Puritans and Puritanismin In Europe and America : a comprehensive encyclopedia

This exhaustive treatment of the Puritan movement covers its doctrines, its people, its effects on politics and culture, and its enduring legacy in modern Britain and America.

The Puritans, black-coated, grim, prim, prudish witch chasers, some of that common characterization is correct; much is not.

This comprehensive treatment of Puritans and Puritanism sorts fact from fiction, and presents the broadest picture ever of the Puritan movement, a driving force in the founding of America and a continuing influence on American and British norms.

Puritanism began in the 1530s as a reform movement within the Church of England.

It endured into the 18th century. In between, it powerfully influenced the course of political events both in Britain and the United States.

Puritanism shaped the American colonies, particularly New England.

It was a key ingredient in literature, from authors as diverse as John Milton and Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Although Puritanism as a formal movement has been gone for more than 300 years, its influence continues on the mores and norms of America and Britain. This ambitious work contains nearly 700 entries covering people, events, ideas, and doctrines - the whole of Puritanism.

Exhaustive and authoritative, it draws on the work of more than 80 leading scholars in the field.

Impeccable scholarship combines with eminent readability to make this a valuable work for all readers and researchers from secondary school up.