In its confessions, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) expresses the faith of the Reformed tradition. “Reformed” is a term that emerged during the Protestant Reformation in Europe in the sixteenth century. In 1517, a monk named Martin Luther began a movement that questioned the theology of the Roman Catholic Church. Luther’s movement was a call to “reform” the church. Soon other theologians joined the movement. Presbyterians identify with the “reformed” theology of John Calvin. Central to this theology is the affirmation of the majesty, holiness, and providence of God who creates, sustains, rules, and redeems the world in the freedom of sovereign righteousness and love. Related to this central affirmation of God's sovereignty are other great themes of the Reformed tradition:

• The election of the people of God for service as well as for salvation;
• Covenant life marked by a disciplined concern for order in the church according to the Word of God;
• A faithful stewardship that shuns ostentation and seeks proper use of the gifts of God's creation;
• The recognition of the human tendency to idolatry and tyranny, which calls the people of God to work for the transformation of society by seeking justice and living in obedience to the Word of God.

For more information into the theology and faith of the Presbyterian Church (USA) please see their website: http://www.pcusa.org/101 .