Religion vs. Reason

Age of Religion and Reason
                     
Early American literature has a large and diverse style that reflects beliefs and traditions that came from the nations frontier days. The pioneer ideals of self reliance and independence appear in many American writings.
Several American writers have always had a strong tendency to break literary traditions, and event their own through literary analysis, the audience is able to trace the dominant themes of opportunity and religion that contribute to American values in literature from the earliest letters and narratives by exploration and colonialism, through the Puritan period, to the age of reason.
Puritans   ethics are prevalent throughout early American literature, stemming from the Puritans themselves, and continuing into and beyond the 18th century literature. Puritans belief on literature was that everything was a sign of God. They didn’t believe in art, couldn’t trust it. They believed that anything that wasn’t from the bible wasn’t holy, wasn’t of God.   Their lives was not of worldly pleasures. They wore gaily-colored clothes, heartily enjoyed games, celebrations, and feasts with alcoholic beverages. This won them the reputation of being gloomy and solemn. Their enemies said they hated joy and was “drunk on religion” and “intoxicated with God”.  
The Puritans and Separatist were also influence by two religious leaders, the “precious, shinning lights” of the reformation: Martin Luther (1483-1546) a German monk a professor of theology and the John Calvin
(1509-1564), a French theologian who lived and taught at Geneva Switzerland.   Luther and Calvin asserted that all people have the right and obligation to read and study the bible. Luther’s doctrine of the priesthood argued that priest should not be in a more privileged class, separate or more holy than man- they should just be seen as great teachers of the scriptures. Calvin’s great work of the Christian religion, derived their basic theological... [continues]

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