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Denominations in the 13 Colonies:17th & 18th Century America
“From the Reformation to the Constitution”Bill Petro
your friendly neighborhood historian
www.billpetro.com/v7pc
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ObjectivesBy the end of this session you should be able to
• Trace development of American Colonial Religion
• Define “denominationalism”
• Discuss origins of American denominationalism
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Reformation TraditionsLutheranism Episcopal
Anabaptist Congregational Mennonites English Sep English Baptists
} Reformed Presbyterian Scottish Presbyterian Dutch Reformed
Lutheran
1517 Luther - Melanchthon
French-Swiss1532 Calvin - Beza
German-Swiss1519 Zwingli - Bullinger
Swiss Brethren1525 Grebel – Manz - Simonsz
English1536 Henry VIII - Cranmer Anglican
Episcopal Church of England
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American Church History
ModernNationalColonial
1787 1865
Calvinism ArminianismBiblistic Rationalism
LiberalismSubjectivismExistentialism
Theocentrism Anthropocentrism Liberalism
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Colonies: 1650
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The 3 G’s
• Gold• God• Glory
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Colonies: 1750
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The ColoniesAnglicanism: established religion in 6 of 13 colonies
• Virginia: London company settled Jamestown 1607
• Maryland: settled by George & Cecil Calvert
• North & South Carolina: one colony for ½ century
• Georgia: founded in 1732 for imprisoned debtors
• New York: owned by the Dutch, then English
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Outline by Region• New England Congregationalists• Rhode Island Baptists• Middle Colonies Quakers Mennonites Moravians Lutherans Presbyterians• Maryland Roman Catholic• South, NY, etc. Anglican
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“Denominationalism”
• Primary expression of American Christianity, post 1740’s• Based, in part, on freedom to differ• Denomination vs. Sect• Inclusive vs. Exclusive• The true church cannot be identified with any
single ecclesiastical structure• Seed planted by Reformers: not of bishops but of believers• Architected by Congregationalists at Westminster Assembly
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American CongregationalismEnglishPilgrims
English Puritans
1620
Plymouth
1630
Boston
1691
Merge w/Mass. Bay Co.
New Lights
Old Lights
1734
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Roger Williams and Baptists
• 1636-1683
• Expelled from Mass Bay Colony
• Founded Providence, Rhode Island Colony
• 1638 Rebaptized church
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1740’s
New LightCong’ists
BaptistsRegular BaptistsCalvinist
Separate BaptistsArminian
1630’s
Roger Williams
1787
Constitution
1845
NorthernBaptists
SouthernBaptists
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Quakers
• Founder: George Fox
• Defender: Robert Barclay
• Promoter: William Penn
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William Penn
• 1644 - 1718• 1685: 8,000 Quakers in
Pennsylvania
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Penn’s Government
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Quaker Meetings
• Repugnant to other
denominations:
• Equality for women
• Speaking in Meeting
• Preaching the Gospel
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Mennonites• Followers of Menno Simons• Germany, Switzerland, Holland → Pennsylvania• Quakers tolerated various sects,
New England Congrationalists didn’t• “In New England there is great liberty,
if you hurry”• 17th-century Swiss Mennonite bishop,
Jakob Amman: Amish
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Moravians
• Germany → Savanna, Georgia
• Fled mosquitoes and Spanish
• George Whitfield invited them to “forks of Delaware River” (Pennsylvania)
• Built school for training of Indians
• Settled Nazareth, Bethlehem, Winston-Salem
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LutheransDutch:
New Amster
1620’sSwedes:
Delaware Vly
1630’s
Germans:
Pennsylvania
1700’s
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Roman Catholicism in Maryland
• Father Andrew White (1579-1656)
• First mass upon the arrival of the Ark and the Dove
• 1634: 200 settlers aboard• 1632: George Calvert
“Lord Baltimore” obtained charter from Charles I for Maryland
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Presbyterian Organization
Session Session
Presbytery
Synod
Presbytery
Synod
National Assembly
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PresbyteriansEnglishPresbyterianPuritans
ContinentalReformGroups
Scots-Irish
1706
1st Presbytery
1716
1st Synod
1729
AdoptingAct
1789
1st Nat As’mbly
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1-Word Summary• Catholic Church Merit• Luther Justification• Zwingli Sovereignty• Anabaptists Believer’s Baptism• Calvin Omnipotence• Arminius Ability• “Calvinism” TULIP• Knox Thundering• Henry VIII Married• Pilgrims Separatists• Puritans Saints• Denominations Inclusive