Establishment in Scotland

Abstract

The Church of Scotland has from its inception presented an alternative model of church/state relations to that of the Church of England. There, close at home, appeared to be another national church recognized in one of the few parts — the Act of Union — of the UK’s constitution that is written down. The result has been that the position of the Church of Scotland has invariably attracted the closest attention of those contemplating the revision of the Church of England’s relationship with the state. All four of the twentieth-century Church of England Church and State inquiries considered the Scottish model. More recently, Iain McLean has argued that the Church of England’s position should be put on the same footing as the Church of Scotland (McLean and Linsley 2004).