Calvanism Essay - 1318 Words

Calvanism We shall be as a City upon a Hill, the eyes of all people are upon us, the Puritan John Winthrop wrote. The Puritans departed for the New World due to their beliefs that the Church of England was hopelessly corrupt and no longer stood for their way of life. They felt that they could create an ideal Christian society in a New World, which would be a model for others to follow. Some even compared themselves to the Hebrews and held the notion that they were founding the New Israel. (Brow) As religious laws had governed the people of Israel, so did the church regulate New England society. The Puritans had some of the most interesting beliefs of the early religious groups. Founded by the beliefs of John Calvin, the†¦show more content†¦They also wanted to maintain every bit of their philosophies and beliefs by the Bible. Puritans were reverent to the Bible as inspired by God. Their attitude was in complete submission; they felt that the Bible was God’s direct instruction for them to live by (Brow). They believed that by adherence to this basis would remove them from the chance of heresy. The Holy Scripture was their foundation. Upon this, they built their whole theology, society, and government. Puritan ideology consisted of a firm belief in Calvins Institutes, covenant relationships, and theocracy. Theology is essential to every religions belief. One of the most demanding religions, Puritan belief forced its followers to change their life in accordance to God’s Holy Word, only to guess that he could possibly be saved by God’s grace. The Puritan religion was based on five basic principles; supremacy of the divine will, the depravity of man, election, free grace, and predestination. Each having a distinct and overpowering effect on all whom followed. The Puritans, again following the teachings of John Calvin, adhered to the basic sinfulness (or depravity) of man, and the fact that some will be chosen through the righteousness of Christ despite their transgressions. No man can be sure in his life what his destiny will be. That statement summed up the basic elements of Calvinism. Within the basic points there are specialized points of Calvinism, which were strictly held by the Puritans. TheseShow MoreRelatedImpact Of The Protestant Reformation721 Words   |  3 PagesLuther, who actively protested and therefore made him an enemy of the pope and so was excommunicated. However, many people such as John Calvin and Huldrych Zwingli continued Martin Luther’s protests and their theologies resulted in Lutheranism and Calvanism, which were both one of the major branches of Protestanism. Moreover, in c. 1524, millions of peasants rebelled against the nobles for equality and humanity. Many countries in Europe therefore followed this notion of reformation and therefroe leadRead MoreEssay on Roots Of Individualism In Euro1177 Words   |  5 Pagesright and power of the individual. As a reaction against rampant church corruption, Martin Luther publicized complaints against the church. Luther’s criticism sparked a revolution that resulted in the formation of several new religions—Lutheranism, Calvanism, Anabaptism, and Protestantism. These new faiths undermined the church as having an absolute truth because each religion claimed to have an absolute truth of their own, separate from their counterparts. One now had the option to freely choose hisRead MoreA World Lit Only by Fire Outline Essay8153 Words   |  33 PagesSwitzerland, seeking refuge from Erasmus (whom he had denounced) who denied him. 3. He wrote Expostulation about Erasmus; he was expelled from Basel. a. Moved to an island in the Lake of Zurich, where he died of syp- hilis at age 35. X. Calvanism A. Calvanism’s Foundation 1. John Calvin founded Calvinism in Geneve. 2. Calvanists were governed by a very strict set of rules. a. Nearly all forms of entertainment were forbidden. b. Anything that was deemed inappropriate was forbidden