The Church of England in Industrialising Society: The Lancashire Parish of Whalley in the Eighteenth Century (Studies in Modern British Religious History) [Hardcover]

M.F. Snape (Author)

Book Description

Series: Studies in Modern British Religious History | Publication Date: October 9, 2003

Was the Church of England an ailing or a healthy institution in the eighteenth century? Responding to the slings and arrows of its Victorian critics, ever since the publication in the 1930s of Norman Sykes' Church and State in England in the Eighteenth Century, modern scholarship has tended to stress the competence of the Church's leadership at a national and diocesan level and its importance and popularity for the nation at large. Moreover, in recent years, several studies have emerged which argue a strong case for the multi-faceted appeal of the Church of England at the local level. However, although this revisionist scholarship helps to underline the importance of religion for eighteenth-century English society, it fails to account for the haemorrhaging of support which the Church of England experienced in the first half of the nineteenth century. With reference to the situation in England's largest parish, this new study of the Church of England's fortunes in the eighteenth century demonstrates its long-term failure to retain the loyalty and affections of many men and women in the country's industrialising areas. In drawing attention to hitherto neglected issues such as the situation of the Church of England's non-graduate clergy and the failure of its ecclesiastical courts, it presents a post-revisionist case which challenges the existing academic consensus on the situation and success of this faltering institution. Dr M.F. SNAPE teaches in the Department of Theology at the University of Birmingham

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is a fine study. It bears the hallmarks of thorough and painstaking scholarship. This outstanding book is almost a model of how a local study of the eighteenth-century Church can enhance our knowledge of the past and our understanding of history. ALBIONA significant and well-researched book makes a timely intervention in the debate about the success or failure of the Church of England in the eighteenth century. ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEWThis book is a splendid tapestry of local facts and stories drawn from extensive scrutiny of a range of records.... A very readable work. REVIEWS IN RELIGION & THEOLOGYMakes a valuable contribution to our understanding of the eighteenth-century church in all its variety. AMERICAN HISTORICAL REVIEWA thoroughly researched analysis. H-ALBION (This) study has a wider significance that (just) one parish and should rapidly establish itself as an indispensable contribution towards the evolving historiography of the eighteenth-century Church of England. NORTHERN HISTORY Compact and thoroughly researched.. Provide(s) valuable insight into the inner workings of an eighteenth-century parish. JOURNAL OF ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Boydell Press (October 9, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843830140
• ISBN-13: 978-1843830146
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,704,907 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.