John Knox and the Spirit of Reformation

Excerpts from the Paper

John Knox and the Spirit of Reformation
John Knox is a central figure in the history of the Reformation. And his 1558 tract, entitled, “To His Beloved
Brethren
The Commonality of Scotland, John Knox
wisheth
grace, mercy and peace with the spirit of righteous judgement,” is helpful in gaining an understanding of that centrality. This tract reveals Knox as a reformer who is interested in challenging not only the Catholic Church, but also the role of the aristocracy in the social structure of Scotland. He was thus a central figure in the Reformation because he dealt with both a corrupt religion and a society that was corrupted by that same religion. This dual attention is present in his 1558 tract. More revealing, however, is the way by which...

.....ved. The more educated individual, perhaps aware of the advancement of printing technology, would attribute to this technology a divine role in disseminating Reformist religious texts. Either way, Knox is able to point to a stark division between the past Catholic darkness (silence) and the present Reformist light (free thinking). But as Knox makes clear throughout his tract, this new light is closely linked to responsibility. It is not enough to simply have access to the Bible: the access requires action.
Works Cited
John 20-21. Geneva Bible. http://www.studylight.org/
Knox, John. “To His Beloved
Brethern
The Commonality of Scotland, John Knox
wisheth
grace, mercy and peace with the spirit of righteous judgement.” The 1558 Tracts. 115-129.