Radical Religion in Cromwell's England A Concise History from the English Civil War to the End of the Commonwealth

by Bradstock, Andrew

• ISBN13: 9781845117658
• ISBN10: 1845117654
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780857718723, 9780857732033
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-01-15
• Publisher: I. B. Tauris
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Summary

The present state of the old world is running up like parchment in the fire.' So declaimed Gerrard Winstanley, charismatic leader of radical religious group the Diggers, in mid-seventeenth century England: one of the most turbulent periods in that country's history. As three civil wars divided and slaughtered families and communities, as failing harvests and land reforms forced many to the edge of starvation, and as longstanding institutions like the House of Lords, the Established Church and even the monarchy were unceremoniously dismantled, so a feverish sense of living on the cusp of a new age gripped the nation. Radical Religion in Cromwell's England is the first genuinely concise and accessible history of the fascinating ideas and popular movements which emerged during this volatile period. Names like the 'Ranters', 'Seekers', 'Diggers', 'Muggletonians' and 'Levellers' convey something of the exoticism of these associations, which although loose-knit, and in some cases short-lived, impacted on every stratum of society. Andrew Bradstock critically appraises each group and its ideas, taking into account the context in which they emerged, the factors which influenced them, and their significance at the time and subsequently. The role of political, religious, economic and military factors in shaping radical opinion is explored in full, as is the neglected contribution of women to these movements. Drawing on the author's long study of the topic, Radical Religion in Cromwell's England brings a remarkable era to vivid and colourful life.

Author Biography

Andrew Bradstock is Howard Paterson Professor of Theology and Public Issues at the University of Otago, New Zealand. He is the author and editor of several books in the field of radical religion and politics in seventeenth-century England, including Faith in the Revolution: The Political Theologies of Mntzer and Winstanley (1997), Winstanley and the Diggers, 1649-1999 (2000) and - edited with Chris Rowland - Radical Christian Writings: A Reader (2002).

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	p. vii
Preface and Acknowledgements	p. ix
Introduction	p. xi
Baptists	p. 1
Levellers	p. 27
Diggers	p. 51
Ranters	p. 75
Quakers	p. 95
Fifth Monarchists	p. 117
Muggletonians	p. 139
Conclusion	p. 159
Notes	p. 169
Further Reading	p. 177
Index	p. 181
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