Resignation of Thomas Chalmers, Professor of Divinity, 1843

In 1843, the Disruption in the Church of Scotland led to the resignation of Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847), Professor of Divinity, and to the creation of New College.

The Disruption was the result of a crisis in the established Church of Scotland over the relations between Church and State. Over a third of its ministers and perhaps half the lay membership left to form the Free Church in protest against what they perceived as state efforts to undermine the Church's spiritual independence and integrity. It forced Divinity professors who joined the Free Church to give up their chairs, as in principle, professors were required to subscribe to the Westminster Confession, the Church of Scotland's doctrinal statement. The Free Church set up its own college, New College, to train ministers.