The New Covenanters Part I

In The New Covenanters – Part I: The Rising Tide, journey back to the tumultuous first century of the Christian Era – a time that reshaped the destinies of Rome and Judaea. This captivating historical narrative plunges readers into an era marked by the crucifixion of Jesus, the fervent struggles of the Jews under Roman rule, and the heartrending destruction of Jerusalem’s Second Temple. The tale revolves around the enigmatic Josephus Flavius, once known as Joseph ben Matthias. From his days as a gallant commander of Jewish forces in Galilee during the Great Revolt to his transformation into a historian and witness to Jerusalem’s fall, his story is intricately intertwined with the seismic events of his time. Drawing from meticulous research and the writings of Josephus himself, The Rising Tide not only brings to life an epoch of monumental change but also introduces readers to the people and passions that fuelled it. Experience history’s turning tides and the birth of profound legacies in this mesmerizing first instalment.

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.

Contains a study of the Reformed Presbyterians, or Covenanters, in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia by focusing on the congregations located in the Chignecto Isthmus area (Westmorland County, New Brunswick and Cumberland County, Nova Scotia).

This three-volume work comprises over eighty essays surveying the history of Scottish theology from the early middle ages onwards. Written by an international team of scholars, the collection provides the most comprehensive review yet of the theological movements, figures, and themes that have shaped Scottish culture and exercised a significant influence in other parts of the world. Attention is given to different traditions and to the dispersion of Scottish theology through exile, migration, and missionary activity. The volumes present in diachronic perspective the theologies that have flourished in Scotland from early monasticism until the end of the twentieth century. The History of Scottish Theology, Volume I covers the period from the appearance of Christianity around the time of Columba to the era of Reformed Orthodoxy in the seventeenth century. Volume II begins with the early Enlightenment and concludes in late Victorian Scotland. Volume III explores the 'long twentieth century'. Recurrent themes and challenges are assessed, but also new currents and theological movements that arose through Renaissance humanism, Reformation teaching, federal theology, the Scottish Enlightenment, evangelicalism, missionary, Biblical criticism, idealist philosophy, dialectical theology, and existentialism. Chapters also consider the Scots Catholic colleges in Europe, Gaelic women writers, philosophical scepticism, the dialogue with science, and the reception of theology in liturgy, hymnody, art, literature, architecture, and stained glass. Contributors also discuss the treatment of theological themes in Scottish literature.

Drawing on unpublished stories, minutes, and reminiscences of Chignecto clergymen, Hay delineates Covenanter life, exploring its beliefs and traditions, leadership, relations with other Presbyterian bodies, and the causes of the movement's collapse. He focuses on two key figures in the movement, Reverend Alexander Clarke, an Irish missionary who established Reformed Presbyterian congregations in the area, and Reverend Joseph Howe Brownell, who consolidated the congregations and led them into the Presbyterian Church of Canada in 1905. The Chignecto Covenanters fills an important gap in the history of Canadian Presbyterianism and of the Maritime region. "A model of how micro-history can be portrayed within a macro-context, The Chignecto Covenanters fills a gap in Maritime regional history and makes a significant contribution to the broader fields of Canadian religious and cultural history." John Moir, Emeritus Professor of History, University of Toronto.