Church of Scotland

The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is the national church of Scotland. Protestant and Presbyterian, its longstanding decision to respect "liberty of opinion in points which do not enter into the substance of the Faith" means it is tolerant of a variety of theological positions, including those who would term themselves conservative and liberal in their doctrine, ethics and interpretation of Scripture.The Church of Scotland traces its roots back to the beginnings of Christianity in Scotland, but its identity is principally shaped by the Reformation of 1560. As of December 2013, its pledged membership is 398,389, or about 7.5% of the total population. According to the 2015 Scottish Annual Household Survey, a significantly higher 25.3% of the Scottish population, or 1.4 million adherents, claimed some form of allegiance to it. In the 2011 census 32.4% claimed allegiance to the church. (see Religion in Scotland).