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[[File: John Knox statue, Haddington.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Statue of John Knox]]
==Background==
Scotland was a poor country and it was constantly at odds with its larger neighbor to the south, England. The Scottish kings were little more than the vassals of the king of England, especially after the disastrous Scottish defeat at the Battle of Flodden. Scotland was closely allied with the French monarchy and were their sometime allies. The Scottish kingdoms were often torn between the demands of England and France. The nobles of Scotland, especially after Flodden were very restive and often acted as independent rulers, especially those in the Highlands and Islands <ref> Devine, T. M., The Scottish Nation, 1700–2000 (London, Penguin Books, 1999, p. 118) </ref>. The Scottish monarch was usually weak and dependent on their nobles and indeed often their tools. The religious situation in Scotland in the first half of the sixteenth century was very tense. The Catholic Church was corrupt and in need of reform. Many Scottish nobles and townspeople wanted to introduce Protestantism. However, France was very influential, and the Court of the monarch was usually Catholic. In the Highlands of Scotland, the Gaelic speaking population was decidedly Catholic. Religion became intertwined in the traditional and never-ending struggle between the nobles and the monarch. The French supported the Catholic factions and the English supported those who were sympathetic to the Reformation. In 1542 the Scots were once again defeated by the English at Solway Firth. James V of Scotland died soon after this and his young daughter Mary was his heir. Real power lay with the Catholic faction led by Cardinal Beaton and the French Queen Mother Catherine of Guise. In 1546 Cardinal Beaton was assassinated and this was an important point in the Scottish Reformation. After this time, the Protestant nobility began to become more influential in Scotland. After Mary Queen of Scots ascended the throne, there was an effort to reverse the Scottish Reformation. However, she was deposed, and this led to the triumph of Protestantism in Scotland <ref>Devine, p. 201</ref>.
[[File: John Knox.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Knox polemic on Mary Queen of Scots]]
==John Knox: a life==
John Knox was born in Giffordgate, between 1507-1551. His father was a rather unsuccessful merchant. Knox is believed to have been educated at the University of St Andrews and worked as a notary-priest. At an early date, he was influenced by the early Scottish church reformers such as George Wishart, who was later executed as a heretic. His experience as a cleric had persuaded him that the church in Scotland had to be reformed. Soon, because of the force of his personality and his fiery sermons Knox became one of the leaders of the reform movement <ref>Dawson, Jane, John Knox, London: Yale University Press, 2015), p. 13</ref>. Knox was caught up in the ecclesiastical and political events that involved the murder of Cardinal David Beaton in 1546. He was not a party to the assassination of the Cardinal. In 1547 a French expeditionary force landed in Edinburgh and they ensured that a pro-French faction secured the government of the kingdom. Scotland Mary of Guise, a French noblewoman, became the regent to the future Mary Queen of Scots. Knox was taken prisoner by French forces. For over a year he was forced to serve as a galley slave and he almost died because of his terrible treatment. He was eventually released and exiled to England in 1549. The Scot was licensed to work in the Church of England, because of his Protestant credentials. He became the Royal Chaplin to King Edward VI. He exerted a reforming influence on the text of the Book of Common Prayer. When Mary I (Bloody Mary) ascended the throne of England and re-established Roman Catholicism, Knox was forced to flee once more. Knox moved to Geneva and where, he met John Calvin, from whom he gained experience and knowledge of Reformed theology and Presbyterian polity<ref>Dawson, p. 198</ref>. Calvin was to change Knox’s view of religion and greatly influenced his theological thinking. The encounter between Calvin and Knox was crucial in the development of the Presbyterian Church. Later Knox broke with the Church of England and Anglicanism. Knox returned to Scotland and by now he was one of the leaders of the Scottish Reformation. He formed an alliance with the Scottish Protestant nobility and he openly challenged Mary Queen of Scots and denounced her Catholic faith<ref>Devine, p. 201</ref>. When the Queen was imprisoned for her alleged role in the murder of her husband Lord Darnley and King James VI was enthroned in her stead, he openly called for her execution. He continued to preach until his final days and remained one of the leaders of the Reformation in Scotland<ref>, Dawson, p. 167</ref>.
