This book reconsiders the existence of an early Stuart Puritan movement, and examines the ways in which Puritan clergymen encouraged greater sociability with their like-minded colleagues, both in theory and in practice, to such an extent that they came to define themselves as 'a peculiar people', a community distinct from their less faithful rivals. Their voluntary communal rituals encouraged a view of the world divided between 'us' and 'them'. This provides a context for a renewed examination of the thinking behind debates on ceremonial nonconformity and reactions to the Laudian changes of the 1630s. From this a new perspective is developed on arguments about emigration and church government, arguments that proved crucial to Parliamentarian unity during the English Civil War.

An analysis of the networks constructed between Puritan ministers before the English Civil War.
Reviews
' ... a richly nuanced study of forms and practices of clerical sociability that helped to define Puritanism and shape its response to the changing conditions of the Caroline Church ... [Webster] is a new voice in the field of Puritan studies and one that promises to be an important one'. Journal of Ecclesiastical History



Book Information
ISBN 9780521461702
Author Tom Webster
Format Hardback
Page Count 370
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 735g
Dimensions(mm) 235mm * 161mm * 30mm