Presbyterians and Politics in Northern Ireland

Abstract

Presbyterianism has been aptly described by Erskine (1998, p. 63) in this way:

Presbyterianism though radical in its origins and many of its structures — and once perceived to be a social and political threat, with its dangerous ideas of democracy, accountability and egalitarianism — is often considered today to be both socially and politically conservative. Indeed it may well be the experience of the twentieth century in Northern Ireland has developed attitudes which are defensive and in marked contrast to those of previous centuries.

In this chapter we examine the relationship between Presbyterians and politics in Ireland in a historical context, the attitudes of Presbyterians to the Orange Order, the use of flags in church services, the Statements of the Church on the Northern Ireland situation, and Presbyterian perceptions of prejudice.