清教主義（Puritanism）是根源十六世紀，法國宗教改革家約翰喀爾文（John
Calvin,1509~1564）為建立他神本國度的理論與實踐；之後，盛行於英國，十七世紀，再由殖民，傳入北美新英格蘭地區。至於，超越主義（Transcendentalism）是十九世紀，美國本土文人響應浪漫文學運動下而生，由於發源地也正是清教大本營的新英格蘭的麻州，這使喀爾文清教思想（Calvinist Puritanism），勢所難免地成了超越文學作家首當其衝的挑戰，文學印象上，超越主義也的確針對清教思想於個人自由與在現實生活中的壓抑人性，莫不口誅筆伐。超越主義作品中固充滿反抗清教壓抑個人思想的筆觸，但深入探討，出人意表的是超越文學卻多所清教思想的隱涵，如艾默生之《自然》或霍桑的《紅字》，然最具典型代表者莫過亨利梭羅（Henry D. Thoreau, 1817~1862）在《湖濱散記》，所提倡喀爾文式禁慾、苦行，回歸個人『神性』（divine）之『簡約生活』的主張；在《公民不服從論》中，梭羅又試圖將此一心靈及精神上的平靜，寄託於清教時代「鄰里之治」（neighborhoodpolitics）小眾社會的政治回復，梭羅在文學與政治上的主張與原始清教精神與思想有高度的相合。梭羅外顯的反（清）教又吸收清教思想於作品內涵的矛盾，本文將首先分析清教教義自喀爾文清教「預定論」以至北美清教「契約論」與「善工」的動態演變；由此發現梭羅抗議者，實是十八世紀工業革命後，北美清教曲解「工作倫理」（work ethics）教義，用以結合資本、都會化的唯物功利傾向，以致人心道德之腐化。與其說梭羅反清教，更正確說法當是他所懷者，大有回返喀爾文清教於北美初期所倡禁慾、苦行與唯心生活之復古。

Puritanism was the religion practiced by the people of colonial Concord, Massachusetts ,the setting for Thoreau’s works. Puritan society was supposed to be a utopian society and do away with their English traditions, but instead was very strict and highly religious which
implies that Puritanism was an evil concept that mistakenly combined religion and law in its society.In spite of Thoreau’s obvious disagreement with Puritan theology and anger toward the Puritan system of individual repression that the Puritan hierarchy is presented as an evil
malefactor, the influences of Thoreau’s upbringing in Concord and his Puritan ancestry are evident in his literary works. Considered solitary and ascetics by nature, Thoreau used these character traits to portray his unconscious feelings toward Puritanism. Many of his writings
are expression of Puritan ideals and the correlation of those ideals with human nature.Thoreau concurs with their fundamental doctrine of Calvinist asceticism in his 2-year solitary experiment – Simple Life in Walden. Another abrasive expression Thoreau’s awareness of the Puritan ancestry is a political utopian sense which later practiced in a Puritan “township
spirit” in the colonial New England.The purpose of this paper is just to reveal and analyze such a paradox in Thoreau’s deep unconsciousness toward Puritanism. In fact, what Thoreau wants to correct is Puritans’
distorting the work ethics to embraces Capitalism in 19th century. What Thoreau is pursuing actually is a return to the ascetic style of Puritans in the age of Thirteen States.