Puritans in the 21st Century: Politics, Myths, and the Future

Puritans in the 21st Century, a day-long symposium on Saturday, November 7, 2026, hosted by six of New England’s leading historical institutions, makes the case for 17th century Puritans. Do they still matter today? A stellar collection of Puritan and other scholars argues they do—that now, in the 21st century, understanding the Puritans and their legacy is more important than ever.

Held in honor of the historian Francis J. Bremer and open to public, this symposium asks what 17th-century Puritan history in England and New England tells us about today’s politics and our understanding of religion and society. From Christian nationalism and the politics of slavery, from the 17th-century toleration debate to pushing Puritan boundaries, Puritans in the 21st Century brings together insights and new research of award-winning academics and public historians. This is the first major gathering of Puritan scholars in more than two decades at a time when early American studies are changing dramatically. Together they ask: What is the future of Puritan studies? Why and how are Puritans important today?

Host Organizations: American Ancestors; Colonial Society of Massachusetts; Congregational Library & Archives; First Church Boston; Massachusetts Historical Society; Partnership of Historic Bostons.

Hybrid event.