Contents; Acknowledgements; Introduction; Chapter 1: Looking for practices; The Protestant Ethic and practice; The nature of practice; Scottish religious practice; Sources; Chapter 2: The emergence of a governance system; Structure of the church; An emerging system: the seventeenth century; Consolidating the Revolution settlement; Steuart of Pardovan; Chapter 3: Presbyterial business; Business as usual in the presbytery; The parochial visitation in practice; Ministerial conduct and the demise of the visitation; Monitoring sessions at a distance; Formalisation of the letter; relaxation of the spirit; Chapter 4: The kirk session; Ministers; The Session Clerk; Elders; Deacons and Heritors; Life of the Session; Making communion happen; Chapter 5: Handling finances; Developing the money register; Record format; Using the records; Getting the money in; The poor box; The treasurer; Disputes over accountability; Chapter 6: Scottish systemic accountability; Theory and practice; Regional differences; Law and education; Monymusk; Chapter 7: Contrasts and consequences; Personal accountability in the Church of England; Contrasts with Scotland; Consequences; Bonds; Accountancy; America; Chapter 8: Conclusion; Religion as a social practice; Scotland and Presbyterianism; Appendices; Appendix 1: Contrast of visitation questions; Appendix 2: Parochial visitations in four presbyteries 1700-1735; Appendix 3: Questions asked about ministerial conduct at parochial visitations in 1710 compared to 1704 Overtures; Appendix 4: Questions asked about sessions at parochial visitations in 1710 compared to 1704 Overtures; Appendix 5: Questions at privy censures in presbytery of Cupar in 1730 compared to 1704 Overtures; Appendix 6: Parish records examined for account formats; Appendix 7: Coding structure for analysis of recording of financial transactions; Appendix 8: Account formats across five presbyteries; Primary sources; National Records of Scotland; Nottinghamshire Record Office; University of Nottingham, Manuscripts and Special Collections; Liverpool Record Office; Derbyshire Record Office; Printed primary sources; Secondary sources.