Model Of Christian Charity

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Ralph Waldo Emerson and John Winthrop, two of the early American philosophers, developed cogent visions of their new nation, promulgating utopian ideals and encouraging their readers to actively create an idealized society. John Winthrop, in his sermon, “A Model of Christian Charity,” not only lays out the mission ahead, as he sees it, for the settling of the New Land, but he lays the foundation for American society. Seeing the founding of this colony as a holy, sacred mission, Winthrop contends that absolute unity, even conformity, must be insisted upon. The entire gist of Winthrop’s speech is based upon the Covenant. Winthrop points to the risky nature of the task he feels God has assigned to him and the community. His thesis rests upon the belief that if disaster will follow "if we shall neglect" the Covenant and, "dissembling with our God, shall fall to embrace this present world" (p. 90). He doesn’t really believe in the traditional theology but it is theology nonetheless that guides his words. He repeatedly stresses upon reformation that community had …show more content…

as an abyss of uncertainty and yet, somehow, beckons with promise. It is then interesting that fear of God formed the sole basis of reformation. There were no other sources involved and Puritans felt that the utopia they had in mind could actually materialize if God was followed the way they were preaching. The threat is always there. The nostalgia is strong but the work always ends with an admonition. It is not exactly a poem but rather a lyrical argument. For Puritans it was simple. To forewarn meant to forearm. Besides God’s wrath and cosmic anger made for a good story. Winthrop thus uses fear to arouse in people a serious desire to reform society according to the Puritanical understanding of

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