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The Church of Scotland is the national (established) church in Scotland. (It does not regard itself as a " state church", having fought for centuries to prevent government interference in its affairs.) It is commonly known as the Kirk ( Scots for church). The Church of Scotland is Presbyterian, not Episcopalian, and should not be confused with the Church of England, the Church of Ireland nor the much smaller Scottish Episcopal Church, all of which are part of the Anglican Communion. Both the Church of Scotland and the Scottish Episcopal Church are Churches of the Reformation. The latter is a Sister Church, not a daughter church of the Church of England.The Kirk was founded during the Reformation by John Knox. He based its doctrines and government on the Presbyterian principles of John Calvin which he had been exposed to while living in Switzerland. In 1560, the Scottish Parliament adopted Presbyterianism as the state religion and set up the Kirk structure to implement it. However while Parliament was supportive of presbyterianism, the King was not. Over the next hundred years bishops were imposed on the Kirk from time to time. In 1638Events March 29 Swedish colonists establish first settlement in Delaware, called New Sweden April 15 Shogunate forces defeat the last rebels of Shimabara Rebellion in the fortress of Hara May 11 French admiral d'Estrees runs his whole fleet aground in Cur a National Covenant was signed by large numbers of Scots in protest at this. These people, the CovenanterThe Covenanters named after the Solemn League and Covenant were a party that, originating in the Reformation movement, played an important part in the history of Scotland, and to a lesser extent in that of England, during the 17th century. The Covenanterss, were persecuted as a result.
In 1690Events Giovanni Domenico Cassini observes differential rotation within Jupiter's atmosphere. January 6 Joseph, son of Emperor Leopold I becomes King of the Romans January 14 The clarinet is invented in Nuremberg, Germany May 20 England passes Act of Grace, as part of the Glorious RevolutionThe Glorious Revolution ( 1688- 1689) is an event in which the Stuart king James II (James VII of Scotland) was removed from his thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland, and replaced by William of the House of Orange and his wife and joint sovereign Mary, the Revolution settlement put a stop to this and finally guaranteed the Reformed, Established, Presbyterian nature of the Kirk. However it did not end government interference with the church, particularly concerning the appointment of ministers. As a result there was a lot of controversy within the Kirk, starting with the Secession of 1747Events January 31 The first venereal diseases clinic opens at London Dock Hospital April 9 The Scottish Jacobite Lord Lovat was beheaded by axe on Tower Hill, London, for high treason; he was the last man to be executed in this way in Britain May 3 Battle over "a congregation's right to select its own ministers", and culminating in the Disruption of 1843Events February 6 The first minstrel show in the United States The Virginia Minstrels opens (Bowery Amphitheatre in New York City). February 11 Giuseppe Verdi's opera I Lombardi premieres in Milan May 18 The Disruption of the Church of Scotland took place during which about a third of the congregation withdrew to form the Free Church of Scotland. The Free Church itself split into the Free Church of ScotlandIn one sense the Free Church of Scotland dated its existence from the Disruption of 1843, in another it claimed to be the rightful representative of the National Church of Scotland as it was reformed in 1560. In the ecclesiastical history of Scotland the (known as the "Wee Frees") and the United Free Church of Scotland. Many other smaller subdivisions and denominations were formed during this period.
This situation lasted until the 1920s, when the British Parliament passed the Church of Scotland Act 1921. Parliament finally agreed that it had no sovereignty over the Kirk in matters of religious law and legislated to confirm the situation. This removed the main difference between the Kirk and the United Free Church and most of the United Free congregations rejoined the Kirk. However both the Free Church and the United Free Church continue to the present day.
The Kirk has no prayer book although it does have a hymn book and an order of service, the Book of Common Order. However the latter contains recommendations rather than prescriptions. Women were allowed to become ministers and elders in 1968. In 2004 Alison Elliot became the first female and only the second lay Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The first lay moderator, George Buchanan, acted four centuries ago.
While the Church of Scotland is an established (national) church, paradoxically it is also a free church. It is the only organisation in the UK over which Parliament has agreed that it is not completely sovereign. This means that Parliament cannot legally play any part in Kirk affairs without the Kirk's consent at its General Assembly. This does not happen as the General Assembly is very sensitive on the matter.
The Queen is a member of the Kirk with the same rights as any other member except that she, or her representative, normally declare the General Assembly of the Kirk formally open. On her accession to the throne, she took an oath on 8 February 1952 to assure the security of the Church of Scotland. This contrasts with her position in the Church of England of which she is the " Supreme Governor". The English eventually settled on that term as both churches recognise the Supreme Head of the Church to be Jesus Christ.
