Overview

This book is a wide-ranging new account of a key period in the history of the Church in England, from the Glorious Revolution of 1688-89 to the Great Reform Act of 1832. This was a tumultuous time for both Church and State, when the relationship between religion and politics was at its most fraught. The Church of England, 1688-1832 considers the consequences of these important events and the rapid changes it brought to the Anglican Church and to national politics. Aspects of the social history of the Church are also discussed, including the role of the Church in eighteenth- century culture, and the development of nationhood. Anglican attitudes to European Protestantism and Methodism are also evaluated. Drawing on a wide range of contemporary sources, The Church of England, 1688-1832 presents evidence of the widespread Anglican commitment to harmony between those of differing religious views and suggests that High and Low Churchmanship was less divergent than usually assumed. This is both a detailed history of the Church in the eighteenth century and a fresh and stimulating re-evaluation of the nature of Anglicanism and its role in society.

Full Product Details

9780415240239

Table of Contents

Reviews

A key book that synthesizes much current research and makes a critical argument that will influence studies of the eighteenth century church for years to come.. <br>-Anglican and Episcopal History, December 2003 <br>

'Religion in this period has been recovering from earlier neglect, yet students have lacked an adequate modern survey ... this work fills the gap excellently ... Gibson has provided an able synthesis of recent scholarship, with an enlivening spin of his own. Much is judicious ... the book argues a case that demands attention.' - English Historical Review 'This positive re-evaluation of its subject by one of the more thoughtful modern historians of the Church of England represents an important contribution to the revisionist theme that has dominated scholarship over the last decade. Gibson's perceptive account offers an overarching interpretation of the Church that provides an excellent context for more detailed local studies.' - Jeremy Black, Southern History, 2001 'This book is an impressive and well-documented survey of the fortunes of the Church of England between the Glorious Revolution and the first Reform Act ... a valuable and polished work which will be of considerable interest to sepcialists andto students.' - British Journal for Eighteenth Century Studies

Author Information

William Gibson has written widely on the eighteenth and nineteenth century church and society. He is currently a senior manager at Basingstoke College of Technology and a Hartley Fellow of Southampton University.

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