Course catalog / SH101 / Reading · 1

Syllabus 158 items

SH101 Survey of Scottish Church History: Columba to the Disruption

158 items

Unit 1 · Columba and the Celtic Church (to 1560)

Reading · 1

Adomnan, Life of Saint Columba (Vita Columbae, c. 700), English translation ed. William Reeves

Lectures · 1

The History of the Church in Scotland (Affinity Talks)
Columba, Week 1: Faith before the 'Blessed Man'
Columba, Week 4: Theologian & Evangelist
Columba, Week 7: Influence & Legacy
The Iona Christians

Reading · 1

The Early Scottish Church: the Ecclesiastical History of Scotland from the First to the Twelfth Century
Scottish Church History (Handbooks for Bible Classes)
History of the Church of Scotland from the Introduction of Christianity to the Period of the Disruption of 1843
A History of the Church in Scotland, vol. 1 (397-1546)

Reading · 1

A History of the Church in Scotland from the Earliest Times down to the Present Day
The Church in Scotland: a History of its Antecedents, its Conflicts and its Advocates ... to the First Assembly of the Reformed Church
Chronicles of the Kirk ... from the Earliest Period to the Second Reformation, for the Young

Assignment · 1

Written assignment

Unit 2 · The Reformation: Knox and the Scots Confession (1560)

Reading · 2

The Scots Confession of Faith
The First Book of Discipline

Lectures · 2

John Knox: 'a man well hated'
John Knox (lecture 1 of 'John Knox and the Scottish Reformation')
John Knox (Iain H. Murray Address)
John Knox and the Scottish Church
The Scottish Reformation (A Survey of Church History)
Worship in Scottish Reformation Presbyterianism

Reading · 2

The Story of the Scottish Church from the Reformation to the Disruption
The History of the Reformation of Religion in Scotland (twentieth-century edition, revised and edited by Cuthbert Lennox)
The Life of John Knox
The Scottish Reformation: a Historical Sketch
The Reformation in Scotland: Causes, Characteristics, Consequences (Stone Lectures, Princeton, 1907-1908)

Reading · 2

Church and State in Scotland: a Narrative of the Struggle for Independence from 1560-1843 (Chalmers Lectures)
History of the Reformation in Scotland (Works, ed. Laing, vols. 1-2)
The Life of John Knox
Patrick Hamilton, the First Preacher and Martyr of the Scottish Reformation
The Scottish Reformation: its Epochs, Episodes, Leaders and Distinctive Characteristics (Baird Lecture 1899)
The Martyrs and Confessors of St. Andrews
Ter-centenary of the Scottish Reformation, as commemorated at Edinburgh, August 1860
'The Discipline of the Reformation', parts 1-3
The Scottish Reformation (Handbooks for Senior Classes)
The Torch Still Burns
The Story of the Scottish Reformation
Lectures on the History of the Church of Scotland from the Reformation to the Revolution Settlement, 2 vols.

Assignment · 2

Written assignment

Unit 3 · Melville and the Second Book of Discipline (1572-1638)

Reading · 3

The Second Book of Discipline
The King's (Negative) Confession, 'A general Confession of the true Christian Faith and Religion'

Lectures · 3

From Knox to the Covenanters
Master Robert Bruce of Kinnaird
John Davidson and the General Assembly of 1596

Reading · 3

The Story of the Scottish Church from the Reformation to the Disruption
The Life of Andrew Melville, vol. 1
The Life of Andrew Melville, vol. 2
The Story of the Scottish Covenants in Outline
The Diary of Mr. James Melville, 1556-1601 (Bannatyne Club)
The History of the Kirk of Scotland, 1558-1637 (Maitland Club)
The History of the Kirk of Scotland, vols. 1-7 (Wodrow Society)
Sermons ... with Collections for his Life by Robert Wodrow (Wodrow Society)

