Poor Relief and the Church in Scotland, 1560–1650. John McCallum. Scottish Religious Cultures Historical Perspective. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2018. xii + 268 pp. £75

In addition to challenging numerous assumptions, Poor Relief and the Church in Scotland uncovers a softer image of the kirk sessions, so often associated with strict discipline and the regulation of morality. Unlike most studies of relief, which address the later decades of the early modern era or f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inRenaissance Quarterly Vol. 74; no. 1; pp. 330 - 332
Main Author Tapscott, Elizabeth
Format Journal Article Book Review
LanguageEnglish
Published Cambridge Cambridge University Press 01.04.2021
Subjects
McCallum, John
Religion
Renaissance period
Scotland
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Summary:In addition to challenging numerous assumptions, Poor Relief and the Church in Scotland uncovers a softer image of the kirk sessions, so often associated with strict discipline and the regulation of morality. Unlike most studies of relief, which address the later decades of the early modern era or focus on the Scottish state's attempts to implement poor laws and other legislation, McCallum focuses on the Kirk and the earlier period to fill two major lacunae in the Scottish scholarship. Chapter 5 examines how funds were raised and distributed, and the role of session personnel, while chapter 6 explores how gender, occupation, age, and infirmity influenced who received relief.
ISSN:0034-4338
1935-0236
DOI:10.1017/rqx.2020.385