The pulpit and the poet: Presbyterian, Episcopalian and Gaelic cosmologies in Scotland, 1689-c.1746

Kelly, Jamie John (2015) The pulpit and the poet: Presbyterian, Episcopalian and Gaelic cosmologies in Scotland, 1689-c.1746. MRes thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

Contrasting cosmologies have profoundly impacted Scottish history both in action and as a discipline. At the turn of the eighteenth century, Episcopalians and Presbyterians profoundly disagreed on the defining characteristics of Scottish identity, the nature of secular authority and the correct mode of church governance. Confessional identity, bound up with the historical experiences of each respective church and community, determined perceptions of the relationship between the church, the state and the Scottish nation in the aftermath of the Williamite revolution. These divisions were manifest in patterns of support and opposition to Jacobitism, with Presbyterians generally supporting the post-Revolution regime and Episcopalians supporting the deposed Stewarts. In much of Gaelic Scotland, the deposition of James VII represented the subversion of the ideological basis of clanship. Genealogical continuity and custom were governing principles of Gaelic society, while disregarding these weakened the legitimacy of government and its capacity to execute justice. Sermons and Gaelic poetry offer insight into the spiritual frameworks governing the actions of individual communities. By focusing on recurring themes, such as divine providence and prophecy, it is possible to trace the ways in which these spiritual frameworks developed to accommodate changes in social, political and cultural circumstances. This study achieves this through an analysis of sermons and Gaelic poetry composed from the aftermath of the Williamite Revolution to the British military defeat of Jacobitism in 1746.

• Item Type: Thesis (MRes)
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Keywords: Presbyterianism, Episcopalianism, Highlands, Gaelic Scotland, Jacobitism, Political Theology, 18th Century, Gaelic Poetry, Sermons
• Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BT Doctrinal Theology; D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > History
• Supervisor's Name: MacGregor, Dr Martin
• Date of Award: 2015
• Depositing User: Mr Jamie J Kelly
• Unique ID: glathesis:2015-6989
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 01 Feb 2016 16:24
• Last Modified: 18 Feb 2016 14:40
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/6989