Which statement best describes Puritan emphasis on literacy?

• A. Literacy and close reading of Scripture
• B. Military training of the young
• C. Monastic scholarship
• D. Exclusive literacy for clergy

Answer: (A)

Puritan emphasis on literacy centers on enabling individuals to read and understand Scripture for themselves. They believed the Bible was the authority for daily life and church practice, so education aimed to equip people to read God’s Word directly, often with family or community instruction. This led to widespread schooling and the use of primers so that everyone, including women and children, could read closely and interpret Scripture in devotion and in catechism. That focus on reading Scripture carefully and personally is what makes the statement about literacy the best fit for Puritan priorities.

Others don’t match because military training isn’t tied to their religious education aims, monastic scholarship reflects a Catholic medieval tradition rather than Puritan practice, and literacy for clergy alone would contradict their push for lay access to Scripture and communal reform.