Puritanism has a reputation for being emotionally dry, but seventeenth-century Puritans did not only have rich and complex emotional lives, they also found meaning in and drew spiritual strength from emotion. From theology to lived experience and from joy to affliction, this volume surveys the wealth and depth of the Puritans' passions.
"The diversity seen in figures, subject matter, and context also extends to sources, which include treatises, casuistries, sermons, letters, journals, and poems. Those working with rare books will be pleasantly surprised by tidbits on writing, publishing, and translating practices. ... it should be read critically, with a sensitivity to possible future developments." (Jenny-Lyn de Klerk, Evangelical Quarterly, Vol. 89 (4), 2018)
"All of the essays in this volume adhere closely to puritan texts in their effort to prove the importance of happiness for puritans, and to reflect the concern of puritan writers that happiness should be properly understood. ... All of the essays in this volume, and Narveson's especially, merit attention not only by specialists in puritanism, but also by historians interested in puritanism's place in the history of Christianity, and its contribution to the emergence of modern humanism and psychology." (Amanda Porterfield, Church History, Vol. 86 (3), September, 2017)
"All of the essays in this volume adhere closely to puritan texts in their effort to prove the importance of happiness for puritans, and to reflect the concern of puritan writers that happiness should be properly understood. ... All of the essays in this volume, and Narveson's especially, merit attention not only by specialists in puritanism, but also by historians interested in puritanism's place in the history of Christianity, and its contribution to the emergence of modern humanism and psychology." (Amanda Porterfield, Church History, Vol. 86 (3), September, 2017)