What part does religion play in the characterizations in The Crucible?

I think that religion is depicted as a force that
individuals can manipulate in order to advance their own agendas.  It is shown to be the
source of the greatest of human character and simultaneously, the source of some of the
worst elements in human character.  Reverend Parris might be one example of this.  Being
a supposedly religious figure, he is concerned only with his status and seems more
driven by what the impacts of the accusations would be in terms of his standing than
anything else.  His use of religion is only to further his own perception in the eyes of
others.  Abigail, his niece, is one who uses religion to feed her own ends.  She
understands that the severely religious fears of witchcraft can be something she can use
in order to advance her own desire of control and want.  Reverend Hale is not a terrible
individual, but he is depicted as one who stops short of doing the right thing because
of his own zeal, caused by religious fervor. These individuals are cast against the
characters of Proctor and Rebecca Nurse, who might not be members of the religious
establishment, but are ones who act with more of an embrace of spirituality and
sacrifice than those who are supposedly the "religious leaders" of
Salem.