A Model of Christian Charity

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

Debate: “Are Non-Charitable Believers Hypocrites?”

In this activity, students will participate in an in-class debate regarding the necessity of charity in a religious person’s life.

For Winthrop, charitable giving is an essential component of Christianity. For this activity, you will argue either for or against the following assertion: A religious person who does not participate in charitable giving is a hypocrite. Working with your classmates, you will develop an argument, including opening and closing statements as well as rebuttals, that supports your point of view. Be sure to rehearse your argument with your group prior to the in-class debate. Finally, participate in a post-debate class discussion in which you analyze and reflect on each team’s argumentative approaches.

Teaching Suggestion: This activity invites students to apply their analytical and debate skills to the subject of Winthrop’s sermon. Invite students to apply this question to all forms of religion, as well as the contemporary context in which many non-religious entities participate in charitable giving. This teacher-facing resource from Harvard University provides guidance on facilitating in-class debates.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Throughout the sermon, Winthrop emphasizes the importance of charity in society.

• Is Winthrop’s demand for charity purely a religious sentiment, or does it have pragmatic goals as well? (topic sentence)
• Explain Winthrop’s argument surrounding charity and include specific references to the text to support your claim.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, consider how Winthrop’s support of charitable giving links with the concept of Exceptional Piety to Create an Exceptional Society.

2. One of the most prominent discussions in Winthrop’s sermon is the discussion of Adam and the body of Christ.

• What is the relationship of Adam and Jesus Christ in Winthrop’s sermon? (topic sentence)
• Summarize the importance of Winthrop’s allusion with direct quotations and examples from the text.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, discuss the ways in which the relationship between God’s creation of Adam and the body of Christ connects with Charity as an Expression of Christian Love.

3. Winthrop asserts the necessity of both wealth disparity as well as wealth distribution.

• How are the topics of the disparity and the distribution of wealth related for Winthrop? (topic sentence)
• Identify and explain at least two examples in which Winthrop breaks down the differences between these concepts as well as their interrelated functions.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, reflect on how these topics relate to the overall theme of The Divine Duty of Charity.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Read Ronald Reagan’s farewell address to the Nation from 1989. How does he connect Winthrop’s sermon to his own speech? Do you think his quotation of Winthrop’s sermon accurately represents Winthrop’s goals for New England? Why or why not?

2. Do you think Winthrop would be happy with American society today? Based on his sermon, what issues do you think he might raise with American life and/or American government? How would he view the disparity of wealth and the present state of charitable giving in contemporary American society?

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following statements would Winthrop agree with?

A) God encourages the redistribution of wealth based on Communism.

B) God created every person to their own particular position.

C) God allows people to choose their own fate.

D) God desires the Puritans to only live among Atheists.

2. Which of the following resources does Winthrop use in order to support his argument?

A) Biblical allusions

B) Historical references

C) Religious poetry

D) Anglican law

3. Which of the following statements accurately reflects Winthrop’s beliefs?

A) One should forsake their family when giving alms.

B) One should practice mercy if someone is unable to make a repayment.

C) One should never forgive those who are unable to pay debts.

D) One should forego their collective desires for the sake of the individual.

4. Which of the following best describes the structure of the middle of Winthrop’s sermon?

A) A dialogue of question and answers

B) An allegory from the Torah

C) A hymn regarding the importance of giving

D) An aside to the Anglican Church

5. Which of the following representations does Winthrop use to discuss the bond of love?

A) Linguistical

B) Anatomical

C) Ecological

D) Chemical

6. Which of the following phrases best describes the meaning of “a citty upon a hill,” as referred to on page 47?

A) A geographical landmark for incoming Pilgrims

B) An allusion to the ancient city of Jerusalem

C) A reference to the importance of their community as a model to new colonies

D) A warning to new societies of the importance of Catholicism

7. Which of the following phrases best describes the tone of Winthrop’s sermon?

A) Encouraging

B) Informative

C) Deterring

D) Ridiculing

8. Which of the following ideologies would Winthrop support?

A) Individualism

B) Paganism

C) Anglicanism

D) Collectivism

9. Which of the following reasons describes the necessity of love for the Puritan community?

A) To serve as a model for other Jewish communities

B) To reprimand heathens prior to conversion

C) To create a bond between Christians

D) To encourage marriage and procreation in the colony

10. Which of the following reasons best describes the impact of Winthrop’s sermon?

A) To provide guidance for a fledgling society

B) To dispose of prior Catholic traditions

C) To emulate the need for revolution

D) To create dissent from the Pilgrim Colony in Plymouth

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. Who is Winthrop’s intended audience? How can this be decided from both the content of the speech as well as the historical context of the sermon?

2. Which literary devices does Winthrop use in order to convey his argument? Provide 2-3 examples and analyze their function.