Religious Convictions of Anne Bradstreet
...their fate. Once settled in the New World, Bradstreet became a congregation member of the Church of Boston and subsequently met Anne Hutchinson. Anne Hutchinson regularly held meetings where she and the members of her group discussed areas of theology. It was Hutchinson’s belief that challenged the Puritan clergy and asserted her view of the "Covenant of Grace" - which moral conduct and piety should not, be the primary qualifications for "visible sanctification." (Rogers, 2002) Through Anne Bradstreet’s early exposure to education, the conflict of Hutchinson’s ideology with Puritan religious values, and the influence of Anne Hutchinson’s views, the first source of how religion affected Anne Bradstreet’s life can be determined. Second Source of Influence The second source to support the fact that Anne Bradstreet’s questioned religion was in her own diary entry as a primary source; "This be the true god, why not the popish religion be the right?" They have the same god, the same Christ, the same word. They only interpret it one way, we another." (Pp 243, Hensley, 1967) This diary entry can be viewed as actually Bradstreet’s question of her religion itself and its validity. The first evidence of Anne Bradstreet’s question of faith is also a primary source through her diary entry; "I have never any miracles to confirm me, those of which I have read", in which Bradstreet questions the existence of God because of not witnessing the types of miracles that she had knowledge of. Furthermore, Bradstreet continues to question the existence of God with an additional diary entry; "I have argued with myself, that there is a god, I see." (Pp 244, Hensley, 1967) It is the culmination of her interest in Hutchinson’s views and the Puritan Calvinistic religious belief system that becomes the major factor with regards to these diary entries. Third Source of Influence The third source that confirms Bradstreet’s question of her faith is a more underlying source. This third source is also a primary source per her numerous diary entries professing the need for her children to accept God’s will for them. Bradstreet enters particular diary entries directly addressing her children in which she intends them to read after her death, as the following; "If at any time you are chastened by god, take it as thankfully and joyfully as in his greatest mercies, for if ye be his (meaning: Belonging to god, American Heritage Dictionary), ye shall reap the greatest of mercies". Bradstreet, further reinforces her question of predestination with the following diary entry; "It pleased the lord to support my heart in his goodness, and hear my prayers and to deliver me out of adversity" (Pp 242, Hensley, 1967). If in fact Bradstreet actually was a true believer in the Calvinistic approach in predestination then why would she had focused her energies towards her eight children regarding religion? The theory of predestination involves six elements; The Eternal Covenant, Man’s Sinful Condition, The Result of Man’s Sinful Condition, Man’s Free Will, The Necessity of Predestination, and God’s Sovereign Election. It is the second subject, “Man’s Sinful Condition” that reinforces Bradstreet’s view underlying view of the theory. Man's Sinful Condition Man is sinful. He does not become a sinner by sinning. He sins because he is a sinner. He is depraved, which means that sin has corrupted all that he is: mind, soul, spirit, emotions, and body. Man is so engulfed in sin, so thoroughly touched by it, that there is nothing in him that merits or enables salvation. He, therefore, is born into a state of condemnation. (“The Calvinist Corner”) As such, if this was an area of Bradstreet’s religious belief then the idea of influencing her children towards religion would be a moot point. However, the evidence of Bradstreet’s view regarding predestination is found closer connected with the lectures of Anne Hutchinson, as earlier stated, who challenged the Puritan clergy and asserted her view of the "Covenant of Grace" - which moral conduct and piety should not, be the primary qualifications for "visible sanctification." (Rogers, 2002) Furthermore, Bradstreet’s challenge of traditional Puritan ideology through Calvinism was that she as a woman was not intellectually challenged whereas women were considered to be intellectual inferiors (Gonzalez, May 2004). Fourth Source of Influence The fourth source of influence is seen as a transitional phase that questions Calvinistic validity and the complete embracement of Calvinistic religion. Whether we will actually ever know the true reason for Bradstreet’s sudden move towards embracing Calvinism we will never know. However, what is known historically is that in 1636, Anne Hutchinson, the wife of one of Boston's leading citizens, was charged with heresy because of her challenge to predestination as a theory and banished from Massachusetts Colony (Rogers, 2002). Thus, it can be determined that without a support system, the potential chance of being banished from her community as did Hutchinson, the Puritan view of women being without virtue, as well as, a Patriarchal system of familial control, it becomes evident that Bradstreet found it no longer beneficial to challenge a system of religion that was not to be challenged again until the eighteenth century and the “Second Great Awakening”. Therefore, it is in the immediate years after 1636 that Anne Bradstreet becomes more pious and questions less the issues of predestination, and begins to analyze God’s role in her life with regards to significant events. This is evident by numerous diary entries she makes with regards to these various events such as illness. Fifth Source of Influence On many occasions Bradstreet makes diary entries regarding illnesses and healings being a result of god. In fact Bradstreet implies that it is God’s will to inflict these long periods of suffering as a way to make her soul stronger. Bradstreet’s diary entry dated May 11, 1657 directly supports her belief; "I had a sore sickness and weakness that took hold of me which hath by fits lasted all this spring till this 11, May;” (Pp 255, Hensley, 1967). Bradstreet follows this entry with “Yet hath my god given me many a respite (A usually short interval of rest or relief) and some ability to perform the duties I owe him and the work of my family." This statement directly implies with the phrases; “to perform the duties I owe him and the wor...