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From Church to Denomination: American Congregationalism in the Nineteenth Century

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2009

Samuel C. Pearson Jr
Affiliation:
Assistant Professor of History, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, Illinois

Extract

Springing from English Puritanism, Congregationalism became the established religion of New England outside Rhode Island and at the time of the American Revolution stood pre-eminent in membership and prestige in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. Congregationalism's position in New England was not, however, indicative of its national appeal. When the Revolutionary War commenced various of the other American religious groups began to organize themselves into national churches. By the early part of the nineteenth century it was apparent that these national churches forged in the midst of a pluralistic society were denominations, i.e., they were voluntary associations of like-minded individuals united to accomplish certain defined objectives. Thus, religious groups in America came to be defined in terms of a common purpose rather than in terms of a special relationship to civil government or even in terms of a precise theological standard.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Church History 1969

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