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Question 1

David Bercot says that by the time of the Salem witch trials “the primary god of New England was Mammon”; looking at the chapter’s evidence (rum, slavery, profit, respectability), what does this suggest about how easily “religious” communities can be ruled by a rival god while still keeping their Christian vocabulary?

Another way to ask: If New England cared most about money (Mammon), what does that show about how a “Christian” community can still talk like Christians but really serve another god?

Direct Answer Based on David Bercot’s teaching, the chapter suggests a community can keep Christian language and church respectability while its real devotion shifts to profit—so “Mammon” rules in practice even if “God” is still named in public.

Support from Transcript:

Bercot opens by saying “the primary god of New England was Mammon,” because lives were “wrapped up in making money.”
He highlights that the way fortunes were made was “particularly evil: trafficking in human beings,” showing money was valued over people.
He notes rum became New England’s “largest and most prosperous industry,” with distilleries in “almost every important town,” showing how normal and widespread the profit-machine was.
He says “with fortunes to be made… it was not difficult… to close their eyes to the wickedness,” tying churchgoing society to moral blindness.
The slave-trading captain still used religious language—“The Almighty God never suffereth his elect to perish”—while running a brutal voyage.

Discussion Follow-ups How can a church tell when its “respectable normal” is actually being shaped by financial success rather than faithfulness to Christ?

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