The roots of the Presbyterian Church trace back to John Calvin, a 16th – century French reformer. Calvin trained for the Catholic priesthood, but later converted to the Reformation Movement and became a theologian and minister.
Calvin dedicated a great deal of thought to practical matters such as the ministry, the church, religious education, and the Christian life. As a reformer and leader, he could be quite strict. He led the Reformation in Geneva, Switzerland. Calvin is an early architect of what is called Reformed Theology.
Calvin’s theology was inspired by and developed from the theology of the famous reformer Martin Luther. He emphasized the doctrines of original sin, justification by faith alone, the priesthood of all believers, and the primary role of the Scriptures. While distinctions separated Calvinist and Luteran Churches in some places for centuries, we have seen significant convergence in the last many decades.
Second in importance to John Calvin in the history of Presbyterianism is John Knox. He lived in Scotland in the mid 1500’s. He led the Reformation in Scotland following Calvin’s principles. His ideas set the moral tone for the Church of Scotland and also shaped its democratic form of government. Scottish Presbyterianism has had the greatest influence on the Presbyterian church in America.
Presbyterianism had a strong and early presence in America from the colonial period. Reformed churches were first established in the early 1600’s, with Presbyterians shaping the religious and political life of the emerging nation. The Reverend John Witherspooon, a Presbyterian, is the only Christian minister to sign the Declaration of Independence.
In many ways, the early United States reflected a Calvinist point of view, with emphases on hard work, discipline, the salvation of souls, and the building of a better world. Presbyterians were instrumental in the movements for women’s rights, the abolition of slavery, and temperance.
During the Civil War, American Presbyterians divided into southern and northern branches. These two churches reunited in 1983 to form the Presbyterian Church U.S.A., the largest Presbyterian/Reformed denomination in the United States.
(Sources: ReligiousTolerance.org, ReligionFacts.com, AllRefer.com, and the Religious Movements Website of the University of Virginia)
