Anthony Tuckney facts for kids
Anthony Tuckney (born September 1599, died February 1670) was an important English Puritan thinker and teacher. He lived during a time of big changes in England. He was known for his strong beliefs and his work in education.
Contents
Life and Work
Early Life and Education
Anthony Tuckney was born in a place called Kirton-in-Holland. He went to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, which was a famous university. He studied there and later became a "fellow" from 1619 to 1630. This meant he was a teacher and researcher at the college.
A Church Leader
In 1629, Tuckney became a preacher in Boston, Lincolnshire. In 1633, he took over from another important minister, John Cotton, as the vicar of St Botolph's Church, Boston.
Important Meetings and Roles
Tuckney played a big part in the Westminster Assembly in 1643. This was a group of important religious leaders who met to discuss church rules and beliefs. He was the chairman of a committee there. He helped write a section about the Ten Commandments for a book called the "Larger Catechism."
From 1645 to 1653, he was the "Master" (leader) of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Then, from 1653 to 1661, he became the Master of St John's College, Cambridge. In 1655, he also became the Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge. This was a very important teaching job, especially since Cambridge was a center for Puritan ideas at the time.
His Beliefs on Learning
As the Master of St John's College, Tuckney had to choose new teachers and scholars. He believed that learning was very important. He once said that people might pretend to be religious, but they couldn't pretend to be smart. He meant that true knowledge was something you could really see and trust.
Later Life
After the English Restoration in 1660, there were big political changes in England. Anthony Tuckney was removed from his important positions. He then stopped working professionally. He was not someone who often got into big arguments. However, some of his ideas about new ways of thinking were shown in letters he wrote to another scholar, Benjamin Whichcote. These letters were published much later, in 1753.
