Puritan casuistry facts for kids

Puritan casuistry is a way of thinking about right and wrong that was important to a group of Christians called Puritans in Britain around the 1600s. It's like a guide for solving tough moral problems. The book A Case of Conscience (1592) by William Perkins is seen as a very important starting point for this type of writing. This "case divinity" was a key part of Puritan life. It helped people understand if they were truly chosen by God, by looking at how they lived their lives and if it matched what the Bible promised.

Puritans believed in Reformed theology, which meant they sometimes worried about whether they were truly saved. Puritan casuistry helped them deal with these spiritual questions in a practical way. Writers like William Perkins, Richard Greenham, William Ames, and Joseph Alleine wrote about these topics. They helped people understand how to live a good life and find peace about their faith.

Some experts still debate exactly what "Puritan casuistry" means. This is because it doesn't always focus on solving specific moral dilemmas as much as other types of casuistry. One idea is that for Protestants, "casuistry" meant carefully examining one's own conscience. This often included ideas similar to confession and daily spiritual practices. So, it might be more like devotional literature (books about spiritual growth) than just moral rules.

Understanding Puritan Casuistry

Casuistry is about applying moral rules to real-life situations. Think of it as a way to solve "cases of conscience," which are difficult choices or problems about what is right.

What is Casuistry?

Casuistry comes from a medieval tradition called casus conscientiae, meaning "cases of conscience." It shows how general moral rules can be used in specific situations. Writers in the 1600s, both Catholic and Protestant, used this method.

Puritan Approach to Moral Problems

When Puritans used casuistry, they did it in their own way. Their writings were short and based on the Bible. They believed that moral philosophy (thinking about right and wrong) could not be separated from theology (the study of God). In the early 1600s, the term "practical theology" started to be used. This covered "cases of conscience" and other practical religious topics.