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A Series Of Religious Reform Essay

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A series of religious reform known as the Protestant Reformation swept across Europe for more than a century. This upheaval was started by Martin Luther and his ideas inspired others. John Calvin of Geneva elaborated on Luther’s ideas and founded Calvinism. The Institutes of the Christian Religion was written in 1536 by Calvin. He wrote that the all-knowing God knew who was going to heaven and hell. Some souls, known as the “elect”, had been destined for eternal bliss and others for eternal torment. This is known as predestination, since people have no control over their future. The Calvinists constantly sought after signs of conversion. Conversion is the intense, identifiable personal experience in which God revealed to the elect their heavenly destiny. Those who lived sanctified lives and were destined to go to heaven were known as “visible saints.” In England, King Henry VIII broke his ties with the Roman Catholic Church in the 1530s. Some English religious reformers wanted a total purification of Christianity. They became known as “Puritans” and some weren’t happy with the slow progress of the Protestant Reformation. A tiny group of puritans called Separatists broke away entirely from the Church of England. One group of Separatists in Holland dealt with years of toil, poverty, and the “Dutchification” of their children. “Dutchification” is when the culture of the Dutch affect the minds of the Separatists. This encouraged them to seek refuge in America. A group of

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