The Church in Scotland
Guide to resources for study and research into Christian denominations in Scotland
New College Library & the Free Church of Scotland
Library resources relating to the Free Church of Scotland will be found throughout in New College Library and also in the Main Library – check DiscoverEd.
Try browsing in :
- BR (Christianity)
- BT (Doctrinal Theology)
- BV (Practical Theology)
- BX (Christian denominations) especially BX 8901-9225 (Presbyterianism)
Books about the Free Church of Scotland
Search DiscoverEd to find print and electronic Theology & Ethics books. These include:
- The Clergy and the Clearances by The economic, religious and cultural transformation of the northern Highlands in the years 1790 to 1850, can be linked directly to the Clearances - wholesale evictions of highland sub-tenants and small farmers by English landlords, who wished to make way for more profitable sheep farming. The low esteem in which English speakers regarded the Gaelic community and its language is evident. Yet, far from fighting change, the clergy stands accused of abetting the landlords by preaching the need for individual repentance and submission, thus securing a population passive towards the changes. Taking evidence from the far north of Sutherland and Ross - the epicentre of the crisis, author David Paton uses unusual and revealing evidence, including Gaelic poetry and descriptions of the emotional effects of a more complex and subtle picture. The form of Presbyterianism that sustained the Gaelic community in the Northern Highlands in the face of attack by an alien culture, simultaneously prevented effective protest and hindered the expression of a sense of injustice.ISBN: 0859766268
- Mary Slessor : a life on the altar for God by Mary Slessor was no ordinary woman, indeed she was no ordinary missionary. Brought up in Dundee, one of eleven children, Mary was called to mission. Setting sail for West Africa on the 5th August 1876, Mary arrived one month later. Bruce McLennan examines this remarkable story of a woman who shared the Gospel, stood up against inequality and impacted all areas of life in Calabar with boldness and conviction. McLennan also considers the debt owed to the work of previous missionaries who had established the work and looks at the legacy of Slessor after her death.ISBN: 9781781915189
- 'Send Back the Money'! by 'Send Back the Money!' is a thorough and gripping examination of a fascinating and forgotten aspect of Scottish and American relations and Church history. A seminal period of Abolition activity is exposed by Iain Whyte through a study of the fiery 'Send back the Money!' campaign named after 'the hue and cry of the day' that encapsulated the argument that divided families, communities, and the Free Church itself. This examination of the Free Church's involvement with American Presbyterianism in the nineteenth century reveals the ethical furore caused by a Church wishing to emancipate itself from the religious and civil domination supported by the established religion of the state. The Free Church therefore found an affinity with those oppressed elsewhere,but subsequently found itself financially supported by the Southern slave states of America. Whyte sensitively handles this inherent contradiction in the political, ecclesiastical, and theological institutions, while informing the reader of the roles of charismatic characters such as Robert Burns, Thomas Chalmers and Frederick Douglass. These key individuals shaped contemporary culture with action, great oratory, and rhetoric. The author adroitly draws parallels from the twentieth century onwards, bringing the reader to a fuller understanding of the historic and topical issues within global Christianity, and the contentious topic of slavery. 'Send back the Money!' throws light upon nineteenth-century culture, British and American Abolitionists, and ecclesiastical politics, and is written in a clear and engaging style.ISBN: 9780227173893
- Dissent after Disruption by The Disruption of the Church of Scotland was one of the most important events in Victorian Britain and had a profound and lasting impact on Scottish religion, politics and society. This book provides the first detailed account of the two major non-established Presbyterian denominations in the two decades after 1843, which together accounted for roughly half of Scotland's churchgoers: the Free Church, formed by those who left the Established Church at the Disruption, and the United Presbyterian Church, a consolidation of the various secessions of the previous century. It explores how the relationship between these churches developed from the bitter feuds over the church-state connection prior to the Disruption to co-operation in the major ecclesiastical, political, and social matters of the day, paving the way to negotiations for merger commencing in 1863. The period between 1843 and 1863 redefined conceptions of what it meant to be Presbyterian and Scottish. By examining a key transitional period in Scottish history, this monograph charts how definitions of Presbyterianism, the Kirk, and dissent evolved as Scotland's national religion slowly moved from the divisions of the previous century towards eventual reunion in 1929.ISBN: 9781474482790
University of Edinburgh Heritage Collections
Foirm na nurrnuidheadh agas freasdal na sacramuinteadh (Knox, John. Gaelic Liturgy, 1567) Dd.10.44
The Heritage Collections teams preserve, provide access to and interpret the heritage collections looked after by the University. They are based at Centre for Research Collections (CRC), which supports access to rare books and manuscripts, University of Edinburgh archives, personal and institutional archives, University of Edinburgh PhD theses, art collections, and more. The Heritage Collections represent over four hundred years of collecting in the areas of theology and ethics.
