The Reformation 1560: The Greatest Year in Scotland’s History

There are certain dates that can be classed as epoch making. Certainly as far as Scotland is concerned, the most significant is 1560, the year of the Scottish Reformation. Events in that year shaped the future history of our country and had an effect on lands overseas. This short overview of the Scottish Reformation is a contribution to the commemoration of the 450th anniversary. It is designed to show:

1) the darkness from which the country was delivered;
2) the battle that was engaged in by the Reformers, especially John Knox;
3) the spiritual renewal that was at the heart of the change;
4) the principles for which our Reformers contended;
5) the need for the recovery of these principles today.

living as we are in a new age of darkness, with the Gospel almost buried out of sight, not only by a unchanged Roman system but by a Protestantism largely devoid of the authority of Scripture, the saving truths of the Gospel and holiness of life. We need to urgently reconsider the lessons of the Scottish Reformation.

John James Murray is a retired minister of the Free Church of Scotland (continuing). He has served congregations in Oban and St. Columba’s, Edinburgh. Prior to that he was an editor with the Banner of Truth Trust. He is the author of Catch the Vision: the Roots of the Reformed Recovery (2007).