In 1630, John Winthrop delivered his sermon "A Model of Christianity" on a boat full of passengers eager for a new way of life and traveling to the new world. In this sermon, Winthrop, who would eventually become governor of New England, outlined and established what the ideals of Puritanism would entail and conveyed to his “noble flock” the idea of ​​what they would represent as a people. “May the Lord make it like that of New England. For we must consider that we will be like a city upon a hill.” (158) Winthrop suggested that the eyes of the world would be on the passengers of the Arabella to set an example of “good” Christian behavior. He championed the concepts of hard work, friendship and community and held these qualities in the highest regard in building this “City on a Hill” community. He preached the ideology of Puritanism to a congregation of people who freed themselves from the hypocrisy and popery that the religion represented in their previous life. In outlining the ideals of Puritanism, Winthrop considered three essential components; firstly a mentality of grace versus works, which made individual attainment of grace impossible (grace was given only by God), secondly a typology which indicated the presence of God in all events, and thirdly the idea of ​​total depravity, which stated that all human beings are born with original sin and are essentially all damned to hell. With this spiritual foundation in place, Winthrop and his fledgling community of Puritans established themselves and embodied the profile of Christianity presented. While this seemingly utopian community has indeed been successful in many ways, it is also important to consider the individuals within the community who would have a say in the construction of such... middle of paper.... ..centralized spirituality. If one assumes that Bradstreet did not intend to publish his work, one must also understand that his work may be the foreground of progressive thought, which we will see historically later, when the importance of the individual in the interpretation of spirituality is emphasized . Perhaps, Bradstreet's poems were a private contemplation and examination of herself in a society she lived in but did not necessarily agree with. Perhaps his poems are really meant to directly criticize Winthrop's "city on a hill mentality." Whatever the case, the message of contradiction becomes relevant when approaching his work and is something to fully consider when reading his words. Works Cited Franklin, Wayne, Philip F. Gura, and Arnold Krupat. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. 7th ed. vol. A. New York: W. W. Norton, 2007. Print.