Religion's Role In Puritan Society

Krishni Alalasundram

THEOLOGY 1000C

When one thinks about the Puritan society, a society dominated by the church and where it was considered a crime to not attend church and where it was considered a crime to not attend church on the Sabbath, it is difficult to trace our society today back to the roots of Puritanism. In our society today, religion does not play as big of a role as it did in the mid 1600s. However, what many people also failed to see in Puritan society is that behind a wall of “God laws” is the foundation of their own constitution. Thus due to their strong values and commitment to self-government, the Puritans had a more important and lasting impact on both Massachusetts and the United States than any other ethnic and religious

They were very religious. They read the bible daily and expected everyone to attend church services. Churches during the time period of the Puritans were not nicely built. They were unheated and uncomfortable. Women and men sat apart. Boys were placed in a balcony above the main section of the church and were punished if they made noise. The ministers told their followers how they should behave and what they should believe in. The ministers of the Puritan church were often the leaders of the community. In order to become a full member of the Church, they had to prove that they were a part of the predestined elect group who was guaranteed admission to Heaven. God chooses who is saved and who is damned. No one can earn salvation through works. Yet the saints are responsible for their actions. For the Puritans, religious and political life were completely intertwined. Each Puritan town had town meetings to determine how the town would be run and only male church members were allowed to vote on issues affecting the town. Women were not allowed to vote or make decisions in the church. They worked in the home and the garden. When it came to education, the literacy rate amongst Puritans was rather high due to the fact that they wanted their children to be able to read the Bible. The result of this lifestyle of hard work was a community that was wealthy and industrious. Since God was an all knowing

Religion was the center of Puritan life. The Puritans wanted to live lives of moral purity. The lives of the Puritans were defined by religious principles. Their religious beliefs were what defined their individuality. These beliefs affected the life of a Puritan in many ways including in education, jobs, life at home and life at church. I believe that these beliefs made a positive impact on the Puritan lifestyle and should be considered in society