Which of the following is not true of the Puritan Religion?

• A. It stressed predestination
• B. It valued literacy
• C. It required close reading of Scripture
• D. It was for men only

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is that Puritan life centered on disciplined, Scripture-driven faith and a belief in God’s sovereign plan for salvation. Predestination was a core belief, shaping how they understood who belonged to the covenant and how they lived daily—with serious moral effort and accountability in the community. Literacy mattered because every member needed to read and study the Bible for themselves, not rely solely on clergy. This commitment to reading Scripture go hand in hand with the habit of carefully interpreting the Word, aligning personal piety with communal norms and sermons.

The idea that this religion was for men only isn’t accurate. In Puritan households and towns, women played a vital role in religious life: they read the Bible to their children, prayed aloud, and participated in family and local religious activities. Education for both boys and girls supported this emphasis on Scripture, and while formal church offices were typically held by men, the everyday practice of Puritan religion extended beyond the male sphere.