長老宗(英語:Presbyterianism),其教会称长老教会(英語:Presbyterian church,簡稱長老會),是基督教新教加尔文宗的一個流派,源自十六世紀的苏格兰改革。 长老教会持守加尔文主义,尤其是苏格兰长老会基本完全延续着喀爾文及其門徒的教义。
20世纪以來,长老会对普世教会合一运动有相当的参与。
教會採長老制,設牧師(Pastor)、傳道(Minister)、執事和信徒群眾選出的長老,共同處理教會事務。是一個以代議民主形式管理地區教會的制度。[1]
這個教派的名字是源自希腊语詞「πρεσβύτερος」(Presbyteros),就是“长老”之意。
長老會的協會起源可以追蹤到蘇格蘭宗教改革,長老教會於1560年由約翰·喀爾文的學生约翰·諾克斯在蘇格蘭進行宗教改革時正式建立。愛丁堡的聖吉爾斯大教堂有時被認為是世界長老會的母會。
蘇格蘭人約翰·諾克斯(1505年—1572年)在日內瓦學習了加爾文主義,1560年返回到蘇格蘭后帶領蘇格蘭教會接受改革。
有一些長老派的傳統採取了1647年創作的《西敏信條》當他們唯一的信條,作為本會牧師受訓練的教條標準。
- Stewart J Brown. The National Churches of England, Ireland, and Scotland, 1801–46 (2001)
- William the Baptist by James M. Chaney (Reformed Presbyterian perspective on baptism and infant baptism)
- Jay E. Adams. The Meaning and Mode of Baptism Thomas Shepard . (1975) (Reformed Presbyterian perspective on Aspersion and Affusion)
- THE CHURCH MEMBERSHIP OF CHILDREN, AND THEIR RIGHT TO BAPTISM (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆) (1662) (Reformed Presbyterian perspective on infants' right to church membership)
- William Henry Foote. Sketches of North Carolina, Historical and Biographical...(1846) (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆) – full-text history of early North Carolina and its Presbyterian churches
- Andrew Lang. John Knox and the Reformation. Longmans, Green, and Company. 1905 [2015-07-16]. (原始内容存档于2020-08-03).
- William Klempa, ed. The Burning Bush and a Few Acres of Snow: The Presbyterian Contribution to Canadian Life and Culture (1994)
- Marsden, George M. The Evangelical Mind and the New School Presbyterian Experience (1970)
- Mark A Noll. Princeton And The Republic, 1768–1822 (2004)
- Frank Joseph Smith, The History of the Presbyterian Church in America, Reformation Education Foundation, Manassas, VA 1985
- William Warren Sweet, Religion on the American Frontier, 1783—1840, vol. 2, The Presbyterians (1936), primary sources
- Ernest Trice Thompson. Presbyterians in the South vol 1: to 1860; Vol 2: 1861–1890; Vol 3: 1890–1972. (1963–1973)
- Leonard J. Trinterud, The Forming of an American Tradition: A Re-examination of Colonial Presbyterianism (1949)
- Encyclopedia of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (1884)
- St.Andrews Prebystarian church in Lahore, Pakistan.Church Website (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆)
- Presbyterian 101 — Mission and Ministry — GAMC. Pcusa.org. [2011-08-07]. (原始内容存档于2010-04-16).
- History and Architecture :: East Liberty Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, PA :: "The Cathedral of Hope". Cathedralofhope.org. [2011-08-07]. (原始内容存档于2011-07-25).