Question

You have read that the Reformation began as a reaction to perceived problems with the Catholic Church. Describe how Puritanism might be considered a similar movement.

Answer 1

The English Reformation grew out of a series of events in sixteenth-century England. The culmination of these events was the breaking away of the Church of England from the pope and the Catholic Church. At the same time, the Protestant Reformation was also sweeping across Europe. Like that religious movement, Puritanism sought to reform an established religion; Puritans wanted to "purify" the Church of England.

Puritans believed that the English Reformation had not done enough and needed to go further. They believed that the Bible was their sole authority and that it should be the basis of every area of their lives. The Puritans wanted to do away with traditional trappings and formalities of any liturgy, ceremony, or practices that were not found in the Bible. Thus the Puritans had a spirit of moral and religious earnestness on which they based their way of life. Since the Church of England was considered the supreme authority, the Puritans sought to reform it, thereby making the whole nation follow the Puritan way of life. (PLATO)

Answer 2

In England, Henry VIII opposed the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope's supremacy, and founded the Church of England (also known as Anglican Church).

However, starting from the XVI century, the so-called Puritans started their religious activism and assembling, under the belief that the Church of England should banish all remnants of Catholic doctrine and religious practices.

First of all, they opposed the King's religious supremacy, which had only replaced Pope's supremacy. According to them, only Christ had such power and dignity as to rule over the church.

Second, they wanted to get rid of all church rituals and decorations, some of which had survived.