Religion Influence On American Literature

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The power of religion has greatly affected they way American literature was philosophized and written in the 1700s. It has greatly motivated and influenced the actions and mentalities of many travelers, as well as Native Americans. The enforcement of religion mainly arises from foreigners that travel from other countries to America. People such as William Bradford and Mary Rowlandson lived their lives and made decisions accordingly to their Christian religion. Overall, religion has shaped American literature by affecting earlier people’s actions, mentality, and the views people had on Native Americans . These narratives have helped us to better understand earlier civilization and their mindsets. A person religious beliefs or traditions can …show more content…

This proves that religion has an influence on people’s actions. The actions that resulted from following faith has altered how literature pieces are developed. The purpose of Rowlandson’s narrative was to keep her reputation as a Christian women. If she didn’t have faith in God at the time and decided to deal with captivity herself she most likely wouldn’t have published the story because it would show her lack of faith. In addition, considering she was set free by the Natives, it also could help spread Christianity because her dedication in God could persuade other people that prayer works. Religion is a powerful force that can lead people to follow guidelines of their …show more content…

When a person follows a religion, they have religious beliefs. For example, one of the beliefs of Christianity is to not steal. The concept applies to the recent readings of American literature. To explain, John Winthrop preached a sermon called “A Model of Christian Charity” and in this sermon, he spoke about different “rules” and ideologies that a true Christian should follow. For example, one of the demands was that “…the rich and mighty should not eat up the poor, nor the poor and despised rise up against their superiors and shake off their yoke” (Winthrop 91) Winthrop is saying that everyone should be seen as equal but not try to disturb the peace of the different social classes. Religion has affected the way of living for people in the early years. Winthrop believed that if one were to not follow these rules then they would go to hell and suffer. Religion was a particularly serious concept for these people because it was so heavily enforced. The fact that Winthrop wrote an entire sermon about the way a person should think and live based on religious factors can prove that religion has definitely influenced their mindsets and

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