Righteousness in a Fallen World

A central Puritan theological belief, following their Calvinist influences, is Total Depravity. The doctrine of total depravity holds that all humans are born with the brokenness and corruption of sin. This means that their hearts are naturally turned away from God and towards the self.

However, unlike many other Christians, Puritans believed that humans were so sinful, so corrupt, that they could not possibly turn away from their sinful ways on their own. True, humans could maintain a kind of civil social morality that would keep society from descending into utter chaos and barbarism, but without the Holy hand of God, no one could be truly good—no one.

For this reason, if a society wishes to be good, it must be Godly. It must worship God and obey His law to the best of its ability. That said, this goal is mostly...