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 Europe? In New World?

 

Roman Catholicism

7 sacraments.

Examples:

-       baptism

-       death rites

-       marriage

-       priesthood

-       communion

Hierarchy:

-       pope (Rome)

-       bishops

-       priest

 

If violence needed to control heresy, the secular authority provided it.

--

Pre-1517 (and Luther), everywhere in Europe. Major Catholic areas in Europe:

-       Italy (city states)

-       France

-       Spain

-       Portugal

 

New World example: Maryland

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

Northern Europe

 

New World example: Pennsylvania

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

 

New World example: Virginia +  South

Calvinism

- 1536 John Calvin Institutes of Christian Religion (Swiss)

“elect”

Predestination

Bible = law

theocracy

Congregation

England:

- Puritans

- Separatists

 

Scotland: Presbyterians

 

France: Huguenots

 

The Netherlands: Dutch Reform

 

England, Scotland, France, The Netherlands

 

New World examples:

·         English Puritans—to Massachusetts Bay Colony

·         English Separatists—to Plymouth

·         Scottish Presbyterians—“backcountry” (frontier) of Pennsylvania and North Carolina

·         French Huguenots – few to South Carolina

·         Dutch Reform – in New York

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

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