Anne Hutchinson and the Antinomian Crisis

Anne Hutchinson and the Antinomian Crisis https://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/browse/?cuecard=1656

General Information

Source: NBC News Resource Type: Video iCue Mini- Documentary [Explainer] Creator: N/A Copyright: NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Event Date: 1630 - 1643 Copyright Date: 2007 Air/Publish Date: 09/27/2007 Clip Length 00:02:55

Description Anne Hutchinson, an extreme Separatist, threatens to split the Puritan community in Massachusetts by preaching that some people are pre-ordained. She is eventually driven out of Massachusetts to Rhode Island.

Keywords Anne Hutchinson, Massachusetts Bay, Puritans, John Winthrop, Commonwealth, Separatists, Anglican Church, Church of England, Separatism, England, Antinomianism, Heresy, Rhode Island, New York, Massachusetts, Religious Freedom, Religion, Karen Ordahl Kupperman, New York University, NYU

Citation

APA 2007, September 27. Anne Hutchinson and the Antinomian Crisis. [Television series episode]. NBC News. Retrieved from https://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/browse/?cuecard=1656

CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE "Anne Hutchinson and the Antinomian Crisis" NBC News, New York, NY: NBC Universal, 09/27/2007. Accessed Wed Sep 5 2012 from NBC Learn: https://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k- 12/browse/?cuecard=1656

Transcript Anne Hutchinson and the Antinomian Crisis NARRATOR: Although the Puritans separated from the Church of England to form the Massachusetts Bay Colony, there was a group among them who felt the Puritans were losing their strict conviction, and wanted further separation. One member of this group was a charismatic woman who almost destroyed the unity of the Puritans by taking Separatism to an extreme. Her name was Anne Hutchinson and she was married to a man whom Governor John Winthrop described as very mild tempered and wholly guided by his wife. Together they had 15 children. Professor KAREN ORDAHL KUPPERMAN (New York University): What she started doing first, was having meetings in her house. On Sunday afternoon, people would get together and discuss the sermon. Which is what Puritans did in England. And it was a good thing, you know. NARRATOR: Hutchinson claimed that good works and a holy life were no sure sign of salvation, implying that the saved had no need to obey local laws and religious codes. She believed that the Holy Spirit was already in the hearts of true believers. Her stance, which was called “antinomianism” from the Greek word meaning “against the law”, undermined the power of local officials. In addition, her behavior challenged the idea that women should be deferential and retiring. Still, she continued to draw people to her sermons. KUPPERMAN: But then, pretty soon, it wasn't just women coming. It was men coming. And it was huge crowds coming. And more and more, it seemed like they weren’t just discussing the sermon. Hutchinson was actually presenting her viewpoint. And so they felt that she was she had stepped over a line. NARRATOR: As her influence grew, she charged that many of the Bay Colony’s ministers were not among those chosen by God. Shocked, the ministers condemned her words as heresy and brought her to trial in 1638. KUPPERMAN: She was tried before a jury of ministers. And they kept pressing her on how she could

© 2008-2012 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Page 2 of 3 know that she was right and all of these learned ministers were wrong. And she seemed to indicate that she had had direct revelation from God, which was something that was very problematic for these people. NARRATOR: Her assertion that God had spoken directly to her proved too much for Puritan magistrates, who convicted her of sedition and banished her from the colony. The pregnant Hutchinson led her large family through Rhode Island on foot, and they eventually arrived in New York, where she was killed by Indians. Residents of the Bay Colony interpreted this fate as part of God’s will. Though an outcast in her day, Anne Hutchinson’s religious conviction and her challenge of authority has since made her a legend in Massachusetts.