Brit Lit, Skip the Wit

Both Anne Bradstreet and Jonathan Edwards embrace their Puritan, Christian beliefs. However, it is hard to tell from reading their literature that they both believe in the same God. On one hand, Edwards preaches the wrath of God, instilling the fear of eternal hellfire into all of his listeners. He believes in an angry, powerful god that will instantly condemn a person into an abyss of everlasting torture. In contrast to Edwards, Bradstreet believes in a just, kind, and loving God. Bradstreet explains that her loving relationship with her husband pleases God. She shows an unceasing love for God in the hardest of times. Both Edwards and Bradstreet believe that God has almighty power over the world. The difference between the two is that Bradstreet believes that all is well in a world ruled by God, while Edwards has people fearing their next move, yet God strike them down.

-Glenn Folkes