A Model of Christian Charity

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Who were the Puritans? What were their religious beliefs? How did their beliefs frame their outlook on life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony?

Teaching Suggestion: This question invites students to broadly consider the historical context related to Puritanism in the New World (i.e., American colonies). Martin Luther’s rejection of the Catholic Church opened doors for a new wave of Christian beliefs, primarily those focused on their own interpretation of biblical scripture (i.e., Protestantism). As a result, the Protestant branch of Christianity multiplied into numerous sects of Christian thought in Europe, each with their own interpretation of passages. King Henry VIII of England created the Anglican church, which closely matched the Catholic Church; Protestant dissenters found these parallels concerning, and soon two major groups formed: the Pilgrims and the Puritans. Their desire to practice their own form of religion became a motivator for colonialism in the New World. As a result, both groups departed for the Americas, the Pilgrims in 1620 who quickly set up the Plymouth Colony and the Puritans who established the Massachusetts Bay Colony 10 years after. John Winthrop was a part of the latter group, and he saw the importance of Christianity not only for his fellow voyagers’ souls but also in establishing a model society. Winthrop’s sermon highlights these ideas, particularly in the necessity of charitable giving for Christians, with hopes that establishing a religious community based on love and support could strengthen their chances for survival in unknown territory. Since some students may be unfamiliar with this history, it might be beneficial to provide access to the resources below prior to asking students to respond to the prompt. This will give them a helpful starting point and may promote productive discussion.

• This article from History explores the common misconceptions between Puritan and Pilgrim settlers.
• This article from PBS shares a background of the Puritan community in America.
• This article from World History Encyclopedia provides an in-depth analysis of the historical context surrounding Winthrop’s sermon.

Short Activity

As the leaders of religious movements, preachers were essential to the dissemination of faith, particularly through the content of their sermons. Working in small groups, select one sermon that was given by a Puritan preacher during the 17th and 18th centuries and share it with the class. What themes are discussed? Who is the intended audience? What rhetorical devices did the preacher use? How and why are these sermons still studied today?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Activity invites students to explore the importance of sermons as a form of persuasion in the context of group work. During the 17th and 18th centuries, religion was at the heart of daily life for the Puritans, so the preacher would have been the most politically and socially important figure. As a congregation, individuals were expected to attend church services, as the deliverance of a sermon was an essential form of community bonding and identity that would shape early European-American communities. With education and literacy rates low compared to contemporary society, sermons are one of the few written documents that historians have to analyze daily life in the colonies. It may be helpful to provide students with a list of Puritan preachers, such as John Davenport or Jonathan Edwards, to choose from at the beginning of the activity.

• This teacher-facing resource from the National Humanities Center considers the effects of Puritanism in 17th-century America, with particular notation on the use of sermons in public discourse.
• This publication by Allen Carden (1980) reviews the importance of the Bible in Puritan sermons.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

How are the tenets of Christianity and charitable giving connected? In what ways is this thought expressed in other monotheistic and/or polytheistic religions?

Teaching Suggestion: This Personal Connection Prompt invites students to consider the relationship between charity and religion. In the contemporary world, many philanthropic institutions are secular in nature; however, centuries prior, charitable giving was most widely associated with religion, such as Christianity. At the core of Winthrop’s sermon is the argument that God expects humanity to be charitable to one another; he uses this logic in order to encourage the charity of their new community, which would be modeled on Puritanical Christian values. It may be helpful to review some of the basic beliefs of the Christian faith with the class to make sure all students have a strong starting point prior to exploring additional resources. This Prompt segues directly to the Discussion/Analysis Prompt.

• This article from Harvard Divinity School shares a variety of religious perspectives on the importance of charity.
• This resource from Purdue Global includes different religions’ views on charity, including Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.

Differentiation Suggestion: To engage advanced students with an extended analysis on the importance of charitable giving, this Personal Connection Prompt may be amended to include the following question: Consider the origins of philanthropic support from a specific group or organization in your community. Does this group or organization have religious roots? Provide one example and elaborate.