Reading · 3

An Apologetical Narration of the State and Government of the Kirk of Scotland since the Reformation
The Life of Andrew Melville
The Life of Mr. Robert Blair, minister of St Andrews (autobiography 1593-1636, with continuation to 1680)
The Life of John Welsh, Minister of Ayr
Collections upon the Lives of the Reformers and Most Eminent Ministers of the Church of Scotland, 2 vols.
Jenny Geddes, or Presbyterianism and its Great Conflict with Despotism
A Historical Account of Covenanting in Scotland, from the First Band in Mearns, 1556, to the National Covenant, 1638

Assignment · 3

Written assignment

Unit 4 · The Covenanters (1638-1688)

Reading · 4

The National Covenant
The Solemn League and Covenant
The Church of Scotland's adopting acts of the Westminster documents (1645-1649)

Lectures · 4

Who are the Covenanters?
Samuel Rutherford
Thanksgiving For The Covenanters' Testimony Upon Their Ejection in 1662
The Life and Times of Sir Archibald Johnston of Wariston
The Kingship of Christ (SermonAudio title: 'Minister's Ejection')
The Scottish Covenanters
John Livingstone and the Worship and Government of the Church
Samuel Rutherford: Man of Self-Confessed Extremes
The Nature of the Church with Matthew Vogan

Reading · 4

The Story of the Scottish Church from the Reformation to the Disruption
The Story of the Scottish Covenants in Outline
The Covenanters: a History of the Church in Scotland from the Reformation to the Revolution, 2 vols.
The Scots Worthies, with the testimonies appended to each life (introduction by Robert Buchanan)
Men of the Covenant: the Story of the Scottish Church in the Years of the Persecution
The History of the Sufferings of the Church of Scotland from the Restoration to the Revolution, 4 vols.
The Last Words and Dying Testimonies of the Scots Worthies, containing the Cloud of Witnesses and Naphtali
The Covenants and the Covenanters: Covenants, Sermons and Documents of the Covenanted Reformation

Reading · 4

Fair Sunshine: Character Studies of the Scottish Covenanters
The Scottish Covenanters: their Origins, History and Distinctive Doctrines
Treasury of the Scottish Covenant
A Relation of Proceedings concerning the Affairs of the Kirk of Scotland, August 1637 to July 1638
The Letters and Journals of Robert Baillie, 1637-1662, 3 vols.
The Life and Times of Alexander Henderson
Miscellaneous Writings, chiefly Historical (includes the Life of Alexander Henderson)
The Fifty Years' Struggle of the Scottish Covenanters, 1638-88
The Secret and True History of the Church of Scotland from the Restoration to 1678
The History of the State and Sufferings of the Church of Scotland from the Restoration to the Revolution, 2 vols.
Annals of the Persecution in Scotland from the Restoration to the Revolution
The Ladies of the Covenant
A Vindication of the Scottish Covenanters: a Review of 'Tales of my Landlord'
The Martyr Graves of Scotland
The Covenanters in Moray and Ross
Light in the North: the Story of the Scottish Covenanters
The Story of the Covenant and the Services of the Covenanters

Assignment · 4

Written assignment

Unit 5 · The Revolution Settlement and the Secessions (1690-1800s)

Reading · 5

Act ratifying the Confession of Faith and settling Presbyterian Church Government (Scottish Parliament, 7 June 1690)
Act of the Associate Presbytery concerning the Doctrine of Grace

Lectures · 5

Why the Marrow Controversy Still Matters: The History
Thomas Boston
John Brown of Haddington
Why the Marrow Controversy Still Matters: The Theology
William Symington: 19th Century Covenanter
The History and Theological Declension of the Church of Scotland
The Theology and Theologians of Scotland (w/ Donald John MacLean)
The Birth of Highland Evangelicalism: Dugald Buchanan (1716-68), the Gaelic New Testament (1767), and the Hymns of Isaac Watts
Thomas Boston's Notes on 'The Marrow of Modern Divinity' (Summer Conference 2026)

