Religion in early Virginia
Although religion in Jamestown was quite orthodox and focused specifically on Christianity, it eventually became very complex with numerous denominations. Virginia was to be a place where many different forms of Christianity would attempt to develop and flourish. In the beginning, the first and foremost goals of the colonists were to spread Christianity, and they were initially members of the Anglican Church. Anglicanism is “a tradition within Christianity which comprises the Church of England” and celebrates the traditional sacraments including the Holy Communion and the Mass (Pyle, 61). Their faith is founded in the Scriptures and the Gospels and they follow the Book of Common Prayer which is a collection of services Anglican churches have used for centuries. This is a denomination of Protestantism, which is a branch of Christianity that uses certain forms of the Christian faith and practice, and rejects the Roman Catholic doctrine that it is the “one true church” (Rasor , 74).
King James I was the head of the Church of England, and wanted to establish Protestant Christianity as the only religion of the New World. He expected it to be of extreme importance to the colonists, and “the daily lives of the colonists where punctuated with the rhythms of religious rituals” (Rasor, 24). Ministers, appointed by the Bishop of London, were among the colonists on the first ships to Virginia and the first charter of Virginia instructed colonists to spread Christianity to the natives (Butterfield, 6). It “mandated the spread of the religion now professed and established within the Church of England”, which was the established church of the colony of Virginia (Butterfield, 6). The first official church of the New World was built in 1607. It was a small barn-like structure where Anglican Christianity was practiced until it burned down in January of 1608 (Pyle, 61). This was where Reverend Robert Hunt held the first Anglican communion on June 21, 1607 (Pyle, 61). The established Anglican church was very aggressive against Catholics and considered Puritans, Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, and Quakers, as unorthodox and their forms of belief as impure, even though these were all Protestant religions (Rasor, 74).
Colonists themselves were threatened with imprisonment if they did not stay faithful to the religion of Christianity. In the spring of 1610, the governor of Virginia, Sir Thomas Dale, issued the Lawes Divine, Morall and Martiall laws which specified the responsibilities of ministers and required every person to attend church twice every Sunday (Rasor, 23). Each governor was appointed by superiors in London, who required them to preserve the Church of England in Virginia (Butterfield, 6). However, from the very beginning of the settlement at Jamestown, the governing leaders knew that life in the New World would not be a place where one religion could dominate. Factors such as living conditions, geographical separation from England, and the lack of bishops for church government are what lead to the development of new religious beliefs and practices.
Calvinism, known as the “Reformed tradition” or “Reformed faith”, is a major branch of Protestantism (Berlet, 1). It follows the theological traditions and forms of Christian practice of Pastor John Calvin, who emphasized the rule of God over all things and the inherent moral weakness of human beings (Berlet, 1). Puritans were a part of the Calvinist reform movement who coexisted with the Church of England and could be found scattered throughout England. They were willing to conform if the church remained based in Calvinism but then left to Virginia in search of religious freedom (Butterfield, 7). Followers of this group of English Protestants stressed the “Christian obligation to know and serve God” and supported reform in the Church of England rather than separation; they “sought to purify the Church of remnants of Roman Catholic popery... including its episcopal structure, many formal prayers, and litany”, which was prayer recited by the clergy and responded to in a recurring form by the people from the Book of Common Prayer (Butterfield, 7). They became very influential on the Jamestown society with their beliefs that “one should be in a covenant relationship with God in order to redeem oneself from one’s sinful condition”(Rasor, 45). The Puritans established small parish churches which were controlled by vestries, or “church wardens”, a non-ordained member of the society. However, Puritans were not always tolerated in Virginia, and some colonists were “publicly critical of their presence”, so they tended to “settle in clusters and form cohesive communities” (Butterfield, 8).
On July 30th, 1619, the first Virginia Assembly met in the Jamestown church and enacted laws that mandated the observance of the Sabbath, weekly church attendance, and the collection of taxes for the support of the church and clergy (Butterfield, 6). By 1620, although there was a struggle for power between the Anglicans and the Puritans, Protestant Christianity clearly remained the dominant religion in Virginia.
