Westminster Assembly

Historical Context Essay

Chad Van Dixhoorn (Reformed Theological Seminary)
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The Westminster assembly took its name from the abbey in which it met from 1643-1653. The assembly, comprised of one hundred and twenty theologians and thirty members of parliament, had been summoned by the Long Parliament and was known to British and Irish contemporaries as “the assembly of divines”, and to foreign observors as “the synod of London”.

Called to reform the doctrine, liturgy, and discipline of the Church of England, the gathering had its hand in one of the most significant revolutions in the history of that church. For decades the English parliament had been expressing its discontent, and then its resentment, with the growth and perceived abuse of episcopal power. James VI and I and Charles I and their courtiers were unresponsive to these complaints. More than that,

3808 words

Citation: Van Dixhoorn, Chad. "Westminster Assembly". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 03 December 2010 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=13891, accessed 19 March 2024.]

13891 Westminster Assembly 2 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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