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Plimoth Patuxet Museums (formerly known as Plimoth Plantation) is pleased to debut “The Light Here Kindled,” an educational short film series exploring the faith and spirituality of Plymouth Colony. Produced with support from Lilly Endowment Inc., the films examine the complex worldviews of the Pilgrims and represent the Museum’s exploration of the ideas and beliefs that were central to the people who lived, traded, worked and worshiped along these historic shores of change in Massachusetts during the 17th century.
The Separatists’, popularly known as the Pilgrims, search for personal religious freedom was a motivating factor behind Mayflower’s transatlantic crossing in 1620. The establishment of a permanent English colony at Plymouth accelerated the transformation of New England in the 17th century — creating American institutions, fostering an Indigenous and English regional society, and a new religious landscape. In significant spiritual, political and economic ways, America is the product of what happened in Patuxet/Plymouth 400 years ago. “The Light Here Kindled” series explores these ideas, moments and impacts that are indelible to the ongoing American Experiment.
While the film series focuses on the faith of the Pilgrims, Patuxet/Plymouth was both a place of Christian Providence (the will of God) and Native Manitou (indwelling spirit being), and these vital spiritual concepts shaped community encounters. Manitou and Providence influenced how the expansion of Reformed churches, the arrival of Quakers and the Christian missionaries’ work among the Natives affected life in the visible and invisible worlds. These are the ideas, moments and impacts that Plimoth Patuxet Museums looks forward to exploring in the future.
Consisting of fourteen short films, “The Light Here Kindled” series is a free educational resource that can be watched at plimoth.org/faith-spirituality.
