Friday, August 25, 2023

It is the 25th of August, 2023. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org. I’m Dan van Voorhis.

Happy Birthday Presbyterians- one of the largest and oldest American denominations, the church was officially founded as a distinct church body on this day in 1560 with the Reformation Parliament in Scotland and the abolishing of Papal jurisdiction by that body.

The story of the Reformation to the south, in England, was largely a “top-down” affair, with Henry VIII proclaiming himself head of a new church and having support from the nobles. But in Scotland, the Reformation was “from below,” and instead of a royal decree, the early bands of dissenters followed a commoner, John Knox. His story is certainly foundational to the Presbyterians in Scotland and beyond. We know little of Knox’s early life until he enrolled at the University of St. Andrews and took priestly orders in 1540.

Reformation doctrine had come to Scotland through St. Andrews and the teaching of Patrick Hamilton, who had studied at Wittenberg under Martin Luther.  Hamilton was called upon by Cardinal Beaton, the de-facto leader of Scotland whose Castle was at St. Andrews. Hamilton was, however, double-crossed, arrested, tried, and burned alive in front of the University church.

Knox had been friends with a group that consolidated around another reformer, George Wishart. When Wishart was subsequently burned by Cardinal Beaton, a number of Scots rushed to the castle, murdered Beaton, hung his naked body from the castle walls, and barricaded themselves within the Castle walls. Knox was called to be their teacher and preacher- his popularity stemmed from his preaching, and he would become the head of the rebels who were subsequently driven out of the castle by French troops. Knox would be a galley slave until the English (scared of a French/Scottish alliance against them) secured the release of Knox and others. In England, Knox was to be a counselor for the Protestant King Edward, but when he died and Mary (aka Bloody, also a Catholic) came to rule, many Protestants, including Knox, fled to the Continent. Knox first served in Frankfurt to English exiles and then became the pastor of English-speaking exiles in Geneva, where he became friends with John Calvin.

Back in Scotland, the nobility, seeing in Knox and the Reformation a freedom from foreign Catholic monarchs, signed a covenant to protect the church from the queen regent- the French Catholic Mary of Guise and her daughter Mary Queen of Scots. Mary of Guise called for the Protestant nobles to meet her; they recalled Knox from Scotland, and popular Protestantism won the day with the people looting and sacking church property. And, to the south, the OTHER Mary- (aka Bloody) died, and the Protestant Elizabeth came to the throne. Despite not being keen on Knox himself or these Scottish Protestants, she sent 10,000 English troops to Scotland to defend the Scots against the Queen. Mary of Guise died, and the French decided to cut their losses and retreated across the Channel.

The Scottish Parliament had existed but was overshadowed by the Catholic nobility and the rule of the Catholic hierarchy. Now, in 1560, they met with newfound authority and adopted the “Scots Confession” written by Knox and others. This would put this new Church of Scotland in the “confessional” camp of Reformation churches, and the theology would be that of Calvin’s Reformation via Knox. But the question of authority was still up for grabs. Unlike the English, the Scots saw no role for the monarch in Church affairs beyond protecting the church from external threats. Many of the Scottish bishops accepted the Reformation (at least those who stayed), and so there was a flirting with a kind of episcopacy, but ultimately, it was decided that the model of Calvin’s Geneva would be adopted. That is, the church itself was ruled by a board of elders- the teaching elder, or pastor, being the chairman of that board. In Greek, the word for Elder is “presbyter,” and thus, this church would be ruled by its elders- it would be “presbyterian.” What happens next is a series of problems with the death of Elizabeth and the uniting of England and Scotland under the new Scottish king, James I (or the 6th if you were in Scotland). He would be Protestant but none too willing to give up the authority he was given by the English church as the head of the church. The following century would see bloodshed and many Presbyterians fleeing to the New World. And these, the some 2 million American Presbyterians can chart their history back to this, the 25th of August in 1560 and the Reformation Parliament abolishing Papal control and forming its own national church.

The last word for today comes from the daily lectionary and 2 Corinthians 10:

Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, 16 so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory. 17 But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” 18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 25th of August 2023, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man whose favorite Scots include Groundskeeper Willie, Scrooge McDuck, and Shrek—He is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who would gladly donate his own UCL to Shohei… oh man… I’m Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be OK.