“Packer attached one cardinal condition to this project for educating youth: While gaining knowledge, they must not lose faith in God. Packer was profoundly religious. He took literally the scriptural passage, "What shall it profit a man, that he gain the whole world but lose his soul?"

Asa Packer was praised for his religious piety that was demonstrated through church attendance and donations to Saint Mark's Episcopal church. Asa's grandfather was a Baptist minister in Mystic Connecticut. However, when he moved to Pennsylvania he began to search for a new church. Reasons for his switch to Episcopalian remain unknown, but it a speculated that Packer did not feel comfortable in the Baptist Church or the Presbyterian Church. Packer’s religious preferences may be better understood by looking at the larger impact of religion on Victorian society.

The most influential religious revival to occur during the nineteenth century was the Second Great Awakening. Similar to the First Great Awakening in the early 18th century, the Second Great Awakening was a resurgence in religious fervor. It specifically focused on the power of the individual to connect with God, and valued the experience of the common man over the wealthy man. According to the popular preachings of this movement, personal spirituality took precedent over formal education of the Bible. Evangelical denominations became the fastest growing religions in the country. The largest denominations before the nineteenth century were the Congregationalist and the Anglicans. After the American Revolution, Anglicans were referred to Episcopalians in an attempt to distinguish themselves from the Church of England.

The Evangelical impulse peaked before 1850, but it had a lasting impact on religion in the United States. Its emphasis on the ability of individuals to become more spiritual, without the aid of ministers, bishops, or other religious hierarchy led to more social activism. It was a more inclusive structure, so It encouraged democracy and equality. From this movement sprung groups for social changes focusing on temperance, abolition, and universal suffrage.

Although Evangelicalism grew significantly during the Victorian Era, The Episcopalian church and the Presbyterian church remained two of largest churches in the United States, especially for those of the upper class. Although people of all classes attended churches of all denominations, there were a higher concentration of middle and upper class people in non-Evangelical churches. These denominations were more heavily influenced by British ritualism and consisted of bureaucracies and educated ministers. Unlike Evangelical teachings, these churches believed that formally educated preachers and a formal church setting were necessary.