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Jesus Made In America Analysis

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Jesus Made in America by Stephen J. Nichols explores the way that American culture has adapted Christ to align with cultural norms rather than to align culture to Jesus of the Bible. The idea is that Jesus will fulfill the needs of Americans based on what they value and want in their spiritual lives, rather than what is Biblical and upright. The book follows American history from the time of the Puritans to present day, looking at issues like Christian music, movies, marketing and politics tackling all of these issues in the terms of when they were popular in Christian culture.
Toward the end of their time together Jesus asked his disciple Peter who he would say that Jesus is, Peter replied by saying that Jesus was the Messiah, the one who had come to create a new covenant between …show more content…

To be sure, the Puritan Jesus is incarnate: he is the God-man. Yet he’s just too far out of reach for the personal touch.” (Nichols, 2008, p. 20) During this time period, Christians saw Jesus as strict and ridged, this was the persona their culture needed Him to fulfill. The Bible does have examples of Christ not being a gushy guy, He threw tables in the temple because of sin; however, this is not the only way He is portrayed. The cultural portrayal of Jesus greatly impacts the theology of the time, and the way Christians live and relate to God. The Puritans held strict and legalistic ways of life, therefore their Jesus aligned with those views. It is likely that many people of the time had a legitimate fear of the Lord. Additionally, they were more likely to at least publically uphold Biblical and religious commandments out of fear of the judgment they would otherwise face. This idea is vastly different from what is held by many Christians today, and differs even from what some churches

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The puritans came to New England so they could experience and practice christianity in a new form.[background] Puritans believed every word in the bible was the word of god. That said, the bible mentions Devils and witches. They believed a witch was a person who was controlled by the devil. For example, The devil can make a young girl cry in church. One way the court accepted evidence the suspect in question was a witch was when a woman confused the words when saying the lord's prayer.[background] Because of these actions more people were being accused of being a witch.

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The Puritan doctrine stated that those who worked hard would go to heaven and Cromwell did his best to make sure that the public followed this. In addition, he also banned colorful dresses and makeup for women in favor of more plain and modest

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Honors Assignment 3 Rylea Nesmith 1. Could anyone have predicted how the economy of the North American colonies would have developed? Be sure to use specific examples such as reasons, crops, systems, competition, etc... No, no one knew what they could produce that Europe would value.

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Religion was a very strong influence in the lives of Puritans as they followed a very strict moral code and based their entire lives on their faith. Most Puritans were taught from the Bible that "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" (Doc. A), which explains why the witch scare was taken so seriously and why the accused were punished so harshly. They believed and feared that "evil spirits were all around" (Doc. C) as noted in Memorable Providences Relating to Witchcraft and Possessions by Cotton Mather, who at that time was a reputable expert in the "invisible world. " It seems strange to 21st-century dwellers that people believed that witches could be identified by marks of the devil, as portrayed in an 1853 painting by T.H. Matteson (Doc. D).

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What Caused the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 In Salem, Massachusetts there were Witch Trials held during the summer months of 1692. Throughout the seventeenth century in New England, witchcraft was said to be a crime punishable by death. Puritans came to New England in the early 1600’s to practice their Christianity in the purest form possible. They believed every word in the bible and that the words of God were to be followed down to the last sentence there was. Havoc started occurring around the town and 19 women along with men were hanged for witchcraft.

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The Puritans were heavy believers in their religion. They would make their children read the bible. The closest thing today to the Puritans is probably Amish. They would be obligated to pay the Rev. Parris money to just hear him speak. At one point people stopped going to church because of his niece.

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The Puritans believed God had formed an agreement with them, so they were concerned with moral behavior. The Puritans believed they were suppose to set a good example for people to change their sinful ways. When authors write about a evil or immoral character they may make the reader react more sympathetically than usual. They may do this by adding other evil characters

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Through strict adherence to religious doctrine, the Puritans demonstrate their honesty, honor, and faithfulness. They want to establish a community that shines as a beacon of God 's greatness to the world, and they consider material and physical wants---in particular, sexual desires as the devil 's work and a threat to the society. The Puritans have no tolerance for

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In the Puritan society, having faith was very much important to them, this was a source in which all of their other aspects of their society and values came from. Puritans,sought to reform the Church from within. They believed that “uniformity was essential to social order” (Pg 72). Puritans believed that God chooses each individual from the time they are born for salvation or for condemnation. Only God knew the fate of each person.

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In "American Jesus: How the Son of God Became a National Icon", Boston University historian Stephen Prothero examines how Jesus has moved from being a divine Savior to a folk icon. No matter what his or her religious inclination. Nearly everyone in America has embraced Jesus in one form or another. For some it is a religious understanding, for others a recognition of Jesus as the great teacher, for others a recognition of the political benefits of being associated with Jesus. This is a fascinating book through American history as Stephen Prothero discuss the progressive change of the American view of Jesus from the Puritanical lawgiver to a tender, caring and loving Jesus, to a strong, muscular Jesus and finally to our current state where images of Him are likely to appear on a refrigerator magnet, rock music poster, or a bumper sticker.

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Intolerance is the unwillingness to accept views, beliefs, or behavior that differs from one’s own. People don’t stop and think about what issues their thoughts could really cause, so they end up stating what they think. Prejudice is a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. Often times, people tend to judge people based off of a single idea, whether or not it is true or in correct context. They end up truly hurting a person by doing so.

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The puritans take the written word of the Bible very seriously. That all changed though after September 22nd all hanging stopped because the governor's wife was accused and then everyone knew that things were going to far. So belief took a very big part in the trials.

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Have you ever wondered about the state of the American Dream? It used to be a beacon of hope and prosperity, a promise of a better life for all. However, lately, it feels like that dream is slipping away. It is a concerning trend that many people wonder if the American Dream is still alive or if it has become a distant memory. The American Dream has been prevalent throughout the history of the United States, containing the idea that any individual from any background can achieve success through hard work and determination.

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