Reading · 5

The Story of the Scottish Church from the Reformation to the Disruption
Historical Sketch of the Origin of the Secession Church
The Theology and Theologians of Scotland, chiefly of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries (Cunningham Lectures)
Scottish Theology in Relation to Church History since the Reformation
History of the Secession Church, 2 vols.
A Cameronian Apostle: being some account of John Macmillan of Balmaghie

Reading · 5

A Compendious History of the British Churches ... to which is added an Historical Account of the Secession, vol. 2
Historical Collections relating to Remarkable Periods of the Success of the Gospel (continued by Horatius Bonar to 1845)
William Carstares: a Character and Career of the Revolutionary Epoch
The Moderators of the Church of Scotland from 1690 to 1740
'Notes on some Scottish Covenanters and Ultra-Covenanters of the Eighteenth Century', part 1
A Century of Scottish Church History: from the Secession to the Disruption, with an Account of the Free Church
Our Church Heritage: the Scottish Churches viewed in the Light of their History
The Religious Controversies of Scotland
Memorabilia Domestica, or Parish Life in the North of Scotland
The Revivals of the Eighteenth Century, particularly at Cambuslang
The Cambuslang Revival
The Marrow Controversy (subsection page)
Testimony of the United Associate Synod of the Secession Church, Historical and Doctrinal
Annals and Statistics of the Original Secession Church
Lives of Ebenezer Erskine, William Wilson and Thomas Gillespie
John Brown of Haddington
The History of the Rise, Progress and Principles of the Relief Church

Assignment · 5

Written assignment

Unit 6 · The Ten Years' Conflict and the Disruption (1834-1843)

Reading · 6

Claim, Declaration and Protest anent the Encroachments of the Court of Session (the Claim of Right)
The Protest of 18 May 1843

Lectures · 6

Thomas Chalmers and the Disruption of the Church of Scotland
1843 Disruption 1 - Why the church divided
Session 2: Thomas Chalmers' Conversion and Pastorate in Kilmany
1843 Disruption 2 - How the new church survived
1843 Disruption 3 - What the church achieved
'The Most Joyful Event of My Life': Thomas Chalmers' West Port Experiment
The Life and Ministry of Thomas Chalmers (Christ the Center, episode 728)
The Ministry of John Kennedy of Dingwall
Robert Candlish and the Doctrine of Sonship
Thomas Chalmers, the Disruption of 1843, and the Making of New College

Reading · 6

The Story of the Scottish Church from the Reformation to the Disruption
Annals of the Disruption, with extracts from the narratives of ministers who left the Scottish Establishment in 1843
The Ten Years' Conflict: being the History of the Disruption of the Church of Scotland, vol. 2
Church and State in Scotland: a Narrative of the Struggle for Independence from 1560 to 1843 (Chalmers Lectures)
Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Thomas Chalmers, vol. 4
Disruption Worthies: a Memorial of 1843, with an historical sketch of the Free Church of Scotland
The Heritage of our Fathers: the Free Church of Scotland, her Origin and Testimony

Reading · 6

The Heritage of our Fathers: the Free Church of Scotland, her Origin and Testimony
The Church of Our Fathers: Lectures on the History and Principles of the Scottish Church
The Footsteps of the Flock, or the Contendings of our Forefathers for the Headship of Christ, with the Disruption ...

Assignment · 6

Written assignment

Adomnan, Life of Saint Columba (Vita Columbae, c. 700), English translation ed. William Reeves

Reeves/Skene translation, Historians of Scotland vol. VI (Edinburgh 1874), 589 scanned pages

History

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Plain text (OCR) The text was read by machine and may contain errors.

Also Wentworth Huyshe translation (1905)

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c. 700 (ed. 1874)

Task Columba's mission from Iona (563-597), the church of the Picts and Scots, and how the Celtic church was drawn into the Roman system before the Reformation. Students read Adomnan's Life of Columba as a historical source and weigh what the Free Church historians made of the Culdees. Read the documents of this unit.

History · Conforms Link checked October 07, 2026 Open source

Up nextThe History of the Church in Scotland (Affinity Talks)