This book is the first detailed discussion of the political history of the Scottish Church in the reign of James VI (1567-1625). It offers a refreshing new perspective on the Reformed Kirk during the crucial period in its development. It is an examination of relations between Kirk and State based firmly on contemporary sources. Analysing the formation and evolution of clerical views, it argues for fluid patterns of opinion governed by events rather than fixed ideologies. As a result, it rejects the established notion of 'Melvillian' and 'Episcopalian' parties in the Kirk. Pivoting on the regal union of 1603, it explores the Scottish experience of the implementation of ecclesiastical policies under a multi-state monarchy in the light of recent British scholarship. It also assesses the significance of the regal union for the government of Scotland, for the status of the Kirk within Scotland and in relation to the Church of England. The result is a significant and challenging contribution to early modern Scottish and British historiography.

Contents: Introduction; The formative years, 1567-85; Compromise and conflict, 1586-92; The untidy tumble towards crisis, 1592-96; The road to consensus, 1597-1602; The regal union and the collapse of consensus, 1603-06; The new autocracy, 1606-10; New polity, new liturgy, 1610-25; Conclusion; Appendix: maps; Bibliography; Index.