The Evolution of the English Churches, 1500–2000

The story of the English churches, concentrating on the lives of church-goers and their clergy.

Doreen Rosman (Author)

9780521642057, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 18 September 2003

414 pages, 31 b/w illus.
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.7 cm, 0.78 kg

'This is a fascinating and highly readable account of English church life, which young ministers in particular need to read in order to understand the context in which they find themselves today.' Ministry Today

This book tells the story of the English churches over a 500-year period from the Reformation to the present day. Unlike some general histories which concentrate on church leaders, it focuses upon the lives of ordinary church-goers and of the local clergy who ministered to them. The author traces changes in church life, charting the emergence and distinctive characteristics of different denominations. She gives full weight to recent developments, bringing the story up to date by examining the growth of new independent churches in the late twentieth century. The book will therefore be of value not only to students of church history but also to readers who want to understand the religious background of past societies. Church-goers curious about their heritage and anyone interested in the changing role of religion in English life will also find this account lucid and illuminating.

Preface
1. Buildings, beliefs and community life
2. From Catholic to Protestant
3. Moulding the character of the church
4. Conflict, coercion, and compromise
5. Dissenters, Catholics, and Anglicans
6. The eighteenth-century revival
7. Diversity, competition, and strife
8. The vigour of Victorian Christianity
9. Churches, chapels and Protestant worship
10. Perceptions of faith c.1850–2000
11. Church communities in the modern world
12. Churches together and churches apart.

Subject Areas: Social & cultural anthropology, ethnography [JHMC], Christian theology [HRCM], History of religion [HRAX], Social & cultural history [HBTB], British & Irish history [HBJD1]