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On Rebellion
This edition of the most significant political writings of the sixteenth-century Protestant reformer John Knox presents accurate but accessible versions of all of his writings on the theme of rebellion, including his notorious First Blast of the Trumpet against the Monstrous Regiment of Women, and provides students and scholars alike with the means of tracing the evolution of his political radicalism and evaluating its impact. The first comprehensive edition of Knox's political writings, it sheds important new light on the political and religious thought of the Reformation period.
290 pages, Paperback
First published January 20, 1994
80 people want to read
About the author
John Knox
450 books37 followersJohn Knox (c. 1514 – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish clergyman and a leader of the Protestant Reformation who brought reformation to the church in Scotland. He was educated at the University of St Andrews and was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood in 1536. Influenced by early church reformers such as George Wishart, he joined the movement to reform the Scottish church. He was caught up in the ecclesiastical and political events that involved the murder of Cardinal Beaton in 1546 and the intervention of the regent of Scotland, Mary of Guise. He was taken prisoner by French forces the following year and exiled to England on his release in 1549.
While in exile, Knox was licensed to work in the Church of England, where he quickly rose in the ranks to serve King Edward VI of England as a royal chaplain. In this position, he exerted a reforming influence on the text of the Book of Common Prayer. In England he met and married his first wife, Marjorie. When Mary Tudor ascended the throne and re-established Roman Catholicism, Knox was forced to resign his position and leave the country.
Knox first moved to Geneva and then to Frankfurt. In Geneva, he met John Calvin, from whom he gained experience and knowledge of Reformed theology and Presbyterian polity. He created a new order of service, which was eventually adopted by the reformed church in Scotland. He left Geneva to head the English refugee church in Frankfurt but he was forced to leave over differences concerning the liturgy, thus ending his association with the Church of England.
On his return to Scotland, he led the Protestant Reformation in Scotland, in partnership with the Scottish Protestant nobility. The movement may be seen as a revolution, since it led to the ousting of Mary of Guise, who governed the country in the name of her young daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots. Knox helped write the new confession of faith and the ecclesiastical order for the newly created reformed church, the Kirk. He continued to serve as the religious leader of the Protestants throughout Mary's reign. In several interviews with the queen, Knox admonished her for supporting Catholic practices. Eventually, when she was imprisoned for her alleged role in the murder of her husband, Lord Darnley, and James VI enthroned in her stead, he openly called for her execution. He continued to preach until his final days.
While in exile, Knox was licensed to work in the Church of England, where he quickly rose in the ranks to serve King Edward VI of England as a royal chaplain. In this position, he exerted a reforming influence on the text of the Book of Common Prayer. In England he met and married his first wife, Marjorie. When Mary Tudor ascended the throne and re-established Roman Catholicism, Knox was forced to resign his position and leave the country.
Knox first moved to Geneva and then to Frankfurt. In Geneva, he met John Calvin, from whom he gained experience and knowledge of Reformed theology and Presbyterian polity. He created a new order of service, which was eventually adopted by the reformed church in Scotland. He left Geneva to head the English refugee church in Frankfurt but he was forced to leave over differences concerning the liturgy, thus ending his association with the Church of England.
On his return to Scotland, he led the Protestant Reformation in Scotland, in partnership with the Scottish Protestant nobility. The movement may be seen as a revolution, since it led to the ousting of Mary of Guise, who governed the country in the name of her young daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots. Knox helped write the new confession of faith and the ecclesiastical order for the newly created reformed church, the Kirk. He continued to serve as the religious leader of the Protestants throughout Mary's reign. In several interviews with the queen, Knox admonished her for supporting Catholic practices. Eventually, when she was imprisoned for her alleged role in the murder of her husband, Lord Darnley, and James VI enthroned in her stead, he openly called for her execution. He continued to preach until his final days.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 27, 2012
Personally I am a massive fan of Knox, a gentleman who peaks my interest in several different ways. Most people who read his work tend to detest him and write him off but you have to really sit down and decipher the meaning behind his work. He was not a man who hated women per se, he was against the authority of one woman (Mary Tudor) however his writings do tend to showcase him as a woman hater. I would genuinely recommend this book for anyone with even the slightest interest in Knox...give it a chance and see what you can make from his texts!
October 28, 2010
I wonder how many people who hail John Knox as their spiritual forefather have actually ever read the guy, and I wonder what they would think if they did.
I'd only read excerpts before, which were scary enough, but reading this stuff...yikes! The guy was a bloodthirsty nut-case. I mean an absolute fire-breathing off-his-rocker off-with-their-heads kinda guy. And not in a good way either.
3 stars, though, just because these works are so significant and this is such a fine edition--kudos to Roger Mason.
I'd only read excerpts before, which were scary enough, but reading this stuff...yikes! The guy was a bloodthirsty nut-case. I mean an absolute fire-breathing off-his-rocker off-with-their-heads kinda guy. And not in a good way either.
3 stars, though, just because these works are so significant and this is such a fine edition--kudos to Roger Mason.
December 6, 2017
If you think you know about the reformation, you haven't read anything until you find out how it came about in the British Isles! Essential for any reformed thinker, you can learn a lot from this "Presbyterian with a sword."
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews