6 September 2010 - 18 Oct 2010

In 2010 we mark the 450th anniversary of the Reformation, an event which left an indelible
legacy in Scottish society. In a major seven part series, Billy Kay tells the story of the great
ecclesiastical traditions which have shaped the history of Christianity in this country - Roman
Catholic, Episcopalian and Presbyterian.

In the Highlands we explore the emergence of Evangelicalism in the Free Church and Free
Presbyterian Church, and the survival of the tradition in Lewis. The story of other churches with
a long pedigree in the country will be told - the Quakers, the Methodists and the Baptists.

We will recall the great religious revivals which swept through Scotland and the cultural forces
which led to the spread of the Brethren churches in places like Ayrshire mining villages and
fishing communities on the Moray coast.

We will explore the history of the churches, the faith of the people who belong to them, the local
and national identity of their adherents, their influence on politics and culture, the effects of
immigration, and the tension between the values of the past and the society of the present.

For a majority of Scots, knowledge of other churches can be scant and based on stereotypes.
This series will reveal the deep historic roots of all of the major Christian denominations in
Scotland and explore their relevance to the future of the country.

Download File Size:168.38 MB

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