What are the essential beliefs of orthodox Puritanism?

Answer 1

The Puritans followed a form of Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin.

Predestination was one of the big doctrines--according to the Calvinist view, God chose ("predestined") certain individuals to be saved while all others would go to hell, and if you were one of "the elect", nothing could change your eternal status. You could live as dissolutely as you wanted, and if you were one of the saved you'd go to Heaven anyway. At the same time, you could live a life of the utmost piety and do all the good works in the world and, if you weren't one of the elect, you'd go to hell.

Now, there was a catch in this: at some time in their lives, the elect would receive some kind of sign from God as to whether they were predestined for Heaven or hell. So most Puritans lived pious lives because they were waiting for their sign--in most cases, material prosperity was taken as a sign that you were of the elect.

Then there were the doctrines of "total depravity" and "irresistible grace," which held that human beings are steeped in sin from conception, and thus worthy of damnation, but that the elect were the recipients of God's grace, which led to their receiving their sign of redemption, which brings us back to being, therefore, assured of one's place in Heaven.

There's an acrostic for the Calvinist beliefs, TULIP--but I can't recall all five of the tenets. Total Depravity is the T, I think Unmerited Favor is the U, can't remmber the L, Irresistible Grace for the I, and I think Predestination is the P, but I wouldn't bet the rent on it.

Hope this helps.