biography
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (c.1513–72)
|
| biography:
| Protestant reformer, born near Haddington, East Lothian, E Scotland, UK. A Catholic priest, he acted as a notary in Haddington (1540–3), and in 1544 was influenced by George Wishart to work for the Lutheran reformation. After Wishart was burned (1546), Knox joined the reformers defending the castle of St Andrews, and became a minister. After the castle fell to the French, he was kept a prisoner until 1549, then became chaplain to Edward VI, and was consulted over the Second Book of Common Prayer. On Mary's accession (1553), he fled to Dieppe, then to Geneva, where he was much influenced by Calvin. He returned to Scotland in 1555 to preach, and again in 1559, where he won a strong party in favour of reform, and founded the Church of Scotland (1560). He played a lasting part in the composition of The Scots Confession, The First Book of Discipline, and The Book of Common Order. |
|
|
