Presbyterianism

[ prez-bi-teer-ee-uh-niz-uhm, pres- ]

noun

1. church government by presbyters or elders, equal in rank and organized into graded administrative courts.
2. the doctrines of Presbyterian churches.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Presbyterianism¹

First recorded in 1635–45; presbyterian + -ism

Example Sentences

This topic pulls together the Reformation, pro-slavery Presbyterianism and Christian Reconstructionism.

From Salon

He later became a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, a small, conservative denomination that broke away from mainstream Presbyterianism and emphasizes a fundamentalist reading of the Bible.

From Washington Post

“Oh, no, indeed! She comes of sound old Presbyterian Kentucky stock. The old gentleman, her father, I have heard, used to atone for his weekday sins with his Sunday devotions. I know for a fact, that his race horses literally ran away with the prettiest bit of Kentucky farming land I ever laid eyes upon. Margaret—you know Margaret—she has all the Presbyterianism undiluted. And the youngest is something of a vixen. By the way, she gets married in a couple of weeks from now.”

From Literature

The peace was short-lived, since Charles escaped from custody on the Isle of Wight in November, rallied his forces and reached a secret agreement with the Scots, offering concessions to the followers of Presbyterianism if he was restored to the throne, before he was recaptured.

From Literature

The last of the 13, Dwight Eisenhower, proved the Mainline’s influence by being baptized into Presbyterianism early in his presidency, like a 16th-century prince accepting the state religion to claim a vacant throne.

From New York Times