Up until the second half of the 20th century, the American Presbyterian creed has been the confessional tradition of the Westminster Assembly (1643-48). Presbyterians in America adopted the Westminster Confession nd Catechisms in 1729 through a compromise measure that produced ongoing debate for the next hundred years. Differences over the meaning of confessional subscription were a continuing cause of the Presbyterian schisms of 1741 and 1837. The Presbyterian Creed is a study of the factors that led to the 19th-century Old School/New School schism and the Presbyterian reunions of 1864 and 1870. In these American Presbyterian reunions, American Presbyterians finally reached consensus on the meaning of confessional subscription which had previously been so elusive.

Description: Colonial Presbyterianism is a collection of essays that tell the story of the Presbyterian Church during its formative years in America. The book brings together research from a broad group of scholars into an accessible format for laymen, clergy, and scholars. Through a survey of important personalities and events, the contributors offer a compelling narrative that will be of interest to Presbyterians and all persons interested in colonial America's religious experience. The clergy described in these essays made a lasting impact on their generation both within the church and in the emerging ethos of a new nation. The ecclesiastical issues that surfaced during this period have tended to be the perennial issues with which Presbyterians have been concerned ever since that time. Now at the three-hundredth anniversary of Presbyterian organization in America, Colonial Presbyterianism is a timely reengagement with the old faith for a new day. Endorsements: ""Since Leonard Trinterud published his fine book on colonial Presebyterianism more than fifty years ago, there has been no other comprehensive study of this formative period in American Presbyterian history. This new book edited by Donald Fortson offers an excellent collection of essays that goes a long way toward updating the subject and showing its ongoing contemporary importance for church structure and Christian life. The book's authors are learned, yet chapters are clear and accessible. The book deserves a wide readership."" --Mark A. Noll Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History University of Notre Dame ""This commemorative volume of the three-hundredth anniversary of the first Presbytery in America is a fitting tribute to the vitality and diversity of Presbyterianism over three centuries. The contributors are all experts who bring their knowledge to bear on the figures and events that shaped a dominant spiritual force through the early colonies. This unique book will be valued by those who recognize the theological, ecclesiastical, and cultural significance of Presbyterianism. They will frequently consult it, delighting in it as a rich resource for describing themes that emerged in colonial times and which, in varied ways, are of ongoing significance today."" --Donald K. McKim, editor of the Encyclopedia of Reformed Faith About the Contributor(s): S. Donald Fortson III is Associate Professor of Church History and Practical Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina.