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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