The Oxford Handbook of Presbyterianism

Presbyterianism emerged during the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. It spread from the British Isles to North America in the early eighteenth century. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Presbyterian denominations grew throughout the world. Today, there are an estimated 35 million Presbyterians in dozens of countries. The Oxford Handbook of Presbyterianism provides a state of the art reference tool written by leading scholars in the fields of religious studies and history. These thirty five articles cover major facets of Presbyterian history, theological beliefs, worship practices, ecclesiastical forms and structures, as well as important ethical, political, and educational issues. Eschewing parochial and sectarian triumphalism, prominent scholars address their particular topics objectively and judiciously.

About the Editors Gary Scott Smith earned his Ph.D. in American history at Johns Hopkins University. He taught at Grove City College from 1978 to 2017, where he chaired the History Department. Smith was named Pennsylvania Professor of the Year in 2001. He has authored and edited fourteen books including Religion in the Oval Office (OUP 2015). Smith is also an ordained minister in the PCUSA and currently is a parish associate and the co-director of the mission program at Saint Andrews-Covenant Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, North Carolina. P.C. Kemeny is Interim Dean and Professor of Religion and Humanities at Grove City College. He has received grants from the American Academy of Religion and the American Historical Association. He is author of The New England Watch and Ward Society (OUP 2018) and holds degrees from Wake Forest University, Westminster Seminary, Duke University, and Princeton Seminary.