death_date death_place tradition_movement birth_place birth_date image article_title name occupation
24 november 1572 -lrb- aged 58 or 59 -rrb- edinburgh , kingdom of scotland reformed , presbyterian giffordgate , kingdom of scotland c. 1513 john knox statue , haddington.jpg john knox
 john knox pastor , author , reformer
john knox

john knox -lrb- c. 1513 -- 24 november 1572 -rrb- was a scottish clergyman , theologian and writer who was a leader of the protestant reformation and is considered the founder of the presbyterian denomination in scotland .
he is believed to have been educated at the university of st andrews and worked as a notary-priest .
influenced by early church reformers such as george wishart , he joined the movement to reform the scottish church .
he was caught up in the ecclesiastical and political events that involved the murder of cardinal beaton in 1546 and the intervention of the regent of scotland mary of guise .
he was taken prisoner by french forces the following year and exiled to england on his release in 1549 .
while in exile , knox was licensed to work in the church of england , where he rose in the ranks to serve king edward vi of england as a royal chaplain .
he exerted a reforming influence on the text of the `` book of common prayer '' .
in england he met and married his first wife , margery bowes .
when mary tudor ascended the throne and re-established roman catholicism , knox was forced to resign his position and leave the country .
knox moved to geneva and then to frankfurt .
in geneva he met john calvin , from whom he gained experience and knowledge of reformed theology and presbyterian polity .
he created a new order of service , which was eventually adopted by the reformed church in scotland .
he left geneva to head the english refugee church in frankfurt but he was forced to leave over differences concerning the liturgy , thus ending his association with the church of england .
on his return to scotland he led the protestant reformation in scotland , in partnership with the scottish protestant nobility .
the movement may be seen as a revolution , since it led to the ousting of mary of guise , who governed the country in the name of her young daughter mary , queen of scots .
knox helped write the new confession of faith and the ecclesiastical order for the newly created reformed church , the kirk .
he continued to serve as the religious leader of the protestants throughout mary 's reign .
in several interviews with the queen , knox admonished her for supporting catholic practices .
when she was imprisoned for her alleged role in the murder of her husband lord darnley , and king james vi enthroned in her stead , he openly called for her execution .
he continued to preach until his final days .
