Church and People: England 1450-1660 (Blackwell Classic Histories of England) [Paperback]

Claire Cross (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 9, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0631214674 | ISBN-13: 978-0631214670 | Edition: 2

This book provides readers with an account of the rivalry between the two kingdoms of Church and State between the years 1450 and 1660.

England inherited, from medieval times, two systems of authority: the Church, governed by Pope and Bishops; and the State, ruled by Monarch and Lords. However, from the late fourteenth century onwards, this division was increasingly challenged by the laity's insistence on their right to choose not only between different systems of Church government but also between different forms of religious belief. The author charts the rivalry between clergy and laity's and shows how political and social developments between 1450 and 1660 were decisively influenced by this conflict. This second edition includes updates throughout the text in the light of recent scholarship and a new bibliography.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Scholarly, lucid, illuminating, objective and extremely readable . . . an outstanding contribution." (Church Times)

"Good historical writing is a rare commodity, and it is a pleasure to meet it in Claire Cross's new book." (The Tablet)

Book Description

This captivating volume provides an account of the rivalry between the two kingdoms of Church & State between the years 1450 & 1660. It shows how the division of Church & State was challenged by the laities insistence on their right to choose not only between different systems of Church government, but also between different forms of religious belief.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; 2 edition (June 9, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631214674
• ISBN-13: 978-0631214670
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,151,462 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a bit dry, May 1, 2000

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Schwanda (Shoreline, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Church and People: England 1450-1660 (Blackwell Classic Histories of England) (Paperback)

Claire Cross is obviously an intelligent woman. She uses words and phrases appropriate to the content, but that is obviously geared towards the professional or academic reader. I first tried reading this book a year ago when my understanding of the content was naught. Frusturated, I left the book on the shelves until recently, when I revisited it and understood it for what it is worth. Armchair Historians would benefit in passing this book by.

Cross does an excellent job of explaining how the common people of England began to change theit spiritual thinking from that of the dictated Catholic Church to the free and open Prodestant Church. She focuses on aspects such as litarcy, the printing press, faith of the monarchs and general public opinion. From Luther to Lollards and beyond, this book does a fair job of explaining the phenomonon that is the Reformation.