Congregationalism

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Congregationalism \Con`gre*ga"tion*al*ism\, n.
     1. That system of church organization which vests all
        ecclesiastical power in the assembled brotherhood of each
        local church.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     2. The faith and polity of the Congregational churches, taken
        collectively.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: In this sense (which is its usual signification)
           Congregationalism is the system of faith and practice
           common to a large body of evangelical Trinitarian
           churches, which recognize the local brotherhood of each
           church as independent of all dictation in
           ecclesiastical matters, but are united in fellowship
           and joint action, as in councils for mutual advice, and
           in consociations, conferences, missionary
           organizations, etc., and to whose membership the
           designation "Congregationalists" is generally
           restricted; but Unitarian and other churches are
           Congregational in their polity.
           [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  Congregationalism
       n : system of beliefs and church government of a Protestant
           denomination in which each member church is
           self-governing