Cardenas ENGL 227
Michael Cardenas
Christianity's impact upon the world is apparent, yet the ramifications of its influence in the United States have created a country that both worships and fears their creator. As seen with the Puritans travel to the New World, religious freedom as well as even toleration were not even accepted by the English Crown. But this land was unknown to people of Europe, and its inhabitants knew nothing of the memoirs of Jesus Christ. With this mindset, Christian leaders declared this vast wilderness inhabited by only “savages” as Satan’s domain. This rationalized the theory of who were these indigenous peoples were: the Devil’s minions. God’s will dominated the lives of early American colonists, prompting a sense of “God fearing” where Hell was the result of their sins. Satan’s direct “influence” upon the colonists of North America and their fear to repel what they found evil impacted the American thought for centuries to come.
This image comes from an eighteen century “chapbook”. This cheap parchment displays a mother giving birth on the right, yet on the left “evil” is occurring simultaneously with the birth. This action is apparent sign of witchcraft in the minds of Puritan colonization. Witchcraft, an action punished by sometimes by death, was seen as a method of the devil’s influence in the New World. Puritans attempted to purge the witches from society to keep favor with God. The witch trials are an important glance in the both the political and theological ideals of Puritans.
Lucifer and The Last Puritan
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“Lucifer and the Last Puritan” is discussion and story based on George Santayana’s two master works. Conner uses a merging of the works to convey basic ideals of Puritanism and their reflections on American sentiments. Conner’s argument, that the Puritan philosophy is a self condemning practice, is presented in a sardonic tone. Through his interpretations, Conner simultaneously describes and mocks Puritan’s way of life and views of Lucifer. The foundation of Puritanism is essential to the developments of their relationships with God, Satan, and other cultures such as the Native Americans. |
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Biblical Analogy in the Leatherstocking Tales
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“Biblical Analogy in the Leatherstocking Tales” is a text by John McAleer providing a deeper meaning into the works of James Fenimore Cooper. Cooper was Southern during the road to the Civil War, and did not think highly of the “Yankees”. McAleer describes the era of the early nineteenth century as nearly void of literary analogies, yet Cooper, though poorly, shows his characters and situations to be references of the Bible. Many critics such as McAleer believe that Cooper’s bias of the North caused his characters to be rude and selfish due to the belief of being the chosen Neo-Israelites of the Promised Land. Through this mentality, we can see that the image of Puritan Christianity remained everlasting present in the minds of people across America. |
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The Last of the Mohicans and the New World Fall
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“The Last of the Mohicans and the New World Fall” is a critique by Robert Milder of the famous novel by James Fenimore Cooper. Though considered by Cooper to be historically fiction, Milder and previous critics have made many parallels between Paradise Lost and The Last of the Mohicans. Magua is the stereotypical “savage” who wants revenge on the white man for wronging him. Though this may underestimate his sorrow, readers, especially those of the early nineteenth century, perceive him as more than an antagonist; they compare his wickedness to that of Satan and the Huron people in general as demons, rather than the traditional use of the word “savage”. This comparison draws out the mindset of the fictional characters of the time, showing their attitude toward the Natives. |
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The Devil reveals himself: Rev. David Devine, D.D., and the devil; or, The devil in his own defence
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The fear of Satan and God is the theme of the story The Devil Reveals Himself: Rev. David Devine, D.D., and The Devil; or, The Devil in His Own Defence by Richard Orme. The story begins with a minister and how he plans to speak of the reasons to fear the devil. However, Satan appears to the young minister and informs him quite politely that it is God to be feared. Satan uses multiple methods of convincing him such as scripture, logic, and philosophy to rekindle the “old methods” that were beginning to diminish as the twentieth century approached. These “old methods” refer to the Puritans aspect of thinking; they feared God and attempted to repel the devil in order to stay in his favor. |
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Speak of the Devil: Popular Religion in American Culture
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Richard Fox declares within his text “Speak of the Devil: Popular Religion in American Culture” that through the use of the book The Death of Satan, America today has both figuratively and literally attempted to oust God’s enemy from their doctrine. Though claiming evidence of increased numbers within the Christian faith, there is a decline in those who believe in the devil. Fox argues that if one does not believe in Satan that one could not believe in God. This text supports the modern theological idea of Satan based upon the views from two or three centuries ago. With the desire to return to the way things were, we can see that the institution of Christianity is beginning to move away from ideas of a near equal to God. |
Puritanism began a legacy that to this day continues to affect those around them. Their idea of Satan, as the tool of punishment of God trying to tempt their every move, has seen a large decline as America has progressed toward a new image of God’s mercy over the centuries. These “old methods” left an impression of God that is rarely seen in churches today. To people, there are no longer a people such as the Native Americans to call “Satan’s minions”, and references to the Bible have become complex and deep. This change in the view and development of Christian mentality toward the devil has affected church mentalities to a point where there is no going back.
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