What is it about?
This examination of some rather neglected attempts by the Church of Scotland to set out organizational practices in printed form in the eighteenth century brings out the enduring importance of considerations of organizing in Presbyterianism. These attempts, which met with varying degrees of success, formed templates for similar attempts elsewhere, notably in the USA. Together with other forms of evidence, they suggest a distinctive Scottish focus on organizing based on first principles
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Why is it important?
Contemporary arguments about what is distinctive about Scottish national identity have drawn our attention (as in the work of Carol Craig) to a Scottish predilection for arguing from first principles. This can be seen in the eighteenth century organizational manuals.
Perspectives
This is part of my on-going project of approaching Scottish Presbyterianism from a practice perspective. Looking at practices, rather than just belief or organizational form, gives a new perspective on not only religious formations but also on their influence on broader social life.
Dr Alistair Mutch
Nottingham Trent University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: ‘To bring the work to greater perfection’: Systematising Governance in the Church of Scotland, 1696–1800, The Scottish Historical Review, October 2014, Edinburgh University Press,
DOI: 10.3366/shr.2014.0218.
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