Puritanism
- Year
- c. 1560
- Kind
- Movement
What it was
A Reformed current within the Church of England that, from the 1560s, sought to "purify" it of what it saw as Catholic remnants. English Presbyterians, Congregationalists and Separatists came out of it, and it deeply shaped New England.
Little known
Under Puritan rule, the English Parliament abolished the observance of Christmas, Easter and Whitsun as holy days in 1647.
Key figures
- Thomas Cartwright1535–1603
- William Perkins1558–1602
- John Owen1616–1683
- Richard Baxter1615–1691
Key documents
- Directory for the Public Worship of God1645
- Savoy Declaration (Congregationalist)1658