John Knox and the Reformation
Explore the turbulent life of John Knox and the religious and political upheaval that transformed sixteenthcentury Scotland.
In John Knox and the Reformation, historian Andrew Lang presents a detailed portrait of one of the most influential and controversial figures of the Scottish Reformation. Knox lived during an age when questions of faith were inseparable from questions of political power, national identity, royal authority, and social change. His life therefore offers a compelling way to understand one of the most dramatic periods in Scottish history.
The biography follows Knox from his ancestry, birth, education, and early environment through his association with William Wishart, his involvement in the conflicts surrounding Cardinal Beaton, imprisonment at St. Andrews Castle, and years in the galleys. His later experiences in England and continental Europe reveal the hardships and intellectual struggles that shaped his religious convictions.
Lang examines Knox's writings, his return to Scotland, the growing Scottish Revolution, and the War of the Congregation. The narrative also explores the Book of Discipline, the religious settlement, the decline of Catholic authority, and Knox's complicated relationship with Mary, Queen of Scots.
Rather than presenting Knox simply as a religious hero, Lang explores the controversies, political calculations, conflicts, and difficult decisions surrounding his career. The result is a richer picture of a determined reformer whose words and actions helped influence the future of Scotland.
Ideal for readers interested in John Knox, the Protestant Reformation, Scottish history, religious history, European history, Tudorera politics, monarchy, and historical biography. This classic study provides valuable historical context while bringing the struggles of a transformative age and its most forceful personalities to life.
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