Puritanism is defined as «a mode of rhetoric which had its inception as a reaction against Romanist and feudal hierarchies in England and then offered itself as a frame for a developing history of ideas in America.» The book analyzes the language of the major historical arguments for and against Puritanism and, in doing so, defines the negative as well as positive influences Puritanism has had on American culture. The arguments concerning Puritanism center around notions of power in the older faculty and Lockeian psychological theories.

Autorentext

The Author: Ellwood Johnson is a Professor of American Literature at Western Washington University. From 1978 to 1987 he was the editor of Concerning Poetry, a journal of the history and criticism of poetry. The author of numerous essays on major American writers, Dr. Johnson has also edited an anthology, The Classical Essay, and co-edited, with L.L. Lee, A Directory of Scholarly Journals in English Language and Literature.

Zusammenfassung
"I am unaware of another book that sets out to trace the larger patterns and influence of Puritan vocabulary on American intellectual development in such a thorough and provocative manner." (Dr. Stanley Tag, St. Olaf College)