Religion was the foundation of early colonial American Puritan writings. Many of the early settlements consisted of men and women who fled Europe due to persecution to come to a new land and worship at their own will. Their beliefs were firmly rooted in the fact that God should be involved in all aspects of their lives and worshiped constantly. These Puritan writings focused on their religious foundations related to their exodus from Europe and the role of religion in their lives on the new continent. Their literature helped proselytize God's message and focused on hard work and strict adherence to religious principles, thus avoiding eternal damnation. These major themes are evident in the writings of Jonathan Edwards, Cotton Mathers, and John Winthrop. This article will explore the writings of these three men and how their religious views shaped their literary works, styles, and historical and political views. John Winthrop 1588-1649 John Winthrop was a pioneer of religious freedom in America. As one of the first settlers sailing west on the Arbella, he composed a sermon entitled A Model for Christian Charity. Winthrop's sermon is the framework for creating the spiritual colony he envisioned and a way to unite people arriving in a new land. The people traveling west did not come from a single group but rather came from many groups and backgrounds. Winthrop knew that to succeed in the wilderness these individuals would have to give up some of their individuality for the greater good of the colony. Winthrop believed that religion was the best way to achieve this goal and that Christ was the perfect model to follow. In one passage he says: For models we have the first or... half of the sheet... p. cccxi). London: William Ball Paternoster-Row.Walker, R. (2001). Cotton Mater. Retrieved from http://www2.iath.virginia.edu/salem/people/c_mather.htmlBaym, N. (2008). Cotton mother. In N. Baym (Ed.), The Norton Anthology of American Literature Volume 1 (p. 143). New York: W. W. Norton & Company. Wise, P. M. (2005). Cotton Mathers' Wonders of the Invisible World: An Authoritative Edition. (thesis, Georgia State University) Retrieved from http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=english_dissMather, C. (2008). From the wonders of the invisible world. In N. Baym (Ed.), The Norton Anthology of American Literature Volume 1 (pp. 147). New York: W. W. Norton & Company. Winthrop, J. (2008). A model for Christian charity. In N. Baym (Ed.), The Norton Anthology of American Literature Volume 1 (pp. 82). New York: W. W. Norton & Company.