On The Change Of The Puritanism In The 17th And 18th Centuries

This paper mainly in the "The Pilgrim’s Progress" and "Robinson Crusoe" as an example, to explore the change of the 17th and 18th century British Puritan ascetic connotation. Asceticism as a solution to the contradiction of the way of the spirit and the flesh, become a lot of religious practice. In the religious, asceticism is mainly refers to restraint of all desires, so as to achieve the afterlife relief. But since the Western religious reform of the 16th and 17th century, the Protestant reformed the Catholic religious practice way, leading to ascetic connotation has changed. Especially the Puritan practice, has a great influence on the social economy. The Puritan practice is mainly working hard in the earthly life to get earthly success, eventually reaching the glory of the Lord and your salvation.Transformation of the ascetic connotation was changeable according to the change of thought at the time. In the 17th and 18th century, the European social thought was active and the frequent economic activity. With the change of people thought, some European countries changed in the religion and politics. Whether it’s the political reform or the religious reform, the British were walking in the forefront of the other countries of Europe. With vigour and vitality of the Puritan movement not only affected the political activities, but also changed people’s ideology and economic life. Bunyan and Defoe are influenced by the Puritan, and then they published their representative. Due to a large number of English translations of the Bible, Bunyan’s "The Pilgrim’s Progress" was issued by the popular. At the beginning of 17th century, the ideological confusion and the intellectual confusion led people to moral decay and loss of belief. Bunyan in the book depicts a devout Christian, his belief in God made people have a great shock. In the 18th century, the British was active in trade economy, the navigation technology has been developed rapidly. Rationalism encouraged people to trust their own ability, made them actively explore the outside world. "Robinson Crusoe" was written in such a social background. Defoe provided external factors such as exploration, economic, trade and religion into the work, have been created a rich Robinson. Our in-depth analysis of specific behaviors and ideological tendency in the two novels the protagonist, would find that they have a common religious belief, but they were different in the Puritan practice. Christian was devout observance of Puritan ascetic way, but Robinson to practice attitude was tend to pragmatism. This change was mainly due to a change of its inner Puritan reformed. Because at that time the people’s attitude towards religion has more and more utilitarian, Puritanism influenced by the social environment, the practice was also gradually secular.In a word, the traditional way to change the Puritan ascetic connotation to the social economy and the individual is a great progress. But we need to dialectical view of Puritanism of internal change. The emergence of secular for our individual is a blessing or a curse is still unable to draw a conclusion.