Yesterday, I visited the two main centers of Presbyterian history here in Edinburgh: the John Knox house, on the Royal Mile next to the old city gate; and St. Giles' Cathedral, where Knox was the first Protestant minister. As was the case in Geneva, Edinburgh seems almost apologetic for their Reformer. The John Knox house carefully balances Knox's history with that of John Mosman, a goldsmith who later owned the house and was loyal to the crown during the Scottish revolution. Granted, Knox lacked the intellectual rigor of Calvin, and was considerably less restrained than his mentor. But a local bookstore boasts a series on famous Scots and there isn't a single volume on Knox. Perhaps it reflects the pervasive secularism of the city.
Knox, it seems to me, is a classic "second generation" follower of a charismatic leader. Like the Apostle Paul, the Caliph Ali, or even Brigham Young, Knox brought the passion of a "true believer" to his defense of the cause. His fire-breathing sermons seem perfectly suited to a city where heat may be a greater necessity than light.
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