How important was religion to the Puritans?
Religion was very important to the Puritans. They established a theocracy in their colonies in America. Puritans were followers of the teachings of Calvin and believed, like the Separatists, that man was born in sin and they all bore the guilt of Adam and Eve. To become saved, they would have to prove they were worthy while here on earth. To be worthy one would prosper, be faithful, and lead a successful life. Instead of separating from the Church of England, they wanted to “purify” the Church of the influence of the Catholic Church within the Anglican Church, thus the name, Puritans. Puritans wanted to remove themselves from non-Puritans. They originally wanted to leave Great Britain because they were not pleased with the way non-Puritans were worshipping without much interference.
