Women and presbyterianism in Scotland c1830 to c1930

This thesis is a consideration of the changing relationship between women and presbyterianism in Scotland during the period c1830 - c1930, focusing particularly upon its effect on the developments which increased the involvement of women in public, social, ecclesiastical and political realms. It claims that women were historical agents who acted critically and creatively in response to their circumstances, and so were active participants in the processes of change.The values and beliefs expressed by Scottish women were not biologically essential or uniform, but shaped by their historical location. They were differentiated by a range of factors -including class, race, gender, character and geographical location - which belied the prevalent archetypal understanding of 'True Womanhood'. The period witnessed significant developments in the options available, especially to certain groups of women in church and society. Many women welcomed the potent concept of mission to justify and define their moral agency in religious work, philanthropy, education, and campaigns for social and political progress.The topic is introduced in chapter one with a brief consideration of its treatment (and neglect) in Scottish historiography, highlighting the significance of a presbyterian ethos in shaping the social and cultural landscape. I discuss sources, methodology, and limitations of the study. I contextualise the narrative by outlining the evolution of patriarchy as an organising principle in post-Reformation society, and of the 'separate spheres' doctrine which dominated discourse about women throughout the period.Chapter two looks at the development of women's work within the presbyterian denominations, and how that was related to the general industrial and professional employment of female labour in Scotland. Chapter three explores the involvement of women in the foreign missions of the church. Chapter four examines the official position of women within the presbyterian polity of the main denominations, and the options available to those who sought to challenge and change female exclusion from status and responsibility. Chapter five discusses the participation of women in four major campaigns to transform aspects of their society: anti-slavery] temperance; the struggle for access to higher education; the women's suffrage campaign. It focuses particularly on the ways in which people, policies and practices were influenced by presbyterianism, and vice versa and analyses, in the Scottish context, the claim that Protestantism was an almost essential precondition for the development of feminism in the western world. Chapter six is an attempt, based on the research, and on insights from contemporary feminist theology, to assess whether presbyterianism in Scotland during the period could be characterised as a source of liberation or oppression for women. Appendix I is a comparative case study of two local branches of the Church of Scotland Woman's Guild