What Were the Broad
Patterns in Religion with Consequences on the English Colonies?
This is a tool to help your understanding,
not something to memorize.
Part of this information is background that may help you understand the
Lessons and put information together with things you have heard before (such
as Henry VIII). All of it is to help you see the facts as part of a whole,
including why the United States is not formed with an established church. An established church or a state church
combines the powers of a church and the government. To put it
practically—even if you believed in a different religion—you
would still pay taxes to support the state church, might have to attend the
local one, and might have to be a member in order to have certain jobs. All of these
divisions in Christianity are just the beginning, but all these versions have
consequences on the New World, the part where the United States will begin as
you can see in the right column. The rows marked by the blue band on the left are the first wave of
the Protestant Reformation; many more Protestant groups will splinter from
the initial groups. The Catholics will try to counter the new movements with
their reform movement called the Catholic Counter Reformation. |
|
Religion |
Major Beliefs? |
Organization? |
Associated
Groups |
Where in |
|
Roman Catholicism |
7 sacraments. Examples: -
baptism -
death
rites -
marriage -
priesthood -
communion
|
Hierarchy: -
pope ( -
bishops -
priest If violence needed
to control heresy, the secular authority provided it. |
-- |
Pre-1517 (and
Luther), everywhere in -
-
-
-
New World example: |
P R O T E S T A N T R E F O R M A T I O N |
Lutheranism - 1517 Martin
Luther (German) - 1520 Martin
Luther excommunicated |
“justification
by faith,” not
“works.” 2 sacraments: -
baptism -
communion |
Hierarchy –
different and less. |
Anabaptist and
many more |
New World example: |
Church of England1 - 1527 Henry VIII
excommunicated - 1529 Church of
England formed |
Roman Catholicism,
but without the pope |
Hierarchy like the Catholics except King = pope |
-- |
England as the
“established church” 2 |
|
Calvinism - 1536 John Calvin
Institutes of Christian Religion (Swiss) |
“elect” Predestination Bible = law theocracy |
Congregation |
- Puritans - Separatists The |
·
English
Puritans—to ·
English
Separatists—to ·
Scottish
Presbyterians—“backcountry” (frontier) of ·
French
Huguenots – few to ·
Dutch
Reform – in |
1 The adjective for Church of England is Anglican (for the word Angles). As the name says, the Church of England is a church that is a state church.
2 Following the American Revolution, the name changes in
the United States to Episcopalian.
Copyright C. J. Bibus, Ed.D.
2003-2017
WCJC Department: |
History – Dr. Bibus |
Contact Information: |
281.239.1577 or bibusc@wcjc.edu |
Last Updated: |
2017 |
WCJC Home: |