A pretty good introduction to the history of the rise and fall of Puritanism in England and New England. To the uninitiated, the book provides a decent overview of the principle forces, both political and religious, in the shaping of the Puritan movement of the early 1600s. It also seeks to disabuse the public of common misperceptions about the "puritanical" character, such as the widely-held belief that puritans were killjoys. It is hard to discuss at too great a length about all aspects of Puritanism in a little under 125 pages, but Bremer has done a fairly well job of presenting the most important aspects of the Puritan movement and its legacy and influence in the history of England and the US since the early 17th century. Bremer's introduction provides a good starting point for delving further into Puritanism. Highly recommended. ( )

Author Francis J. Bremer delivers exactly what is promised by the title of this book -- a brief introduction on Puritan thought. There are a few quotes, mostly in shaded sidebars. While one could tell the author was familiar with primary source writings, she utilized quite a few secondary sources in this overview of the Puritan movement. There are no footnotes, but there are bibliographies which accompany each chapter, leading the reader who wishes to explore the topics more fully to good sources. We learn a bit about the history and theology of the movement, how the Puritan interacted in society, and about personal lifestyle. The weakness of the book is in describing the decline of Puritanism and describing the genealogy of present-day groups claiming some level of origin with the Puritans. This book, however, is well-suited to persons who just want an introductory level of knowledge about Puritan history and theology. ( )