What is Puritanism?

Puritanism was a set of religious beliefs that sprang up
in England in the years after the Protestant Reformation and the creation of the Church
of England.  The Puritans were given this name because they wished to "purify" the
Church of England, purging it of all vestiges of Roman Catholicism.  They believed that
the Catholic Church was too hierarchical and relied too much on
ceremony.

Puritan beliefs were basically Calvinistic.  They
believed in predestination and in salvation solely through the grace of God.  They
believed that there was nothing any person could do to deserve
salvation.

Puritans also believed in a close connection
between religious and secular matters.  They believed that God had made a covenant with
them that required them to exhibit correct behaviors so as to prevent God from punishing
their society.  This meant that they used secular government to enforce church
teachings.