How did protestantism affect the way people thought about government?

Answer 1

It is likely that the early Protestant reformers were not particularly interested in political reform.

However, as governments continued to infringe on the religious freedom on minority Christian movements, there was an initial attempt to find a place of refuge. The Pilgrim Fathers were a case in point: they first sought refuge in Holland, and then in America. Partly due to this experience, the idea of freedom of religion has remained an important element in American politics.

Meanwhile, in England, the fear that Charles I was going to return the country to Catholicism led the majority in the Parliament to look for a political solution, and this led to the English civil war, and the execution of Charles. After this, the experiment of a Puritan led government under Oliver Cromwell followed, but Cromwell failed to hold onto the support of the majority of the elected members of Parliament, and the regime collapsed after his death. The country again became a monarchy, with Charles II becoming king. While Charles II allowed a more pluralistic religious environment to exist, those who belonged to the Church of England possessed advantages over the nonconformist Christians and the remaining Catholics.

When Charles II died, James II became king. The Parliament again feared a return to Catholicism. This then led to the so-called "Glorious Revolution" of 1688, and the recognition of William of Orange and his wife, Mary (the daughter of James II), as joint monarchs.

In this sense, the rise of Protestantism played a role in the development of the concept of freedom of religion, leading to the modern idea of the right to exercise a large measure of freedom of expression.