From Orthodox to Confessional (Heresy History 4: after 1580)

Early Lutheran Orthodoxy began in 1580 after the presentation of the Book of Concord and lasted for twenty years, until 1600.

• Congregationalism began in 1592 as an offshoot of the Puritans, who adopted the Presbyterians structure of completely autonomous congregations.
• Baptists began in 1609 from the English Separatist Movement, influenced by the Anabaptists and also the Puritans.

High Lutheran Orthodoxy lasted between 1600 and 1685 and included theologians such as Martin Chemnitz and Johann Gerhard.

• Quakers or Friends began from the teaching of George Fox in the middle of the 17th century. Fox was attempting to reform the Anglican church to be more like the Anabaptists. They focus on priesthood of all believers and are nonconformists, individualists, and pacifists who verge on universalism. They reject religious symbols like iconoclasts as well as sacraments and try to just live life being led by the Holy Spirit.

In 1648 the Treaty of Westphalia ended the European religious wars, which is commonly accepted as the end of the reformation. In the East, in 1666, 213 years after splitting into separate groups, the Eastern Orthodox Church came back together under common doctrine after 14 years of reforms. However, there was a schism with the Russian Old Believers.

• Jansenism was a very Augustinian  movement in 17th to 18th centuries in the Catholic church emphasizing original sin, human depravity, justification by faith, the necessity of grace, and predestination.
• Socinianism had its roots in the anabaptist movement, but was non-trinitarian. It went beyond Arianism to deny pre-existence of Christ and focused on civil affairs and issues.
• Erastianism teaches that the state is supreme in church matters and split from Anglicanism
• Gallicanism: 17th to 18th centuries The states authority is equal to that of the popes
• Febronianism: movement within Catholicism in latter 18th century directed at nationalizing Catholics and stating the state had more power than the pope

 Late Lutheran Orthodoxy lasted between 1685 and 1730.

• The Amish are a group that began in 1693 who are closely related to the Mennonite Church and are the theological descendants of the Ababaptists.
• Pietism began as a Lutheran offshoot in the late 1600s, peaked during the mid 1700s, ushering the end of Lutheran Orthodoxy. It has since declined to almost nothing, however, its influences are still around in many protestant denominations. It focused on individual piety and personal behavior and was influenced by Anabaptism.

Lutheran Synods in America began in 1748 with the formation of the Pennsylvania Ministerium, followed by the New York Ministerium almost forty years later. This was happening during the height of the Pietist movement and also when many Puritans were migrating to America from England. In 1799 King Frederick William III of Prussia wanted a common service for a state church. By 1817 he ordered the Reformed and Lutheran churches to unite. The dissenters who remained faithful to the Lutheran doctrine were called Old Lutherans.

• Wesleyanism began in the 18th century as a reformation of the Anglican church with influences from the more radical reformation, especially Arminiansm. They claim four sources of authority: scripture, reason, tradition, experience
• Methodism teaches that sanctification is progressive, but you can work toward earthly perfection (and there is a method of doing so)
• Adventism was officially formed in 1863. They focus on end times, heaven, hell, new earth, purgatory, and annihilation
• Holiness Movement: emerged in the 19th century from Methodism instant sanctification and perfection is possible
• Pentecostalism, Nazarene, Assembly of God, and the Church of God  are various churches and denominations coming from the Holiness Movement
• Church of Christ congregations are loosely affiliated autonomous Churches who only use the new Testament and avoid all denominational labels and icons.

Old Lutherans moved to America during the early and middle of the 1800s to escape religious persecution in Prussia and formed many new Synods. The Neo-Lutheran movement in came about around 1830 as a response against Pietism and rationalism. The Erlangen School of Neo-Lutheranism leaned toward antinomianism and merged with the Reformed church. The Repristination Neo-Lutherans wanted to remain faithful to the teachings of the Lutheran confessions, such as C.F.W. Walther. Over time many Lutheran synods were formed and merged and changed and the term Confessional Lutheran came from the heritage of the Old Lutherans and Repristination Neo-Lutherans as the ones who hold to a quia (because) subscription to the Book Concord, as opposed to a quatenous (in so far as) subscription. Here is a great graphic of the formation of the synods in America.

Today the main groups of Christians are:

1. Roman Catholic
2. Eastern Orthodox
3. Confessional Lutheran
4. Calvinists
5. Mainline Protestants/Seven Sisters of Protestantism (liberal in Biblical interpretation and ethics)
1. Methodist
2. Episcopal
3. Presbyterian
4. Church of Christ
5. Non-Confessional Lutherans (e.g. ELCA)
6. American (northern) Baptist
7. Disciples of Christ
6. Evangelicals (conservative socially and politically; and low church)
1. Reformed
2. Baptist
3. Non-Denomination Churches from a reformed and/or baptist background
7. Charismatics
1. Holiness Movement offshoots
2. Adventist offshoots