How Successfully Did Religious Authorities Impose Moral Values Upon Early Modern Society

How Successfully did Religious Authorities impose Moral Values upon Early Modern Society c.1560-1640?

Early modern English society was one that had a heavy focus upon Religion and order. It was a society, often referred to as ‘pre-modern’, that found itself lost in a constant shuffle of ideals, whether it was the rapid change of religions or what was deemed morally correct. The term ‘moral values’ refers to the values that are considered to be right and socially acceptable, such as the correct way to act within society, or the values that are believed to be religiously true. Yet, the moral values regarded as correct can vary between, not only different countries and religions, but also between the smaller communities within the society. The upbringing of society is highly important in imposing the socially suitable values, for instance with regards to young ladies and the proper manner they should uphold. It was not just the family’s responsibility for imposing moral values, though, as it was also down to religious authorities such as the Church and the Monarch. These institutions were arguably more focused on the religious moral values so as to help dissuade people from actions like witchcraft and Devil worship. In order to answer the above question regarding the imposing of moral values, we must first consider the two main religious authorities – the Church and the Monarch – before considering whether they were as successful as the society themselves.

One of the most powerful religious authorities was the Church itself and the Clergy within it. During the reign of Elizabeth I, the Church had ‘an anglicised semi-Catholic liturgy, and a thoroughly Protestant theology’, which allowed for a religiously semi-stable community. A part of life among the towns and villages was the required attendance to the Sunday service, where the preachers in the pulpit would speak the word of God. This was also an outlet for imposing the moral values upon the people, as they were...