King James I was the head of the Church of England, and wanted to establish Protestant Christianity as the only religion of the New World. He expected it to be of extreme importance to the colonists, and “the daily lives of the colonists where punctuated with the rhythms of religious rituals” (Rasor, 24). Ministers, appointed by the Bishop of London, were among the colonists on the first ships to Virginia and the first charter of Virginia instructed colonists to spread Christianity to the natives (Butterfield, 6). It “mandated the spread of the religion now professed and established within the Church of England”, which was the established church of the colony of Virginia (Butterfield, 6). The first official church of the New World was built in 1607. It was a small barn-like structure where Anglican Christianity was practiced until it burned down in January of 1608 (Pyle, 61). This was where Reverend Robert Hunt held the first Anglican communion on June 21, 1607 (Pyle, 61). The established Anglican church was very aggressive against Catholics and considered Puritans, Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, and Quakers, as unorthodox and their forms of belief as impure, even though these were all Protestant religions (Rasor, 74).
Colonists themselves were threatened with imprisonment if they did not stay faithful to the religion of Christianity. In the spring of 1610, the governor of Virginia, Sir Thomas Dale, issued the Lawes Divine, Morall and Martiall laws which specified the responsibilities of ministers and required every person to attend church twice every Sunday (Rasor, 23). Each governor was appointed by superiors in London, who required them to preserve the Church of England in Virginia (Butterfield, 6). However, from the very beginning of the settlement at Jamestown, the governing leaders knew that life in the New World would not be a place where one religion could dominate. Factors such as living conditions, geographical separation from England, and the lack of bishops for church government are what lead to the development of new religious beliefs and practices.
Calvinism, known as the “Reformed tradition” or “Reformed faith”, is a major branch of Protestantism (Berlet, 1). It follows the theological traditions and forms of Christian practice of Pastor John Calvin, who emphasized the rule of God over all things and the inherent moral weakness of human beings (Berlet, 1). Puritans were a part of the Calvinist reform movement who coexisted with the Church of England and could be found scattered throughout England. They were willing to conform if the church remained based in Calvinism but then left to Virginia in search of religious freedom (Butterfield, 7). Followers of this group of English Protestants stressed the “Christian obligation to know and serve God” and supported reform in the Church of England rather than separation; they “sought to purify the Church of remnants of Roman Catholic popery... including its episcopal structure, many formal prayers, and litany”, which was prayer recited by the clergy and responded to in a recurring form by the people from the Book of Common Prayer (Butterfield, 7). They became very influential on the Jamestown society with their beliefs that “one should be in a covenant relationship with God in order to redeem oneself from one’s sinful condition”(Rasor, 45). The Puritans established small parish churches which were controlled by vestries, or “church wardens”, a non-ordained member of the society. However, Puritans were not always tolerated in Virginia, and some colonists were “publicly critical of their presence”, so they tended to “settle in clusters and form cohesive communities” (Butterfield, 8).
On July 30th, 1619, the first Virginia Assembly met in the Jamestown church and enacted laws that mandated the observance of the Sabbath, weekly church attendance, and the collection of taxes for the support of the church and clergy (Butterfield, 6). By 1620, although there was a struggle for power between the Anglicans and the Puritans, Protestant Christianity clearly remained the dominant religion in Virginia.
Upon arriving at Cape Henry in 1607, the settlers planted a cross to represent the Anglican Church of England.
Sources
Butterfield, Kevin. "Puritans and Religious Strife in the Early Chesapeake." The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 109.1 (2001): 5-36. Print.
Berlet, Chip. "Calvinism, Capitalism, Conversion, & Incarceration." Public Eye Winter 2004: 8. ProQuest. Web. 25 Feb. 2014 .
Pyle, Ralph E, and James D Davidson. "The Origins of Religious Stratification in Colonial America." Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 42.1 (2003): 57-76.
Rasor, Paul B., et al. From Jamestown to Jefferson. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2011. Print.
Image: National Park Service. "The Reverend Robert Hunt: The First Chaplain at Jamestown." U.S. Department of the Interior, Web. 25 Feb. 2014.
Berlet, Chip. "Calvinism, Capitalism, Conversion, & Incarceration." Public Eye Winter 2004: 8. ProQuest. Web. 25 Feb. 2014 .
Pyle, Ralph E, and James D Davidson. "The Origins of Religious Stratification in Colonial America." Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 42.1 (2003): 57-76.
Rasor, Paul B., et al. From Jamestown to Jefferson. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2011. Print.
Image: National Park Service. "The Reverend Robert Hunt: The First Chaplain at Jamestown." U.S. Department of the Interior, Web. 25 Feb. 2014.
