Final answer:
The point made about Puritan religion and Puritan law is that they were closely linked, with societal and civil norms directly based on religious beliefs, aiming to realize a utopian society, albeit one where equality was reserved for church members. Puritanism shaped every aspect of life in the New England colonies, influencing law, social practices, and education.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Puritan religion was deeply intertwined with law in Puritan New England. Central to Puritan belief was the idea of a covenant with God, which translated into a society where social and civil bonds were connected to religious ones, aiming to create a close-knit, morally upright community as envisioned in John Winthrop's idea of a "city on a hill." This covenant idea suggested that Puritan laws were grounded in a religious context and that government's role was to promote the welfare of its people, a concept that also resonates with the later philosophical ideals of John Locke. However, despite the notion of equal laws, the reality in Puritan societies was that equality under the law was mostly for the "elect," or full church members, who had the exclusive right to vote and hold public office.
As Puritanism was a driving force behind the foundation and development of the New England colonies, it significantly influenced all aspects of life, including the rejection of certain religious practices associated with Catholicism. Through their belief system, Puritans aspired to create a society that closely followed the teachings of the Bible and Calvinist theology, which was reflected in their legal system and societal structure. Education was also deemed vital for Puritan objectives, leading to the establishment of institutions like Harvard University, which played a role in maintaining their religious and societal framework.