"The Pompe and Pride of Man" - (Early American History) by Sandra Slater (Hardcover)

About the Book

A study of migration, theology, and daily life, this book focuses on how Puritans crafted and perpetuated a dichotomy of pride and humility as a nexus through which to govern and maintain control within New England.

Book Synopsis

Huddled on dank ships and tossed about in the waves of the Atlantic, English Puritans envisioned a new society predicated on the values of individual and communal humility. Pride, a pervasive sin, jeopardized their very survival and incited God's wrath. The first generation of New England settlers, deeply affected by the miseries of their migration experience, crafted New England society on the dichotomy of pride and humility.
Embracing demonstrative suffering as essential, Puritans embraced perpetual martyrdom, often taking great pride in the extent of their humiliation. This ideology affected self-perceptions and informed legal codes, theology, and community values. Anxieties around pride resulted in violent efforts to eradicate "proud" individuals, but also whole communities as demonstrated by the Pequot War (1636-37). The dichotomy of pride and humility permeated all aspects of New England Puritanism.