Scottish Reformation (reformation of Christian worship)– while England’s King Henry VIII was separating from the Catholic church to create the Church of England (we know it as the Anglican church) Scotland was still an independent country. Henry’s separation was a mandate from the highest authority in the country. In Scotland it was more of a grassroots movement that lead to the creation of the Church of Scotland which was led by groups of elected leaders called “presbyteries”. On continental Europe two of the noted reformists were John Calvin and Martin Luther. In Scotland, John Knox (1514-1572) was a follower of Calvin and was one of the leaders of the Scottish Reformation.
In the St. Andrews Castle Museum it was noted that:
"After several years of travel John Knox returned to St Andrews in June 1559 during the political and religious upheavals of the Scottish Reformation. Protestants, like Knox, who wished to abolish papal authority and reform the church received backing from powerful groups opposed to Scotland's pro-French Regent, Mary of Guise, who had replaced the Earl of Arran in 1554.
Military skirmishing between the Regent and her opponents led to prolonged uncertainty: this was resolved in favour of the reformers who enjoyed English support in 1560.
Knox preached passionately in several towns; and after a powerful sermon in St. Andrews on 11th June 1559 alters, images, statues and tombs were destroyed in a burst of furious popular enthusiasm encouraged by the "Protestant Lords".
The cathedral itself remained standing but was stripped of its furnishings, and was soon abandoned as a place of worship."
Knox's sermons from the pulpit encouraging people to dispense with the “trappings” of the Pope and Vatican and any worship where the church suggests that communicating with God can only be done through the clergy.
As Roy had mentioned to us earlier, this sparked the development of the education system in Scotland where it was encouraged that everyone could read the bible and therefore they weren't subject to the interpretations by the clergy.
Additional information can be found in wikipedia on the subject
Some notable dates in Scottish history:
1559 – John Knox – stirring sermons from the pulpit, as part of the “Reformation” which was designed to remove the trappings of the “popalty”
1603 – Uniting of the Crowns of England, Scotland and Wales
1707 – Act of Union – the centralization of the Parliament was made in London. Scotland and Wales have their own government, but not over issues of State, only local issues. This was resisted by many and why Scotland is scheduled to undertake a Referendum in 2014 on whether to once again be separate from England. Many of the arguments, on both sides, of the debate sound a lot like the discussions in Quebec regarding separating from Canada
2014 September - Scotland votes in a Referendum to determine if they remain a part of the British Union
In the St. Andrews Castle Museum it was noted that:
"After several years of travel John Knox returned to St Andrews in June 1559 during the political and religious upheavals of the Scottish Reformation. Protestants, like Knox, who wished to abolish papal authority and reform the church received backing from powerful groups opposed to Scotland's pro-French Regent, Mary of Guise, who had replaced the Earl of Arran in 1554.
Military skirmishing between the Regent and her opponents led to prolonged uncertainty: this was resolved in favour of the reformers who enjoyed English support in 1560.
Knox preached passionately in several towns; and after a powerful sermon in St. Andrews on 11th June 1559 alters, images, statues and tombs were destroyed in a burst of furious popular enthusiasm encouraged by the "Protestant Lords".
The cathedral itself remained standing but was stripped of its furnishings, and was soon abandoned as a place of worship."
Knox's sermons from the pulpit encouraging people to dispense with the “trappings” of the Pope and Vatican and any worship where the church suggests that communicating with God can only be done through the clergy.
As Roy had mentioned to us earlier, this sparked the development of the education system in Scotland where it was encouraged that everyone could read the bible and therefore they weren't subject to the interpretations by the clergy.
Additional information can be found in wikipedia on the subject
Some notable dates in Scottish history:
1559 – John Knox – stirring sermons from the pulpit, as part of the “Reformation” which was designed to remove the trappings of the “popalty”
1603 – Uniting of the Crowns of England, Scotland and Wales
1707 – Act of Union – the centralization of the Parliament was made in London. Scotland and Wales have their own government, but not over issues of State, only local issues. This was resisted by many and why Scotland is scheduled to undertake a Referendum in 2014 on whether to once again be separate from England. Many of the arguments, on both sides, of the debate sound a lot like the discussions in Quebec regarding separating from Canada
2014 September - Scotland votes in a Referendum to determine if they remain a part of the British Union