com/WebObjects/Core.woa/Browse/rts-public.1380353321

By: Danny Hyde

Danny Hyde — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:28:29 +0000

Thank you, Ben. I’ve added the link to the sidebar.

By: Benjamin P. Glaser

Benjamin P. Glaser — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:26:52 +0000

I would also recommend listening to a discussion on the Puritans by Mark Dever, J. Ligon Duncan, and Michael Lawrence at 9 Marks.

http://media.9marks.org/2000/06/15/the-puritans-with-ligon-duncan-and-michael-lawrence