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Religion General

The Covenanters in Canada

Reformed Presbyterianism from 1820 to 2012

by (author) Eldon Hay

Publisher
McGill-Queen's University Press
Initial publish date
Oct 2012
Category
General
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780773541009
    Publish Date
    Oct 2012
    List Price
    $45.95

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Description

In The Covenanters in Canada, Eldon Hay sheds light on a religious community often overlooked in the chronicle of Canadian history. A group of religious and political dissenters who opposed the interference by the Stuart kings in the affairs of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, the Covenanter movement was small, but had deep roots worthy of attention and respect. This study of a resilient tradition of religious dissent reflects the value of variance in a genuinely pluralistic society. The Covenanters objected to a ruler who was both the head of state and head of the church. Tracing the theological and historical significance of the movement in Scotland, Ireland, and the United States, Hay outlines the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of Covenanter missionaries in the Maritimes, Upper and Lower Canada, and the West. Despite fierce opposition from rival denominations, the Covenanters ultimately survived to carve a niche for themselves and develop a precarious relationship with other denominations and secular society - a relationship that remains tenacious and tenuous. A comprehensive study of a minority religious movement, The Covenanters in Canada is an insightful perspective on the evolving relationship between small religious movements and the majority culture.

About the author

Eldon Hay (1931-2017) was professor emeritus in the Department of Religious Studies at Mount Allison University.

Eldon Hay's profile page

Editorial Reviews

“Eldon Hay has given us a meticulously researched history of a Presbyterian branch in Canada that sheds light on a neglected denomination of the Reformed community in Canada.” Haddington House Journal