Date
5-20-2026
Department
College of Arts and Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD)
Chair
Nathan Martin
Keywords
Covenanters, Church of Scotland, Stuart monarchy, Interregnum, history of Presbyterianism, religious history, 17th century history, history of Scotland, James VI, Charles I, Charles II, James VII
Disciplines
History
Recommended Citation
Nesbit, Isaac James, "The Kirk of the Covenant: A Comparative Analysis of Covenanter Doctrine and Practice in Periods of Ascendancy and Persecution, 1638–1688" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8466.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8466
Abstract
The Scottish Covenanter period is frequently treated as a monolith – a singular entity spanning a particularly contentious fifty years of Scottish history. While historians covering the work have inherently recognized two different waves of the group, this bifurcation of the period has not been made explicitly clear, merely suggested. Through comparative analysis of primary sources, this work delineates commonalities and differences between these two groups, termed “ascendant” and “persecuted” Covenanters, with the ascendant period spanning 1638–1651, and the persecuted wave spanning 1660–1688. The two are bisected by the abolition of the monarchy and the Commonwealth under Cromwell.
The ascendant period can be seen as a culmination of “proto-Covenanter” opposition to Stuart innovations dating back decades prior to the drafting of the National Covenant in 1638. While nominally in favor of the Stuarts, this phase saw staunch opposition to the exertion of the royal prerogative over Kirk affairs. The ascendant Covenanters were largely autonomous and functionally in control of the nation throughout the period; military actions conducted by the group were preemptive, larger, focused, and more rarely discussed. Ascendant literature focuses primarily on theological concerns, the implications of the Covenants, and the ultimate goal of expanding presbyterianism throughout the British Isles.
The persecuted period, on the other hand, was a rapid revival of opposition formed as a result of the Stuart Restoration; where their forebears swore allegiance to the Stuarts, the persecuted period rejected the Stuarts directly and, indirectly, monarchy as a whole. This group would be subjugated, never gaining full autonomy or considerable control outside of southwestern Scotland. The military actions conducted by the group, while sporadic, small, and disarrayed, occupy a major component of the discussion surrounding the group, particularly in the literature of the era, which focused primarily on a sacred history which evinced an apocalyptic worldview, persecution of the faithful, and prophecies of coming judgment for Scotland’s sins.
This work argues that while both are distinctly “Covenanters” adhering to the same founding documents, these two groups differ sharply enough to be categorized into these two separate waves or manifestations, and introduces these terms to help provide clarity when discussing this group overall.
