'Scandalous': 'downplaying' of Scottish Reformation

Curious.

By Trevor Grundy

Edinburgh, 14 May (ENI)--Scottish historian and professor, Tom Devine, who is a Roman Catholic, and Harry Reid, a former editor of a leading newspaper in the country, have described as "scandalous" the low-key way the 450th anniversary of the Reformation in Scotland is being marked in 2010.

In an interview with ENInews, Devine, a professor at Edinburgh University, said, "Two of the greatest legislative events in Scottish history are the Reformation of 1560 and the Act of Union [when the Scottish and English parliaments merged to form the Parliament of Great Britain] in 1707.

"The [300th anniversary of the] latter was almost ignored in Scotland. Now, there appears to be reluctance on the part of both the Scottish government and the Church of Scotland to mark the 450th anniversary of the Reformation, which was an event which changed the face of this country and paved the way for a Scottish enlightenment and a new relationship with England. I think this is scandalous."

Still, the Rev. John Christie, incoming moderator of the Church of Scotland, told ENInews on 14 May, "I believe that the Reformation helped pave the way for the Scottish Enlightenment. It is a very important event in our country's history, and its importance will be recorded during a special session of the general assembly."

Christie was referring to the next annual meeting of the Church of Scotland, which begins on 20 May.

"We all recognise the importance of the [Reformation anniversary] event. It is not something that should cause any sectarian ill will, and is being widely recognised by all denominations. I believe that the Pope will be given a very warm welcome when he visits us later this year. I would hope that welcome would be from all Christian denominations, all other denominations, and those with no denomination."

For his part, Devine noted, "Politicians are concerned that a high-profile marking of the 450th anniversary could relate to Scotland's old sectarian problems. Bigotry in Scotland is on the wane. The Reformation in 1560 is part of our history and our culture."

He added, "After the Reformation, the Church of Scotland (the Kirk) came to control all aspects of life here - welfare, moral discipline, education. Why is the Church of Scotland not prepared to push the boat out and do something on a large scale to mark this great event in Scotland's history?"

Harry Reid, a former editor of Scotland's newspaper The Herald and the author of "Reformation: The dangerous birth of the modern world (St Andrews Press, 2009)," asserted, "There seems to be a curious caution around, even some kind of misguided embarrassment."

Reid said, "Surely we have matured enough to have grown away from the nonsensical caricature of John Knox as a demented fanatic who we should be ashamed of. I agree with Tom Devine. This situation is scandalous."

In August 2009, Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond said that requests to the government for support in marking the 450th anniversary of the Reformation in Scotland would be considered. Still, he said that it was not for the government to tell churches how the landmark anniversary should be remembered.

Catholics, who numerically make up the second largest Christian tradition in Scotland, have shown their support for the Reformation commemoration with a statement from the Archbishop of Glasgow, Mario Conti, which said, "I believe that the Reformation anniversary should be marked and remembered because it was such an important event in the history of Scotland, and one which is not well understood. As a Catholic archbishop, I can hardly say that the event should be "celebrated" but I do believe that it needs to be better understood to recognise its impact over the centuries on the life of our country."

Andrew McGowan, founding principal of the Highland Theological College from 1994 to 2009 and vice-president of the World Reformed Fellowship, told ENInews in Inverness that people who want a high profile marking of the 1560 events are largely in the evangelical wing of the denomination.

"For this group, "he said, "the doctrines of the authority of scripture, justification by faith, regeneration, and so on, remain vital to the life of the Christian and the Church. For those not in the evangelical group, much of this is regarded as 'arguing over doctrines' which they hold to be irrelevant. Their main focus is on socio-political matters."

On 13 May, Church of Scotland spokesperson Gordon Bell announced that there would be a special service in Edinburgh to mark the 450th anniversary on 23 May, four days before the end of the church's general assembly. [Copyright ENI, reprinted by permission]

Comments

[sdf]

Yes, thank you Scottish Reformation for sparking the Scottish "Enlightenment" which birthed Modernity and the economic, political, and moral insanity that displaced and then destroyed our Christian culture. They're right to be embarrassed of it.

[Christopher Hathaway]

Come now SDF, you should know full well that it is no love for Christian culture that motivates the modern embarrassment over the Reformation.

[this]

It is somewhat of an irony that the children of the Enlightenment should be embarrassed to acknowledge their debt to the prior tendency to rationalize doctrine which was an unintended consequence of the Reformation. That fruit hung on a rather far-flung branch: a bitter fruit, nevertheless.

[David Gray]

Pelikan was right, the Reformation was a tragic necessity. Woe to those who made it necessary.

[Sibyl]

Woe to those in every venue and franchise of Christianity who continue to make reform necessary. But, perpetual repentance, transparency and accountability are our friends, our weapons of spiritual warfare and not our enemies.

[this]

Let there be reform but not of doctrine. If basic tenets can be "reformed", what's left? A mere venue or franchise, indeed!