Knox Centre for Ministry and Leadership

Presbyterian and Reformed Christianity

Lessons and On-line Resources

This page provides links to resources for each of the weekly lessons, including to what is in the Course Reader (click on the link in the topic for the week).

The dates for each lesson week are in the Calendar.

Orientation : Welcome and introductions

1) If you have not already done so, please email me on  john@roxborogh.com  with your email address, a skype and facebook name if you have them, telephone numbers. I will email you back with the email address for online group discussion.

2) Read one or two of these papers and then send an email to the group email address introducing yourself, saying why you are doing this paper, and what you would like to get out of it.

Why Study Presbyterianism in a post-denominational age?

How to study Presbyterianism in a post-denominational age

Labels and the Presbyterian brand

Enjoy the course!

John Roxborogh

Module One: Reformed Foundations

Week 1: What does Presbyterianism look like?

Describing a Presbyterian Church 

Week 2: The Celtic and Medieval Backgrounds

Celtic Scotland 
Medieval Scotland

Week 3: The Reformation to 1564

John Calvin

Reformation Scotland

The Reformation to 1546

The Reformation to 1564

Week 4: The Reformation to 1622

The Reformation to 1572  

The Reformation to 1622

The Five Articles of Perth 

Week 5: Confessions and Covenants

Reformed Confessions

Covenants and Covenanters 

Module Two: Towards a Global Tradition

Week 6: Revival and Party 1690 to 1796

Revival and Party in 18th Century Scotland

Presbyterianism in the 18th Century

Week 7: Renewal and Disruption 1796 to 1843

Background to the Free Church Settlement in Otago

The Legacy of Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847)

Chalmers and Calvinism in 19th century Scotland.pdf

The Charismatic Movement of the 1830s

Scotland was not just Presbyterian

David Octavius Hill's Disruption Painting

Week 8: Merchants, Migrants, Missionaries, Converts

Agents in the global spread

Christianity in Africa

Christianity in Korea to 1990

Presbyterianism in Malaysia to 1990

Reformed Churches in Asia

Reformed Christianity in the Pacific

Week 9: Presbyterians in New Zealand to 1901

Presbyterianism in 19th Century New Zealand

Sundays and holy days: Alsion Clarke, The Presbyterian Way of Life in Colonial New Zealand

Presbyterians in New Zealand

Rutherford Waddell

Week 10: Presbyterians in New Zealand to 2000

Presbyterianism in New Zealand 1900 to 2000 

Evangelical Identity in New Zealand 

The Bible Class Movement

A mission venture: the Council for Mission and Ecumenical Cooperation

Module Three: Diversity and Renewal

Week 11: Leadership for ministry and mission

Minister as Leader? Moderator? CEO?

Training for Ministry

Ordination and the recognition of ministry

Week 12: Sacraments and Ceremonies

Baptising infants and believers

Week 13: Worship across cultures and generations

Cultural Diversity and Unity in Christ (Kevin Ward)
Directory for Worship, PCANZ
Pacific Island Christianity in New Zealand
Worship Word and Song across cultures and generations 

Week 14: Community, change, controversy and mission

Community change conflict and mission

Coping with Conflict

Leading change and taking people with you

Unity and Diversity

Week 15: Theology and mission

Theology and Mission into a new era 

Chalmers and Calvinism in 19th century Scotland

Thoughts on theology today

Reformed theology

A Theology of Mission for NZ Presbyterians (word)