Wartości purytańskie a współczesność. Uwagi o ich aktualności w kontekście amerykańskim
Puritan Values Today. Remarks on their Topicality in the American Context

Summary/Abstract: The paper aims to present some aspects of the discussion of the durability and significance of Puritan values in contemporary life of Americans. The issue of the influence of the 17th-century theological and social thought on the system of values, the colonial at the beginning and then the state reality of the United States, has been one of the most vital themes in their historiography and social reflection. Positions on the matter developed and gained recognition in various ways, but they usually centered around the belief in the existence of the influence, differing in their estimation of the importance of its individual elements and their vitality over the time. The author takes the view that Puritan ideals have significantly influenced American society, becoming one of the strongest pillars of the American historical and cultural identity. Starting with a characterisation of some important aspects of the theology of Puritanism (covenant or federal theology), the analysis focuses on its features such as individual freedom and self-reliance, anti-authoritarianism, co-responsibility with elements of democracy, and respect for education.

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