Reforming the Scottish Parish

Whilst the Protestant Reformation of 1560 is acknowledged as being a watershed moment in Scottish history, relatively little is known about the actual process of establishing a reformed church in the parishes in the following decades This book helps remedy the situation by examining the foundation of the reformed church and the impact of Protestant discipline in the parishes of Fife. Based on a wealth of under-utilised sources, the study's focus is on the grass-roots religious life of the parish, rather than the more familiar themes of church politics and theology. It evaluates the success of the reformers in affecting both institutional and ideological change, and provides a detailed account of the workings of the reformed church, and its impact on ordinary people.