The eucharist in post-Reformation Scotland: a theological tale of harmony and diversity

This essay explores the Eucharistic theology of the confessions and catechisms in the Reformed tradition that were influential in Scotland between 1560 and 1640. A core purpose is to illumine the dogmatic architecture of early Reformed Scotland, and to reach a greater understanding of the different doctrinal impulses which shaped its churches and its people. A second purpose is to correct the way in which the doctrinal material from this period has been handled in some contemporary historic and constructive accounts. The essay first articulates a theological framework of harmony and diversity within which its source materials will be considered. It then exposits and analyses the content of these documents, aiming to locate them within this heuristic framework. In a final section, it draws some tentative conclusions in both historical and constructive directions.