The landscape served as a catechist, carefully drilling the catechumen in lessons of the holy.
Belden Lane. Puritan Reading of the New England Landscape. pp132
I have to confess that I didn’t really digest all the material I have read for class today. It might have been a lack of concentration or just simply overwhelmed by the amount of stuff I have to do; I can’t figure out the connection between the four readings or even the connection between the first page and the last page of the passage. However, I do like this metaphor/personification of landscape as Lane delineates. Landscape for Puritans is the gist of their freedoms, their imagination and their love towards God. The environment is the backbone of their believes, structuring the fundamental idea of Puritanism- reshaping the spiritual world. “God is not to be understood but to be adored.” What a strange way to describe God. I was brought up without any religious affiliation, and I was taken in to the spiritual world not long ago. I can never truly understand the relationship, but at least I could adore his creation- the scenery on earth.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Oh College
“The educational community today makes relatively clear distinctions between colleges, universities, academies, and other kinds of schools, but their definitions carried widely in different times and places. In order to avoid repeating “college and university” with awkward frequency, the term college is sometimes used in this work in a broad sense, as including most schools of higher education in America-although merely framing a definition of “higher education” is difficult, given the changes, over time, in the ages of students, types of curricula, and academic degree.”
Campus by Paul Venable Turner
College is not just a school. According to Turner, college is a community and a tiny version of society. There is so much more than just classes. There is library, dorms, places to eat, and athletic facilities for students to have another life outside of academics. “Americans departed from tradition by creating individual colleges in separate locations rather than clustering them at a university, and thus intensified the autonomous nature of each college as a community in itself.” I have visited many colleges in the United States before I decided to come to St. Olaf. Every school I saw was similar: somewhat rural and away from the cities, small liberal arts college, and gorgeous campus. My parents strongly opposed the idea of choosing a school based on things other than academic ranking and reputation, since they believed that nothing was more important and studying in college, which I totally agree that it is the truth. They made a list of all the colleges I got into, and told me to go the one that was ranked the best colleges on the US. News website. However, I was searching for a place where I can thrive. “The American university is a world in itself.” I am glad that I have found my world.
Campus by Paul Venable Turner
College is not just a school. According to Turner, college is a community and a tiny version of society. There is so much more than just classes. There is library, dorms, places to eat, and athletic facilities for students to have another life outside of academics. “Americans departed from tradition by creating individual colleges in separate locations rather than clustering them at a university, and thus intensified the autonomous nature of each college as a community in itself.” I have visited many colleges in the United States before I decided to come to St. Olaf. Every school I saw was similar: somewhat rural and away from the cities, small liberal arts college, and gorgeous campus. My parents strongly opposed the idea of choosing a school based on things other than academic ranking and reputation, since they believed that nothing was more important and studying in college, which I totally agree that it is the truth. They made a list of all the colleges I got into, and told me to go the one that was ranked the best colleges on the US. News website. However, I was searching for a place where I can thrive. “The American university is a world in itself.” I am glad that I have found my world.
Monday, September 27, 2010
On the Hill
I can't believe that I have already spent nearly a month here.
I can still remember the first day, August 31th, that my dream of stepping in college finally came true. The campus was quiet, but it was filled with excitement, ready to burst out screaming with joy. No parents, no friends, just by myself, I carried my suitcases up the top floor of Hoyme, towards the end of the hallway, where I belong for the rest of the year. My stuff unpacked quickly, I stared in the empty room, wondering what my roommate was like, who would be my friends, what classes would I take. It was a complex emotion, mixed with both excitement and sadness, the same feeling that everyone else had. But I could feel something more. My limited writing ability probably won't allow me to express my true feeling, but every time I think about my parents, whose daughters are so far away from home, who spend Thanksgiving and Christmas alone, who can only see me once a year, tears are swimming. I guess that two years ago when I left China for going to high school in Minnesota, we had already made a pact. I am here for a reason. The international student orientation was fun. People all over the world, people like me gathered on campus, sharing our stories, and of course, our expectations and joyous for the upcoming semester. Soon all the first year student poured into St. Olaf. Parents were crying, and grandparents were crying, and even the puppy was sobbing.
"When do you think he is going to go home?" my friend from Ecuador asked me.
"I don't know, fall break?"
And we both just laughed.
I was not trying to make fun of anyone, and I am never going to. It was a bitter laugh, the laugh you have to make when you don't want to cry.
Like the Puritan sailing across the ocean, we all came to pursue our dreams. The puritans were after the spiritual purification of their church, and I am after the freedom of allowing myself to fly and sour.
This is now my home the other side of the world.
I can still remember the first day, August 31th, that my dream of stepping in college finally came true. The campus was quiet, but it was filled with excitement, ready to burst out screaming with joy. No parents, no friends, just by myself, I carried my suitcases up the top floor of Hoyme, towards the end of the hallway, where I belong for the rest of the year. My stuff unpacked quickly, I stared in the empty room, wondering what my roommate was like, who would be my friends, what classes would I take. It was a complex emotion, mixed with both excitement and sadness, the same feeling that everyone else had. But I could feel something more. My limited writing ability probably won't allow me to express my true feeling, but every time I think about my parents, whose daughters are so far away from home, who spend Thanksgiving and Christmas alone, who can only see me once a year, tears are swimming. I guess that two years ago when I left China for going to high school in Minnesota, we had already made a pact. I am here for a reason. The international student orientation was fun. People all over the world, people like me gathered on campus, sharing our stories, and of course, our expectations and joyous for the upcoming semester. Soon all the first year student poured into St. Olaf. Parents were crying, and grandparents were crying, and even the puppy was sobbing.
