WHO WERE THE PURITANS, REALLY?
The Puritan era was extremely important in shaping the English constitution and its effect on the church. It gave us a tradition of pastoral theology unparalleled in the history of the evangelical Protestant world. Today, a significant portion of the church has decided that its current ministry should be conducted pragmatically rather than theologically. "What works" is more important than "what is most biblical." If we want to be effective in the 21st century, we need to sit at the feet of the Puritans.
Although the contribution and influence of the Puritans have been widespread, little is known about their origins, beliefs, and the conflicts they were involved in. Puritanism, often misunderstood, was a movement within the Established Church of England. Its goal was to align ecclesiastical practices with the continental Protestant Reformation. This book makes a historical contribution to a better understanding of the Puritans. This work stands out for incorporating multiple elements that enrich it, positioning it as an exceptionally more complete version compared to its original in English. Three key components differentiate this version from the English edition.
First, in addition to being a complete and accurate translation of Brown's original work, without abbreviations or reductions, this edition includes a considerable amount of additional content absent from the original version. More than sixty clarifying notes have been incorporated into Brown's text, which not only clarify and expand the information presented but also offer valuable details about the historical, political, and social context of various important events. These annotations are an indispensable tool for deepening understanding of the topic, expanding on the information provided by Brown.
Secondly, an appendix and a brief introduction from Nick Needham's book, "2000 Years of Christ's Power: The Age of Religious Conflict - Vol. 4," have been included. This addition helps compensate for some of the deficiencies and omissions of Brown's original work, considerably improving its historical accuracy with the most recent discoveries in this field of study.
Finally, the inclusion of titles and subtitles throughout the text divides each chapter into shorter sections, facilitating reading and understanding of the concepts presented. Additionally, a name index has been added at the end of the book to facilitate thematic navigation. All these elements enrich the quality of this work, establishing it as unique in relation to existing publications in Spanish on this topic.
About the author:
John Brown (1830–1922) was a prominent British historian and pastor, born in Manchester, and known for his deep interest and study of the English Puritans; and as one of the main leaders of the Congregational Church in England. Brown studied in Manchester and Lancashire; and pursued postgraduate studies at the prestigious University of London, graduating in 1853. He was not only an academic but also a pastor. His work and interest in the Puritans began in 1864 when he became pastor of Bunyan's historic church in Bedford, being the ninth pastor of the church. Although many assume that Bunyan was the founder and first pastor of the church, he was actually the third, John Gifford being the first. Brown is best remembered for his biographical work on John Bunyan, the first modern biography of Bunyan. This biographical work on Bunyan earned him the title of Doctor of Divinity, awarded by Yale University in 1885.
