The Influence Of John Knox In The Protestant Reformation

Ever so often, an individual arises, who the Lord uses to change the course of history. Some of these individuals are influential due to their political position, such as kings and queens. Having such a role would cause one to be remembered due to family ties. But what about those who do not come from a well established pedigree? There seems to be something different about these individuals. They come onto the scene in what seems like an instant, having lasting impact on history. With these individuals, the historical context is ripe for a significant event to occur. One such individual is John Knox. According to many historians, Knox is the type of guy you either love or hate. “Since they do not like him, either because they do not understand him or because his views and theirs are poles apart, they feel that he should descend into a well-deserved oblivion,” notes W. Stanford Reid. It is logical to assume that ones predisposition or personal allegiance to a particular ecclesiology has colored their view of John Knox. Regardless of what one thinks of Knox, his life deserves to be studied. This paper is concerned with the life of John Knox and the influence he had in the Protestant Reformation in Scotland. This paper will provide a brief
The Reformation in Europe brought about disunity and contested the Holy Roman Empire. This was also time of war, particularly between Spain and France. England and Scotland didn’t get involved, yet when they did enter into the conflict, England often sided with Spain, while Scotland sided with France. It should be mentioned that at this time Scotland dealt with feudal anarchy, as noted by Richard G. Kyle, “In the 100 years prior to the birth of John Knox, every king of Scotland had met his death by violence. Only one had been as old as 15 at accession, and not had survived beyond the age of 42.” Obviously the Scot’s were not privy to Feudal