Calvinism: Calvinism: the theological system the theological system of French/Swiss theologian and his of French/Swiss theologian and his

followers, marked by strong emphasis followers, marked by strong emphasis on the sovereignty of God, the on the sovereignty of God, the

depravity of humankind, and the depravity of humankind, and the doctrine of predestinationdoctrine of predestination

Pilgrims: Totally separated from the Anglican Church (the government-established, Protestant Church of England); generally poorer than Puritans. 1. started in Yorkshire, England 2. went to Holland 3. sailed Mayflower to Plymouth

Calvinist Groups

Puritans: wished to reform

the Anglican Church from within; followed the Pilgrims to New England and established Massachusetts Bay Colony

Calvinist Groups

All came to New World to establish a theocracy – a colony with laws based on their religious beliefs

Calvinist Groups (cont.)

Calvinist TenetsCalvinist Tenets – the basic religious – the basic religious

beliefs of the Pilgrims/Puritansbeliefs of the Pilgrims/PuritansAbsolute sovereignty of God: God is all-powerful and controls everythingPredestination: an omniscient Deity knows from the beginning who will be “saved” – have eternal life in heaven

Calvinist Beliefs (Tenets)

Providence: God intervenes

directly in the world Natural Depravity: Since

Adam’s fall, all humans are born in sin and deserve damnation

Tenets (cont.)

. Election: Through God’s mercy, a few people

are “saved,” but by the grace of God alone and not through their own behavior or works. One hoped one was one of the “Elect” (the term for those who were saved), and one lived the life of a saved person, constantly searching one’s soul for signs of “grace”; but there was really nothing one could do to change God’s plan for one’s immortal soul. (Note: This most extreme of Puritan/Calvinist doctrines was dropped by the early 1700s and was not a part of Edwards’ theology or of other later Calvinists.)

Tenets (cont.)

Evil is inner: Man needs reform

of himself, rather than of institutions (such as schools, prisons, government, etc.)

God is revealed in the Bible (and nowhere else, such as in nature)

Tenets (cont.)

1643: 11% church membership

Preaching of the “Jeremiad” type of sermon: jeremiads bemoan their communities’ fall from grace, they also read the misfortunes and punishments that result from that fall as paradoxical proofs of God’s love and of the group’s status as his “chosen people.”

1657: Half-Way Covenant

Secularized state

Decline of New England Theology

1677: Stoddardeanism: Very open

Communion

Secularized church

1691: Massachusetts a Royal Colony

No religious bans

1692: Salem Witch Trials

Decline of Puritanism (cont.)

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Religious Revival known as

the Great Awakening Itinerant preachers told

people they could be saved by a “conversion experience,” or else be damned to eternity in Hell (different from old idea of Predestination)

Result of Decline

Rise of other religious

groups such as Quakers Rise of Deism (set of

beliefs held by many Revolutionaries)

Result of Decline