George Wishart: a Torch of the Reformation in Scotland

Abstract

I am led to attempt a paper on George Wishart, partly because of a

family connection which I refer to later in this paper, and partly by an interest

in two questions: firstly, why would a man die (or perhaps more accurately

put himself in a position of risk of death) over what appear to modern eyes,

relatively small points of religious doctrine; secondly, why would those in

authority think it worth killing him over those same points? The first question

is answered readily enough. In a time when religious questions were to some,

perhaps a relatively small part of the community, the most important thing in

life, and when salvation for eternity is seen as the object, death may be

actively pursued in that cause and certainly risked.