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In this seminar, we will examine Puritanism as one of the most influential—and most contested—foundational belief systems of American culture. Rather than treating Puritanism as a closed religious episode, the seminar approaches it as a cultural phenomenon that continues to shape American ideas about morality, work, gender, community, and dissent. Beginning with early New England texts such as John Winthrop’s sermon “A Model of Christian Charity” (1630) and Jonathan Edwards’s “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” (1741), as well as selected poems by Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor, students will gain a thorough understanding of how Puritan beliefs were articulated, enforced, and challenged in colonial America. After this introductory exploration of Puritan thought and belief, the seminar turns to literary revisions and critiques of Puritanism in American culture. Key texts of this part of the seminar include Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “Young Goodman Brown” (1835) and Arthur Miller’s The Crucible (1953), which reframes Puritan moralism in the context of twentieth-century political anxieties. Finally, the course considers the enduring legacy of Puritan thought in contemporary culture, as in Marilynne Robinson’s novel Gilead (2004) and the movie Easy A (2010), to explore how Puritan notions of discipline, guilt, and moral judgment remain potent influences in the American imagination. Throughout the course, students will develop close reading and cultural analysis skills to explore Puritanism not just as a historical movement, but as a persistent force that continues to inform American society’s values, norms, and collective identity.
Required Reading: Most texts will be uploaded on Moodle. Students will need to get their own copy of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead. |
