The growth of evangelicalism in the Church of Scotland, 1793-1843

Abstract

This thesis examines Evangelicalism as a broadly-based intellectual
\nand social movement which sought to shape the overall thought and life of
\nthe Church of Scotland during the first half of the nineteenth century. A
\nset of distinctive organisations --religious periodicals, voluntary
\nsocieties, education, and corporate prayer-- provided its institutional
\nstructure. They represented the practical response to a general concern
\nfor revitalising the Church, for evangelism, and for social morality.
\n'Evangelicals' are defined as those who combined participation in these
\ninstitutions with a fundamental commitment to the Church of Scotland as an
\nestablished, national church.
\nThe development of each of these institutions is explored as a means
\nof tracing the growth of the movement as a whole. Religious periodicals
\nhelped to unite scattered individuals within the Established Church who
\nshared a desire to spread experiential Christianity. By providing a forum
\nfor discussing issues related to this concern, these publications communicated
\nEvangelical ideas throughout the Kirk, giving Evangelicals far
\ngreater influence than their relative lack of power in the ecclesiastical
\ncourts around the turn of the century suggested they would have.
\nReligious voluntary societies enabled Evangelicals to translate their
\nideas into action on a wide range of issues. The seeming effectiveness of
\ngroups such as missionary and Bible societies made Evangelicalism
\nincreasingly attractive, and led to the incorporation of their activist
\napproach into existing Kirk structures after the mid-1820s. However,
\nEvangelicals struggled with the tensions between the gathered and territorial
\nviews of the Church inherent in their commitments both to
\nsocieties and to the Establishment.
\nBecause Evangelicals, following the Scottish Reformers, believed that
\neducation encouraged biblically-based Christianity, they were actively
\ninvolved in all levels of education, from Sabbath schools to the universities,
\nhelping to spread Evangelical ideas and practice among young
\npeople. Evangelicals' emphasis upon corporate prayer not only reflected
\ntheir belief that they needed divine aid to achieve their aims, but built
\nup social bonds at a local level and reinforced commitment to the other
\nEvangelical institutions.

Keywords

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