"When do you think he is going to go home?" my friend from Ecuador asked me.
"I don't know, fall break?"
And we both just laughed.
I was not trying to make fun of anyone, and I am never going to. It was a bitter laugh, the laugh you have to make when you don't want to cry.
Like the Puritan sailing across the ocean, we all came to pursue our dreams. The puritans were after the spiritual purification of their church, and I am after the freedom of allowing myself to fly and sour.
This is now my home the other side of the world.
Learning to Love St. Olaf
Learning to Love St. Olaf
because it has stories
because the Midwest breeze blows across the hill
because the winter gust is cold
and because Oles are better than the knights
because we give rather than ask
because we are international
we sailed from east and west
and across the Pacific
because the air is filled with Malt-O-Meal
my sense melts in my mind
my hunger with my mouth
because we sing Um Ya Ya
because everyone loves the Caff
because we check the P.O three times a day
because the purple dragon smiles in the lib
because the wind chime rings
because the Norwegian folks float
because the Vikings hum
because we are who we are
because home is far away
because it is time
because it has stories
because the Midwest breeze blows across the hill
because the winter gust is cold
and because Oles are better than the knights
because we give rather than ask
because we are international
we sailed from east and west
and across the Pacific
because the air is filled with Malt-O-Meal
my sense melts in my mind
my hunger with my mouth
because we sing Um Ya Ya
because everyone loves the Caff
because we check the P.O three times a day
because the purple dragon smiles in the lib
because the wind chime rings
because the Norwegian folks float
because the Vikings hum
because we are who we are
because home is far away
because it is time
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Anne Hutchinson
I have to confess that tonight's reading assignment is the only one that I have truly enjoyed for a long time. I didn't know anything about Anne Hutchinson prior to the reading, and I believe what fascinates me the most is Anne Hutchinson's courage and wisdom to fight for her freedom, and the freedom of all women: the freedom of believing in what you believe and the freedom for women to have their rights. She realized the Puritan injustice among the community and wanted to voice her opinion to improve the situation by developing her own theological ideas and giving sermons. Many people, both men and women, were impressed by her intellectual ability and followed her. Westerkamp states that " (Anne Hutchinson is) the pioneer for civil and religious liberty, crusading against Puritan." I agree that later in her career she did seemed to fight against Puritanism by challenging Winthrop and expressing her belief in direct revelation and communication with God; however she did support Cotton's idea of Puritanism when she moved from England to Massachusetts. I think it was very brave of her to say what she believed in in front of public. We are who we are and we should act the same way as our minds do even though it means challenging the authority.
"In presenting an alternative to Winthrop's society, an alternative that was outside human control, she was offering the freedom from law and structure that revelation gave her." (P12)
She realized the importance of communication personally with God, even the situation is "outside of human control". It is because of this revelation from God, individualism, all people are equal before God and people, especially women, have the right to speak, to vote, and express their mind freely. However, her identity of a woman put her in jeopardy. "In attacking Hutchinson's femaleness Winthrop was attacking her spirituality." This is a very interesting point that is brought up by Westerkamp. In a society that was deeply influenced by man's hierarchy, being a woman was a disadvantage for practicing the freedom of speech, in this case, developing her theological thoughts. What if Anne Hutchinson was a man and everything she had done was still the same. What would have happened?
"In presenting an alternative to Winthrop's society, an alternative that was outside human control, she was offering the freedom from law and structure that revelation gave her." (P12)
She realized the importance of communication personally with God, even the situation is "outside of human control". It is because of this revelation from God, individualism, all people are equal before God and people, especially women, have the right to speak, to vote, and express their mind freely. However, her identity of a woman put her in jeopardy. "In attacking Hutchinson's femaleness Winthrop was attacking her spirituality." This is a very interesting point that is brought up by Westerkamp. In a society that was deeply influenced by man's hierarchy, being a woman was a disadvantage for practicing the freedom of speech, in this case, developing her theological thoughts. What if Anne Hutchinson was a man and everything she had done was still the same. What would have happened?
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Of Plymouth Plantation
In the handout of Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford, I have read about four stages of the Pilgrims settling in the United States. The description by Bradford of the Pilgrims is very different than Cullen’s Puritans. And of course Pilgrims are very different than Puritans. If the freedom the Puritans are after is considered to be a negative freedom, the freedom of pursuing no boundary of their religion believes, and then the pilgrims’ freedom should be a positive one. They wanted to achieve the kind of reformation that brings them the most self-realization of spiritual awakening. From first arriving to the new land to signing the Mayflower Compact, they stayed loyal to their faith. Freedom appears both explicitly and implicitly in the passage, especially the freedom of worship.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Puritans
I first encountered the vocabulary “Puritans” when I was reading The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Puritans community to me was this indifference clan of cold-blooded people who wanted to purify the whole nation. However Cullen states at the beginning of the chapter that Puritans could be not as bad as we thought despite the fact that they have their notorious reputation. They came here with a dream of living in an ideal world, looking for a fresh start. Whether they had succeed or not, Puritanism is an essential block of our history.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)