Customer Reviews

John Knox

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While visiting John Knox's museum/home in Edinburgh, I selected this book from a collection of biographies. The description of the book as an even-handed account of his life was the main reason for selecting this text. I chose well, I believe.

Dr. Rosalind Marshall, the author of John Knox, is a prolific writer and historian who serves as a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. She writes primarily on women's studies, but if that is not your cup of tea (as it is not mine) - do not fear, as this book steps out of her normal sphere of focus. She does speak about Knox's views on women, which she postulates are misunderstood. The first purpose of the book is to set out an unbiased history of John Knox, but an underlying theme works to correct poorly made assumptions of John Knox in recent scholarship.

The author works hard to remain unbiased and references her work prodigiously. Due to a lack of sources, she does have to fill in the gaps, especially with Knox's early life, but Dr. Marshall makes it clear in the text when she is doing that (filling in the gaps with reason/logic/suppositions).

Theologically speaking, Dr. Marshall appears to be sympathetic of the Reformers. The Catholic excesses of the time are an understood conclusion without much detailed discussion. The author, though, never steps out and denigrates the Catholic church on her own. In other words, this book is not a theological history that has a bone to pick with any other church. Dr. Marshall simply reports on the Reformers' beliefs and their work in Geneva, England and (primarily) Scotland.

The book proceeds chronologically from his early days and priesthood to his conversion to Reformed theology. As mentioned, there is little extant record of Knox's life during this time, but the author makes it clear what is sourced and what is assumed/reasoned. After a discussion of Knox's time as a French galley slave and his release in England, she covers Knox's relationship with Elizabeth Bowes. This relationship has spawned many writings (both contemporary and current) that make the relationship to be more than a pastor-congregant friendship, and using the extant writings of both, Dr. Marshall dispels the myths. This is the first of three detailed excerpts Dr. Marshall focuses upon. The next focal point arises after her discussion of Knox's time in Geneva and Frankfurt and deals with his controversial "The First Blast of the Trumpet" pamphlet.

The "First Blast" she contends was not a treatise against women, but against Mary I (Bloody Mary) of England. While many say this writing also applied to Mary of Guise and Mary Queen of Scots, Marshall makes a strong case that neither is in view when Knox writes this text. Instead, Knox is unleashing his pen to strike out at the persecution in England by the Catholics. While Dr. Marshall promotes a history that corrects current (and contemporary) theories of his misogyny, she does not sugar-coat Knox's tongue in the process. Dr. Marshall shows a vengeful and grudge-holding Knox letting loose "regrettable" words frequently.

While the text covers Knox's sermon at Perth and details of the Reformation back in Scotland, she next provides a detailed account of Knox's five encounters with Mary Queen of Scots. Unfortunately, only Knox's records of these events exist, and Marshall makes it clear that her writing only has those accounts to rely upon for her history. Again, Dr. Marshall does a good job of remaining unbiased. Neither Mary nor Knox is painted in an unbalanced light.

The book continues to discuss the rest of Knox's life including the civil war and his involvement in aspects of it. Dr. Marshall quite aptly suggests early on in her book that Knox must have enjoyed Zwingli's writings, which seems to fit with his involvement here.

Her last discussion deals quickly with criticism of Knox's late marriage to a young Stuart. Here, Dr. MArshall points to the ways of the time and the fact that nothing denotes that Knox had a penchant for young girls for the sake of young girls as some scholars have poorly suggested.

Due to Dr. Marshall's unbiased nature, reliance on contemporary sources, and easy readability, this biography of John Knox serves well as an introduction to the Reformer's life.