The CRC is located on the 6th floor, Main Library.
The Witness
The Witness was a twice-weekly Christian newspaper created by Hugh Miller, an influential writer, geologist and stone mason in 1840. Between 1840-1856, The Witness reported on current events, news and comment from across Scotland, including the Disruption of the Church of Scotland in 1843. This makes The Witness newspaper a fantastic primary source for this significant event in Scotland’s social and religious history,
Thanks to grant support from the Church of Scotland, the University of Edinburgh has been able to digiitise the entire New College Library run of The Witness. In total, we processed over 11,000 images as part of this project which can now all be found on our Image Collections Website.
Reports of the Free Church of Scotland
- Assembly Report & Minute Archive (2020- )Reports to the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland. The Reports also contain a ‘Deliverance’, which is a list of items to be incorporated into church legislation.
Meeting minutes recorded during the sessions of the General Assembly can also be downloaded. - Acts of Assembly 1900 - PresentEvery year the Free Church of Scotland General Assembly passes a set of acts – decisions made by the Assembly which translate into rules governing points of procedure. Freely available online.
- Reports to the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland.Call Number: Per F
- The Monthly Record of the Free Church of Scotland.Call Number: Per M, OnlineSee DiscoverEd for full print and online holdings
Journals about the Free Church of Scotland
Search DiscoverEd to find print and electronic journals about the Free Church of Scotland. These include:
- The missionary record of the United Free Church of Scotland.Call Number: Per UOther title variations also at Per U
- Records of the Scottish Church History SocietyCall Number: Per S
- Reformed Theological ReviewCall Number: Per F, Online
- The Scottish bulletin of evangelical theology.Call Number: Per S, Online
- Scottish Journal of TheologyCall Number: Per S
- Theology in ScotlandCall Number: Per T
New College Library Special Collections about the Free Church of Scotland
Key Reference books about the Free Church of Scotland
Search DiscoverEd to find print and electronic reference books, or browse the shelves in the New College Library Hall. These include:
- The Fasti of the United Free Church of Scotland, 1900-1929 by "New edition"--t.p. Electronic version in PHP and PDF formats of the first six volumes of the 9 vol. work published: Edinburgh : Oliver & Boyd, 1915-1961. Includes indexes. Vol. 8 contains 1914-1929 plus addenda and corrigenda 1560-1949; vol. 9 edited by John Alexander Lamb; v. 10 edited by Donald Farquhar Macleod Macdonald, published by Saint Andrew Press; v. 11 edited by Finlay Angus John Macdonald, published by T&T Clark.Call Number: (REFERENCE) ; Ref. BX9089 Fas.
- Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1900-1986 byCall Number: (REFERENCE) ; Ref. BX9084 Fre.
- The Dictionary of Scottish Church History and Theology byCall Number: (REFERENCE) ; Ref. BR782 Dic.ISBN: 0830814078
- Church Hymnary by The new hymnal, widely known as CH4, consists of over 850 hymns and psalms and is the latest in a series published successively in 1898, 1927 and 1972. A considerable number of twentieth century items have been introduced from around the world, primarily the USA and New Zealand, but also translations and adaptations of little known material from countries such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, Japan and Zimbabwe. These compliment the traditional and contemporary hymns and tunes from UK authors and composers. This volume is the Large Print Words edition.Call Number: (REFERENCE) ; Ref. BV431 Chu.ISBN: 1853116122
Historical Alumni Database
A database of brief information about New College students 1843-1943 is available through the Historical Alumni pages. Thanks to project grant funding from the Church of Scotland, entries have been annotated with some additional information from the Fasti.
New College Library does not hold transcripts of students’ academic records and is unable to provide any contact information for current or former students. For more information about historic student records, contact Heritage Collections :