Noyes was the founder of the Oneida Community, the most successful of the utopian socialist communities in the United States.He was the son of a New England businessman. Noyes graduated from Dartmouth College in 1830 and seemed to be going for a legal career, but after one year of studying law, he was swept up in the religious revival of the evangelist Charles Finney and decided to become a minister. He enrolled first at the Andover Theological Seminary but later transferred to Yale University. It was there that Noyes first enunciated his belief in perfectionism, the idea that it is possible for an individual to become free of sin in this life through religious conversion and will power. Noyes declared himself free of sin and in a state of perfection. In 1836 he organized a group of "Bible Communists."
Author: John Humphrey Noyes
Place: Oneida Reserve
Prior Knowledge: What I knew about this man before hand was that in the beginning he was striving for a different career, but ended up being involved in religion. He had crazy beliefs.
Audience: This entry was created for people to know his thoughts.
Reason: See previous.
The Main Idea: Noyes was stating his beliefs and brief details.
Significance: It gives us more of an understanding of himself and thoughts.
