early American Christianity

Crosses and Purgatory (Why Early Protestants Rejected the Cross)

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Protestant Reformation iconoclasm and worship practices(Why Early Protestants Rejected the Cross)

The Reformation’s Suspicion Toward Crosses and Religious Images In the centuries following the Protestant Reformation, many Protestant groups viewed crosses, crucifixes, icons, and religious statues with deep suspicion. Reformers believed the medieval Catholic tradition of venerating images violated the Second Commandment, and that centuries of devotion to saints, relics, and symbols had drifted into idolatry. … Read more

Worship Services and the Omnipotence of God

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Worship Services and the Omnipotence of God

A Moment of Transition in Early Latter-day Saint Worship By early 1831, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had moved from New York to Ohio, where a surge of new converts created questions about how worship should be conducted. Many of these converts were previously unknown to church leaders, and the rapidly growing … Read more