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The Articles Declaratory of the Constitution of the Church of Scotland – often known as the Declaratory Articles - were drawn up early in the 20th century to facilitate the union of the
Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Reformation of 1560, when it split from the Catholic Church ...
and the
United Free Church of Scotland The United Free Church of Scotland (UF Church; gd, An Eaglais Shaor Aonaichte, sco, The Unitit Free Kirk o Scotland) is a Scottish Presbyterian denomination formed in 1900 by the union of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland (or UP) and ...
. The "declaratory" nature of the Articles means that they are intended to define or "declare" a status that already existed, but explicitly spelt out for the avoidance of doubt. By an Act of Parliament – The
Church of Scotland Act 1921 The Church of Scotland Act 1921 is an Act of the British Parliament. The purpose of the Act was to settle centuries of dispute between the British Parliament and the Church of Scotland over the Church's independence in spiritual matters. The pa ...
– the Articles Declaratory were held to be lawful, thus recognising the
Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Reformation of 1560, when it split from the Catholic Church ...
as the national church in
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
but independent from the state in matters spiritual. They are still in force. Special procedures are required to amend the Articles Declaratory (see Article VIII), but Article I cannot be altered.


See also

*
Separation of church and state The separation of church and state is a philosophical and jurisprudential concept for defining political distance in the relationship between religious organizations and the state. Conceptually, the term refers to the creation of a secular sta ...


Further reading

* ''The Constitution and Laws of the Church of Scotland'', edited by the Very Rev Dr James L. Weatherhead, published by the Board of Practice and Procedure of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1997), .


External links


Articles Declaratory of the Constitution of the Church of Scotland
at the official website of the Church of Scotland Church of Scotland Church order Separation of church and state 1921 in Christianity 1921 documents History of the Church of Scotland 1921 in law 1921 in Scotland Christianity and law in the 20th century Law about religion in the United Kingdom {{Scotland-hist-stub