TRTR(1) Religious References in Chapter 1

[David Morris]

The "independent" strain of Congregationalism is important,
emphasizing the local control of specific churches by the independent
congregations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congregational_church

Many Congregational churches claim their descent from the original
Congregational churches, a family of Protestant denominations formed
on a theory of union published by the theologian Robert Browne in
1592. They arose from the Nonconformist religious movement in England
during the Puritan reformation of the Church of England. In Great
Britain, the early congregationalists were called separatists or
independents to distinguish themselves from the similarly Calvinistic
Presbyterians. Some congregationalists there still call themselves
"Independents", see Independent (religion).

Congregational churches became widely established in the Massachusetts
Bay Colony, later New England. The model of Congregational churches
was carried by migrating settlers from New England into New York and
the Old Northwest: Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Illinois. With their
insistence on the independence of local bodies, they became important
in many reform movements, including those for abolition of slavery,
and women's suffrage.

As of the early 21st century, Congregationalism in the U.S. had split
into three major bodies: the United Church of Christ, which most local
Congregational churches affiliated with; the National Association of
Congregational Christian Churches, a fellowship of churches and
individuals formed to continue and foster classic Congregationalism as
the merger that created the UCC was being debated; and the
Conservative Congregational Christian Conference, an evangelical
group.



On Mon, Apr 11, 2011 at 1:30 AM, Richard Ryan <himself at richardryan.com> wrote:>
> ***Gwyon is the pastor of the First Congregational Church.
> Congregationalism is a fascinating denomination, in that it can
> encompass a very progressive social outlook (the Congregationalists
> were central to the abolitionist and suffragist movements) and very
> austere or even severe theological mindset.  Rev.  Gwyon and Aunt May
> or two different sides of the same Congregational coin.