How Does Cotton Mather Use Religious Language In The Education Of Children

Knowledge has always been a key factor for improvement. Cotton Mather, an enlightened Puritan Minister, saw a paradigm in the typical eighteenth century puritan world where they focused mainly on respecting their religion. Most people dedicated their lives to religion which distracted them from their education. In Mather’s “The Education of Children” he drills the idea that kids need to have an education because their actions will affect the fate of american history. By using religious word choice, dark imagery , and juxtaposition, he shows how religion and knowledge can works well together if they are treated equally to appeal to both puritans and enlightened leaders.

From the beginning of the text, the choice of words impacts the tone or feeling that the prayer gives off. For example, Mather interpolates phases like “Barbarous Ignorance” and “Outrageous Wickedness” (Mather 3) describing how no education effect incoming generations. Using these types of words is meant to put perspective into the eyes of the common puritan and scare them into educating their child. These words help set the tone of the passage because it

Children are the future and in “the Interest of Christ, and the Christianity in it, [youth must] be well­ trained up, and that Schools, and School -Masters be maintained”(15). The author purposefully includes both religious and wisdomatic terms to show how both of these aspects and should be treated equally. By including both of these sides into one sentences, he shows that they coincide with one another. Instead of only truly respecting their beliefs, they also need to respect time toward a literate society. Juxtaposition not only enhances Mather’s claim of education the youth but relates to the puritans by showing how both subjects compliment each