The Protestant reformer whose doctrines the pilgrims and Massachusetts Bay colonists tended to embrace most thoroughly was John Calvin. Calvin's teachings, known as Calvinism or Reformed Christianity, heavily influenced the religious beliefs and practices of these early settlers. His emphasis on predestination, the authority of Scripture, and the idea of a "covenant" with God resonated with the Puritan colonists in New England, shaping their religious communities and the establishment of a theocratic society.
