Historians of the Puritans

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VirginiaHuguenot

Puritanboard Librarian
Who are the best historians of the (British and American) Puritans?

Some potential contenders (in no particular order):

Daniel Neal

Benjamin Brooks

Joel Beeke

JI Packer

Perry Miller

Erroll Hulse

Iain Murray

Leland Ryken

Philip Schaff

Everett Emerson

SW Carruthers

William Hetherington

William Symington

William Barker

Matthew McMahon

Thoughts? Opinions? Additions to the list? Deletions?


[Edited on 8-28-2005 by VirginiaHuguenot]
 
Hands Down:

Daniel Neal

His three volumes is exhaustive. (At least it seems that way.)

Thanks Andrew for including me, but listen to Jeff. :P
 
Besides primary documents, I've only read secular historians in my studies of Puritan New England. Of these James Deetz was the preeminent historical archaeologist of Plymouth Colony. Francis Bremer is very good, especially his biography of John Winthrop. Other historians I've read on the Puritans have been Mark Noll and George Marsden.
 
I haven't read this but was recommeded this a long time ago. Any thoughts?

Puritans: Their Origins & Successors
D. M. Lloyd-Jones
 
More good suggestions -- thanks!

I'm also going to add:

Edmund S. Morgan, Visible Saints, The History of the Puritan Era

John Demos, A Little Commonwealth, Family Life in Plymouth Colony
 
That book by Errol Hulse (published by EP) was extremely helpfull to me. The first book I read about puritans and puritanism. Not very deep but a good introduction to the puritans.

By the way, William Barker wrote a book which has short biographies on 54 puritans. As I said short,.. but good (published by CF).
 
Neal and Brooks. Another set on early puritans that I don't believe has been reprinted is Samuel Hopkins' The Puritans and Queen Elizabeth: Or, the Church, Court, and Parliament of England, From the Reign of Edward VI to the Death of the Queen. I have 2 of the 3 volume set but have really never used it.
 
I'll second Hulse's book. Very nice introductory text to the history and some of the primary people of the era as well as some nice application of lessons we could learn from them. If you're looking for something really deep, though, this isn't it. Written for a wider audience.
 
Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot
Who are the best historians of the (British and American) Puritans?

Some potential contenders (in no particular order):

Daniel Neal

Benjamin Brooks

Joel Beeke

JI Packer

Perry Miller

Erroll Hulse

Iain Murray

Leland Ryken

Philip Schaff

Everett Emerson

SW Carruthers

William Hetherington

William Symington

William Barker

Matthew McMahon

Thoughts? Opinions? Additions to the list? Deletions?


[Edited on 8-28-2005 by VirginiaHuguenot]
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I think you have to read Haller's The Rise of Puritianism as well as John Brown's The English Puritans and Knappen's Tudor Puritanism
 
Originally posted by Michael Butterfield
I think you have to read Haller's The Rise of Puritianism as well as John Brown's The English Puritans and Knappen's Tudor Puritanism
Click to expand...

Thanks! :up:

I'm also going to add Robert P. Martin's A Guide to the Puritans as a helpful reference.
 
John H. Gerstner was certainly the foremost expert on Jonathan Edwards.

Daniel Neal has been most helpful to me in understanding the English Puritans
 
Caveat. Knappen places too much store in the Puritan's anti-Sabbatarian opponents, and buys into the easily refuted legend Calvin wanted to change the Lord's day to Thursday, etc. See Calvin in the Hands of the Philistines here.
 
Mark Noll is very keen on New England puritanism. He is by far one of my favorite historical scholars.

For American (i.e. New England) Puritanism try reading either:
"America's God" and/or "The Old Religion in a New World"

both very good.

[Edited on 9-13-2005 by edwardian289]
 
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