Wayward Puritans - Kai T. Erikson, Brief Description of the Book

Wayward Puritans - Kai T. Erikson
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Introduction
The book “Wayward Puritans” was written in the seventeenth century setting of New England in Massachusetts and analyses how deviant behaviors are perceived by different members of the society. Deviant behaviors are actions that are against the social expectations and rules that guide and govern members of a society. The author draws his assessments in showing that deviant behaviors in the society are not all harmful by combining historical facts from the Bay colony and sociology. Furthermore the author highlights the importance of criminals in the society based on the services they provide. He also focuses on categories of deviation and the ideas behind community boundaries. He finally writes that over time volumes of deviation remain constant. The paper purports to review these major themes that the author has focused on (Scribbles, 2011).
Brief Description of the Book
Erikson breaks down his thoughts in five sections with an introductory that speaks about the different levels and standards of deviance in the society. He mentions that deviant behaviors change with the frequent changes in cultural and moral boundaries. He seeks further support from two authors Emile Durkheim and George Herbert who also recognize the naturality and benefits of deviant behaviors in the society. The author argues against the poor state of institutions that the society has set aside for the deviant and that these places champion for complete separation of the deviant from the rest of the society which only result in instilling more criminal skills to the amateur deviants. The author then takes us through the historical happenings of the Puritans of Massachusetts Bay at a time when England was going through drastic changes. The Monarch, Henry VIII had a severe relationship with the Roman Catholic Church. Efforts by Queen Elizabeth to reconcile matters proved futile and over time things got worse and necessitated the Puritans to depart for America (Scribbles, 2011). The Puritans considered themselves Gods chosen people and as a result challenged and opposed the political system, the throne and the church. They governed themselves with the laws in the bible that advocated for common law. The author then shares how hard it was to identify the Puritans but their ideologies and feelings were easily recognizable.
The author also explores and analyses from history the crime waves that characterized the first six decades of New England. He examines The Antinomian Controversy of 1636 that depicted the misfortunes of Anne Hutchinson, a very vocal and opinionated lady who raised serious concerns about several ministers of the church. These attributes however proved to be her downfall as she was consequently sentenced to jail and later ex-communicated. The author then puts into perspective the mistreatment of the Quakers who had incorporated concepts of new Puritanism (Scribbles, 2011). He shows how the Quakers that first settled at the Bay had their properties destroyed and got persecuted. The final crime wave “the witchcraft hysteria of 1692” occurred after the revocation of the governing charter and the people started living against God’s way...